“…if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.” – Howard Zinn
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I am excited to announce that I am running for Chair of the Yakima County Democratic Central Committee.
Though I am relatively new to party politics, I’ve really enjoyed getting involved this year and have been energized by the gravity of these times to become even more involved in the political process. I feel that my skills and experience would be a good fit for the Yakima Democrats, as we continue to find ways to move forward and promote our Democratic values in our valley and beyond.
Read more about my experience, strengths, and vision, or read on to learn a little more about me, my background, and why I am running for Chair of the Yakima County Democratic Central Committee.
I was raised all over WA state, but mostly in Yakima, the oldest of eight children in a conservative, homeschooling family. Out of this unique upbringing, I ventured out into the world to attend college in West Virginia, to study Equine Business. In the academic world, I encountered many new ideas and perspectives, and began to develop my own progressive views. I became involved in student government, campus clubs, and was the Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook. After graduating in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science degree, I got married and lived in Texas for a couple years, teaching riding lessons and managing a small horse boarding facility. Eventually the Pacific Northwest called me back, and we moved to Bellingham, WA.
In Bellingham, I started a professional organizing business, helping people declutter and organize their homes and offices. (Now I do this work for clients in Yakima.) My business partner and I were also both involved with a small non-profit animal rescue, which we were both instrumental in helping to to rebuild over the course of several years. We created an organizational structure, mission statement, teams, programs, and events that the organization is still using to this day. I held nearly every team leader position and several Board positions including President.
I learned a lot from both those endeavors. It turns out that small organizations and small businesses are very similar. Both benefit from planning, having a clear mission statement, understanding their target market, and having a well designed structure and teams that work together to accomplish the organization’s goals.
After my marriage ended in 2010, I had the opportunity to apply my organizing skills to rebuilding my own life. I moved back to Yakima to regroup with my pet family of 2 dogs, 3 cats, and a rabbit. I volunteered for a pet rescue group here, as a way to meet people and begin to get involved in the community. I saw the same kinds of problems that I encountered in the pet rescue group in Bellingham – inadequate organizational structure and planning leading to ineffective programs and burned out volunteers (including myself).
I took a break from volunteering for a while, but still dabbled in many projects and ideas. Another issue I’m very passionate about is food, farming, and community gardens. I became involved with the Yakima Food Co-op, and a Community Garden group. I really wanted to do something to make a difference, to offer my skills where they could make the biggest impact. I’ve always been interested in politics, but I never realized that I could get involved in the political process. Government seemed distant, inaccessible, and unaccountable. I’ve always voted, but never believed my vote really mattered, or that my voice could be heard.
Then, Bernie Sanders ran for President. Here was someone talking, to a national audience, about so many things that had been on my mind and heart for years! But Bernie wasn’t just someone I could agree with; he got me thinking about politics in a way I never had before. When I heard Bernie say “when millions of people stand together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish,” I asked myself, what does that really mean? Standing together. Does it mean giving money to a campaign? Perhaps, but that can’t be all. Does it mean posting things on Facebook? That’s fine, but I don’t think that’s it either. Does it mean voting? Of course, but… there must be more. It must mean something more concrete, actually getting together with other people and taking action.
So, I went to my very first political meeting, the Yakima Democrats meeting in February of 2016, right before the Precinct Caucuses. I was hooked! The more I learned about the structure and processes of the Democratic Party through hands-on involvement, reading everything I could, signing up and showing up, and networking with other activists around the state and nation, I realized THIS is what I’ve been looking for… this is the place for me. This is where I want to give my skills, experience, and passion.
In the Democratic Party organization, I see a beautiful structure that just needs more people to take on available positions. I see processes that allow people to advocate for the issues they care about, and make real changes. It’s not quick, or easy, but it’s possible, and as more of us join together, it becomes more possible.
The candidate I initially supported didn’t win, and that was disheartening, to say the least. Ultimately I decided to keep doing the work anyway, because that’s what we have to do no matter who wins. I remain committed to that work, even after the devastating election results. Now our voices and actions are needed more than ever! We must defend justice, equality, and opportunity for all, the basic dignity and human rights of every person, and the health of our planet.
In my opinion, involvement in the political process, and the Democratic Party specifically, is one of the best ways to move forward, even in these dark and difficult times. I look forward to networking with activists from many organizations, discovering where we have common ground and common cause, and working together to find creative ways to improve our community, bring in the voices of all our citizens, and build a government that works for all people.
