Keegan Medrano, a queer Indigenous (Mvskoke) mixed race person joined the ACLU of Montana as Policy Director in June 2021.
Born in the Sacramento area of California, Keegan spent their first year living in the back of a car before being taken in by their maternal grandparents. Throughout their childhood and adolescence, the impacts of incarceration, substance use, homelessness, and failures of the US Health Care system were ever-present. Raised in a working-class household, labor, class, and the role of union activism were also at the forefront.
Upon going to college, Keegan committed to confronting these power structures by earning a BA in History with Honors focused on settler colonial states, race, and gender at San Francisco State University. At the same time, they began working at the university on education equity issues. Upon completion, Keegan began a master's on whiteness, masculinities, and the body and expand their work to include advocacy on food and housing insecurity for college students.
After working in instruction at an elementary school, High School, and college, Keegan left academia to serve as the Policy, Advocacy, and Communications Director for the Coalition on Homelessness San Francisco working on housing, homelessness, harm reduction, community alternatives to policing, and other related policy work in the Bay Area.
On their free time, Keegan enjoys watching and playing soccer, spending time with their dog, Riley, and making Spotify playlists. They also love diners, reading, and watching movies.