Peter Robins-Brown
Executive Director
Peter has been the executive director of Louisiana Progress since 2021, and has spent nearly a decade working in Louisiana politics and organizing. Over that time, he has served as a campaign manager, lobbyist, community organizer, and communications consultant.
Since joining Louisiana Progress, Peter has led our work to pass numerous state and local laws, establish and grow our College Fellows program, and build and deepen partnerships across the advocacy and political landscape, including with the Louisiana AFL-CIO and its affiliates. Before joining our team, he worked for the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, Step Up Louisiana, and the Unanimous Jury Coalition.
Peter lives in New Orleans and enjoys spending his free time with his wife, Veronique, their daughter, Eliza, and their dog, Fiona.
Merrilee Montgomery
Policy & Data Analyst
Merrilee Montgomery first joined Louisiana Progress as a College Fellow in 2021 after she was inspired by the efforts and accomplishments of the advocacy community. She joined the Louisiana Progress staff in 2024 after graduating from Tulane University with a degree in international relations, homeland security, and computer science.
Merrilee also has three years of experience in emergency recovery and response in both administrative and operational settings, has worked in research at the intersection of computer science and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and served as an intern with the Orleans Public Defenders.
With a passion for democratizing data by improving data literacy and access, Merrilee believes that companies and organizations of all sizes and missions should have access to high-quality analysis. It’s a passion she brings to her role as the Policy & Data Analyst for Louisiana Progress, where she strives to provide data-driven solutions for real problems facing Louisiana’s residents.
Merrilee spends her free time playing music and working out in New Orleans, where she currently lives.
LaToya Johnson, LMSW
Campaign Strategist
LaToya Johnson, LMSW, is deeply committed to weaving together her diverse skills to drive meaningful change in Louisiana. Her journey has taken her through roles as a nonprofit executive director, human resources and administrative agent, anti-racist labor organizer, and clinical and forensic social worker. This unique blend of experiences fuels her work as a strategist and movement builder, dedicated to uplifting marginalized communities through strategic organizing, policy advocacy, and social justice initiatives.
With more than 13 years of dedicated service in the nonprofit and public sectors, Toya brings to bear a wealth of expertise in management, fundraising, community and labor organizing, program development, political education, and local and state policy development and advocacy.
Campaign Strategist
Dr. Angelle Bradford Rosenberg (Gelle) was born and raised in Baton Rouge. Upon returning to Louisiana after earning her bachelor’s degree at the Ohio State University, she settled back into Southeast Louisiana living. A volunteer at heart, Angelle is a formally trained cardiovascular physiologist and medical scientist with a PhD from the Tulane School of Medicine.
Named Emerging Changemaker of the Year in 2022 for the Sierra Club, Angelle has served on the Sierra Club Delta Chapter's executive committee for more than eight years, and has led the Transit Equity Team through legislative sessions, campaign development, and the first Louisiana Transit and Planning Summit. She also helped revive the chapter’s political committee, supported volunteers, and built out their youth organizing initiative by advising HBCU students through their education, community care, and environmental awakening with the Sierra Student Coalition at Southern University.
Along with her work with the Sierra Club, Angelle has also been a lead organizer with the Louisiana chapter of Moms Demand Action, volunteered and lobbied with Louisiana Progress, and played a lead role in partnerships with community groups and universities.
