Missouri Times: 30 Under 30 Honorees

8 September 2023 | The Missouri Times

The Missouri Times is proud to bring to you this year’s 30 Under 30 class. From lobbyists to Capitol staffers and more, the 2023 honorees work tirelessly around the clock to make Missouri a better place.

Annie Le

In her two sessions working at the Capitol, Annie Le — a Joplin native — has become one of the busiest and most effective legislative assistants in Jefferson City. Le works for two of the most promising rising stars in the Missouri Democratic Party: state Rep. Ashley Aune, who’s already put her name in contention to become the next minority leader, and state Rep. Betsy Fogle, who has served on the House Budget Committee since she arrived at the Capitol in 2021.Le also took on a request last summer from staff in Minority Leader Crystal Quade’s office to lend her graphic design talents, and in the process, she has played a major role in revitalizing, modernizing, and streamlining the Missouri House Democrats’ communications and branding efforts.

That’s just the work she does in the Capitol. She also serves as an events and communication consultant for the Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation, an organization that encourages civic engagement and solidarity for Asian youth across the state. And she recently became the Missouri House Democratic Campaign Committee’s new digital director to take the reins of the organization’s online social media presence. Anyone can take on too many jobs and half-ass them to build their resume, but what makes Le stand out is that she has the talent and the diligence to do each of these jobs incredibly well.

And more than that, according to those who know her best, she approaches her job every day with kindness and empathy. She has helped foster a very unique and collaborative environment in her mezzanine with her fellow legislative assistants, which has genuinely turned it into a place of joy — even on particularly days that are difficult for members of the superminority.

Le is a shining example for the next generation of thoughtful political leadership — making change in the world simply by being the kind of person others strive to be.

Annie was nominated by her boss, State Representative Ashley Aune and the Office of House Minority Leader Crystal Quade.