Lucille Wenegieme is an executive in the civic engagement and democracy spaces with an eclectic background in political advocacy, communications, fashion, and biomedical science. Her central change philosophy is that democracy has to meet people where they are, and she focuses on culture as the vehicle to get there. That interdisciplinary approach to work and life is her greatest asset, and she brings 360 degree consideration to the organizations and projects that she leads.
Prior to joining HeadCount as its sophomore executive director, Lucille served on the executive team at the Denver Clerk & Recorder’s Office where her team leveraged a $13 million budget to administer elections and provide other essential services. During her tenure, the Office launched a citizen-led campaign finance initiative to match local small-dollar donations with public funding and implemented a first-of-its-kind marijuana-themed get-out-the-vote campaign.
Her career has also included a stint as vice president of communications at the National Vote at Home Institute, which helped states and municipalities rapidly scale up their capacity to handle mail-in votes during the 2020 election. She also led her own communications firm, Kleos Creative, and was an executive at the Washington, D.C.-based public affairs firm Fireside Campaigns. Prior to entering the democracy space, she worked in communications at the global luxury retail giant Tapestry (formerly Coach, Inc.).
As a first generation Nigerian-American, Lucille believes that growing up with a last name that most Americans can’t say or spell has given her a particular strength of character, which she brings into every room she enters. As a locally accomplished costume designer, Lucille has recently taken up hand embroidery, and is creating the perfect look to wear to see Beyonce on tour.