Decisions are made every day by our government representatives that affect our lives directly. Activism means influencing the decision makers, and ultimately becoming the decision makers. There are so many people struggling right here in our valley who desperately need our advocacy, so many issues that need our attention. I want to listen to the opinions of the residents of our valley and find out what issues are important to them, then take action through the political process, and encourage more citizens to join us in that process. Through this process of engaging and activating, I believe we will find individuals who we can empower to become our decision makers in local, state, and national government.
Engage, activate, empower. Those words have meant a lot to me this year as I’ve become involved with the Yakima Democrats. I feel that the Democratic Party, or more specifically individuals in it (the Party is people, after all) have engaged, activated, and empowered me to be an activist for the people and the issues I care deeply about. Though I have lived and traveled all over our (already great!) United States, the Yakima Valley is home. I look forward to continuing to serve our community!
Experience in the local Party
- Attended first Yakima Democrats meeting in February 2016
- Canvassed my precinct and parts of a couple others before the Precinct Caucus
- Was the Area Caucus Coordinator at Ridgeview Elementary for the March 26th Precinct Caucuses
- Volunteered for the Sanders campaign, t-shirt distribution, canvassing, phone banking, debate watch parties, went to a Seattle rally and volunteered at the Yakima rally
- Did not run for delegate, but attended the caucuses and conventions at every level – LD, CD, County Convention, State Convention
- Attended the 4th CD Caucus, contacted LD delegates and alternates to make sure they could be there, and gave the “nominating speech” for Senator Sanders
- Served on the tally committee at both LD15 and CD4 caucuses
- Served on the Platform Committee prior to Yakima County Convention and helped draft our platform
- Was appointed to the State Convention Rules Committee which drafted the rules for the State Convention
- Chaired the Franklin D. Roosevelt Dinner Committee and planned and coordinated the Yakima Democrats annual FDR Dinner (with the help of many volunteers!)
- Volunteered for the Coordinated Campaign, registering voters at the Farmers Market and phone banking
- Volunteered on the planning committee for the Yakima Democrats booth at the Central WA State Fair and volunteered several shifts at the booth, registering voters and encouraging people to get involved in the political process
- Elected PCO for 140-LD15
- Co-administrator of the Yakima Democrats Facebook page and website
Strengths
- Calm, easy-going, good listener
- Detail oriented
- Critical thinker
- Committed to truth and justice
- Experience organizing both groups of people and physical spaces, events
- Experience building websites, newsletters (electronic and printed), compiling and using data, materials and marketing design, photography
- Proficient in Excel, Word, Publisher, NationBuilder, WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media and online tools
Vision and Goals
- Use the best available technology and tools to organize, communicate, and educate efficiently and excellently (many of these tools are free or low cost)
- Bring in the voices of more young people, people of color, native people, and other under-represented groups by creating regular, engaging, educational events that empower people to find their place in the local political process
- Boost PCO numbers. We currently have 11% of PCO seats filled compared to the Republicans’ 44%
- Encourage and assist PCOs to be truly active, effective PCOs, through education, training, resources, canvassing teams, etc.
- PCOs and active members are the heart of the Democratic Party Organization
- Through our votes, our leadership, and the issues we work on and engage our neighbors with, we help determine the future of our valley
- When we participate in our local party and bring more new people in, we strengthen our party and increase our ability to act locally by supporting candidates and legislation, bringing issues before the City Council, etc. (remember, AJ Cooper won her primary race by 8 VOTES! Our efforts matter)
- Increase voter registration, turnout, and participation in the political process in Yakima County
- Fine tune our marketing and outreach to more effectively reach our community, including more Spanish language outreach and materials
And, last but definitely not least:
- Find and support candidates to run for local and statewide offices
Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. If you are an elected Precinct Committee Officer in Yakima County, I humbly ask for your vote at our reorganization meeting on Dec. 3rd, 2016 at 11am.
If you are involved or want to be involved, I ask for your continued support, energy, and activism. Join with me in moving forward, together!
“I am committed to fighting for our values, our democracy, and the moral character of our nation. And I am committed to standing with the Democratic Party against bigotry and oppression for the next four years and beyond, no matter what form it takes.” – George Takei
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