CHAIRMAN CHRIS KALCICH
Chris Kalcich began his work in politics when he was 15 years old. He stood up to the Selinsgrove School Board and told them that trans kids belong in the spaces that they are comfortable occupying, resulting in a vote to protect trans students access into spaces that they identified with.
He ran for his first office while he was in high school, filing his petition just days after he turned 18, being on the ballot for the first time he was eligible to vote. He won his election as the top vote getter in Selinsgrove, solidifying his position as the youngest elected official in Central Pennsylvania while backed with endorsements from numerous organizations. At the same time, he was appointed to serve as the Precinct Captain in Selinsgrove for the committee. He then became the Vice Chairman, and won the Chairman role in a special election in 2021. During the 2022 election for the next Executive Board, he won both that and Precinct Captain again.
Despite the role of Chairman, he still continues to serve as a Precinct Captain for Selinsgrove because it allows him to continue the work that got him so invested in the first place- connecting with his neighbors and getting his hands dirty door knocking, phone banking, and community organizing.
Chris graduated from Selinsgrove High School in 2019, went on to graduate with a BA from Susquehanna University in 2023, and is currently pursuing an MA in Diversity Leadership from the University of St. Thomas. He is currently a voting member of the Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee, serves as the Co-Chair for Friends of the PA 15th Organizing Group, and acts as the Demfest Secretary. He is also involved with the Rural Caucus, PA Young Democrats, the LGBTQ+ Caucus, and represents Snyder County in the North Central Caucus. On the side, he conducts consulting work for various levels of campaigning within Rural districts.
He serves as the youngest County Chair in Pennsylvania, and during his time in this role, he has nearly doubled the committee’s volunteer and member base, successfully fundraised enough to open the first county office in 2024, and has established numerous partnerships with the intent of progressing local candidates. Additionally, under his leadership, Snyder County was one of only 13 counties in Pennsylvania that went bluer in 2024 than in 2020, a drastic shift in a county that used to be the top red county for presidential margins for more than 50 years.
In January of 2024, Chris was named to Inside PA’s 30 under 30 for his political accomplishments, his prior volunteer work within the general Selinsgrove area, and his advocacy.