News Release

Whitley Yates

FULTON COUNTY — Whitley Yates will be the special guest speaker at the Fulton County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day Event, Friday, Oct. 14. The event will be held at the Fulton County Historical Society.

Yates, the director of diversity and engagement at the Indiana Republican Party, has been named a 2022 Trailblazer by the Republican National Committee.

The Trailblazer Award, presented annually by the RNC, celebrates the achievements of Black Republican leaders and recognizes their leadership and commitment to paving the way for Black Republicans.

Yates is an award-winning publicist, entrepreneur and political power player. She is the first person to hold the position of director of diversity and engagement at the Indiana Republican Party.

Her political experience began in college at Indiana University, where she served as the president of her residence hall for four years. Following her passion for politics, she successfully managed a campaign to elect the third Black student body president in the university’s history.

She is the founder and owner of The Niche Agency, a public relations and advertising firm specializing in multicultural marketing and storytelling. Over the past decade, she has helped shape the identity of major brands across the fashion and entertainment industries. Yates has worked with Motions Hair Care, launched a national campaign in Macy’s and executed the cover of Essence Magazine in 2019, which featured Sean “P. Diddy” Combs.

Prior to joining the Indiana Republican Party, Whitley worked in new development real estate, overseeing multi-million-dollar construction endeavors.

For more information and tickets contact Mike Canada, chairman, at (574) 315-0852 or Phyl Olinger, party treasurer, at (574) 223-5316.