Taryn Rackmyer

Taryn Rackmyer is a Government Affairs Associate at the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU). Prior to joining CICU, Taryn served as a Government Relations Specialist for SUNY, where she managed legislative relations and external partnerships under Chancellor John B. King, Jr., former U.S. Secretary of Education to President Obama.

Taryn previously served on the New York State Senate Majority Leader’s central staff. She was the Senate’s lead fiscal analyst in budget negotiations on a number of key issues, including to-go cocktails, adult-use recreational cannabis, and election reforms.

Taryn is an advocate for women’s empowerment and the Vice President of the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region Board of Directors. Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Taryn was selected to advise on national advocacy strategy on YWCA USA’s Reproductive Justice Taskforce. In March 2024, Taryn’s advocacy took her to the United Nations, where she served as a delegate at the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. She completed her master’s thesis on the under-representation of women in the United States Senate, analyzing three decades' worth of raw election data.

Taryn was named as a 40 Under 40 Rising Star in New York State Politics in 2023 by City and State.