Meet Effie
Effie believes that when everyone has a fair shot at the American dream, our nation is stronger. But our political system has stopped answering to the people, and Mike Lawler wants to keep it that way. In Congress, Effie will fight to make sure that the government answers to you, not the ultra-wealthy or corporate interests.
The American Dream for All
From an early age, Effie believed that hard work and service should add up to a better life. Her dad was a veteran and civil servant. Her mom; an educator who immigrated to the United States from El Salvador. Though it wasn’t always easy financially, families like hers could still afford to buy a home and live a suburban, middle-class life. Healthcare costs wouldn’t bankrupt a family, and college was still affordable. Educated in public schools and community college, Effie graduated with honors from UC Berkeley. And she’s always felt that the system that helped her advance should help everyone equally. That’s why Effie dedicated her life to nonprofit work in social justice and strengthening local public schools, and it’s why she has served her community in local government. Effie has always fought to uphold the belief that we all should have the opportunity to thrive.
Our Political System is Not Serving Us
America is struggling. People can’t afford housing. The cost of childcare makes parenting impossible. Our healthcare system profits from our illness, and access to health insurance is farther out of reach every day. Wages have been stagnant while working people pay higher tax rates than corporations and the ultra-wealthy. Immigrants who follow the rules and the law are pulled off the streets without due process. Unions that fight for worker safety, rights and fair wages are under attack.
Effie understands what is at stake – and the problem isn’t just Donald Trump and Mike Lawler. It’s our political system that prioritizes corporate profits over people.
Experienced Leadership
Effie Guadalupe Phillips-Staley has spent her career fighting for people who deserve better. A seasoned nonprofit executive and community leader, she brings decades of experience in education, culture, disaster relief, and social justice — and a record of turning that experience into real results.
Now in her third term as a Tarrytown Village Trustee, Effie works to make streets safer and more walkable, to advance housing affordability and rezoning to counter redlining, to strengthen local climate resilience, and to champion small businesses. She knows thriving communities are built by leaders willing to roll up their sleeves.
Effie has fought for justice in tough arenas. As Vice President for Strategic Advancement at the Hispanic Federation, she led fundraising for climate-related disaster relief in Puerto Rico and Hispanic social justice efforts nationwide. As Executive Director of the Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns, she pushed for expanded educational opportunities in a socioeconomically diverse, majority-Hispanic district through fundraising, community partnerships, and grantmaking. At The Kitchen, as Director of Capital and Institutional Advancement, she helped sustain one of New York’s most important experimental cultural institutions.
A long-time advocate for accessible arts and culture, Effie has helped expand inclusive public programs at MoMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, and La Raza/Galería Posada (now the Latino Center of Art and Culture) in Sacramento.
Effie lives in Tarrytown with her partner and their youngest child, who attends local public schools, while their oldest is now in college. Her work is grounded in the same challenges and hopes facing working families across the Hudson Valley.
Across every role, Effie has shown what people-first leadership looks like. She doesn’t just talk about equity, opportunity, and justice. She fights for them every day.
