Griffith Rees
I am humbled to be nominated to serve at the national level of Democrats Abroad UK. I came as a student in 2004 without expecting to stay more than 3 years, yet here I am, likely to stay for the foreseeable. I joined as an exec at the Oxford chapter 2 years ago, and while I wish I could have been more helpful in my shift up to Manchester I was grateful to be involved, including phone banking voter registration for 2018, 2020 (including the Georgia runoffs, though not directly through Democrats Abroad).
I’ve also been keen to help out with voter protection, elements of improving our primary DA UK website and helping Dan Benatan (who deserves most of the credit) set up the group in Northwest England. If this seems suitable I’d be happy to help in further ways.
Caroline Rowland
As a former Democratic congressional staffer, and campaign staffer, I have given my heart and soul to helping to elect strong Democrats and further democratic policies. When working for the Florida Democrats in 2018 I saw firsthand the importance of the work Democrats Abroad does as they helped to elect my former boss in an election that was decided by 6,000 votes out of 8 million. My experience in campaigns and working on Capitol Hill make me an excellent candidate to serve as a voting member and as a member of the council. As a mother, someone who has given birth in both the US and the UK, I have a strong passion to help see that health care is reformed and we can only do that by securing more Democratic victories at the state level in 2022. I would be honored to serve in Democrats Abroad.
Caroline Ruchonnet
2020 was a tumultuous year for everyone, and DAUK underwent a lot of unexpected, but necessary changes. DAUK expanded beyond what we imagined was possible, and is now serving more Americans than ever before. Despite lockdown and social distancing, we have been able to connect like-minded volunteers and activists across the UK to work towards a common goal, and our votes helped clinch the 2020 election! Now it’s time to move forward together as we approach the 2022 midterms.
As Secretary of DAUK I will:
1. Faithfully carry out the duties of this office as outlined in the DAUK by-laws, overseeing management of our database and all administrative records.
2. Encourage adoption of more accessible practices for both online and in-person events. (Captions on video calls for HOH/deaf, image descriptions/alt text on social media for the visually impaired, accessible venues for in-person meetings.)
3. Encourage further collaboration among regional groups, chapters, and caucuses, co-sponsoring events for common interests including get out the vote activities and introducing members to all DAUK has to offer.
4. Further member engagement with virtual events, in addition to in-person gatherings, to help build the DAUK community.
The Secretary is an essential hub for information in DAUK. I will help create content, events, and materials to serve our members, as well as foster collaboration among our groups. Through my experience in the past 4 years as a member and leader in DAUK, I have held a variety of roles including:
1. Served 2 consecutive terms as Chair of the Scotland Chapter. I organized a variety of events (July 4th BBQ, Speakeasies, Pub Nights, Voter Registration Drives) as well as the 2020 Global Presidential Primary for two voting centers in Scotland.
2. Helped establish 7 regional groups in 2020.
3. Organized DAUK-wide events including the first virtual Independence Day Picnic, Debate Watches and Biden Town Hall Watch. I also provided technical support for other events including the Election Night watch party and the Inauguration watch party.
4. Organized protest for gun law reform outside the US Consulate in Edinburgh, giving a speech on behalf of the Scotland Chapter.
DAUK has become a huge part of my life, and I truly believe in the service we provide for Americans living abroad. We will play a vital role in the political battles ahead, and a strong showing of American voters from abroad has the power to turn the tide at home. I would be honored to serve as DAUK Secretary and DPCA rep, and I look forward to working with Team Nicole 21 [https://www.teamnicole21.com]: Nicole Belanger Satullo, John Lindsay and Monica Tanouye, and the new Executive Committee.
Steph Ryde
We live in strange times. The world we used to know sits just outside our window and yet remains out of reach. It has left us all longing for community and the connections we previously took for granted. As Secretary and your DPCA voting rep this is what I will be focused on. Over the past 2 years I have chaired the DAUK Women’s Caucus and succeeded in significantly expanding our membership.
For the members and groups of DAUK to do their best work, there needs to be transparent planning from the top that drives increased involvement throughout the various branches of the organisation. I’ve often felt that there’s been a bit of a disconnect between DAUK leadership and the caucuses, chapters, committees, regions and groups . As a result members feel unclear about the overall goals of the organization and struggle to understand how to get involved. Collectively, we have potential to drive real change if we work together with a clear purpose.
As chair of the Women’s Caucus I’ve focused heavily on engaging members from across the organization and ensuring it’s as easy as possible for individuals, both new and old, to get involved. As a result, the Women’s Caucus consistently has well attended events and is one of the most active groups within DAUK. Women’s Caucus members often go on to be involved and take leadership roles in other areas of the organization due to support from the leaders and the extensive cross collaboration efforts of the caucus. Co-hosting events and working with other areas of the organisation on projects means our members have great exposure to the rest of DAUK and can build their networks.
Increased engagement across DAUK will ensure that we have new and diverse voices speaking up and taking action. We need to provide a place where our members can bring their enthusiasm, knowledge and talent to keep propelling the organization into the future. As secretary I will engage with our members and take action to ensure everyone finds their feet in a way that can make a real difference.
Professionally, I have the necessary skills to be Secretary and have a wealth of experience in Human Resources, training, and onboarding. In DAUK there is a need for a proper onboarding process to ensure leaders and volunteers have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful. The best way to do this is by creating training tool boxes for each area of the organisation that explain the relevant bylaws, procedures and communication channels.
I am a committed and active member of DAUK and someone who has proven they can get things done in this organization. I ask that you vote for me to be your Secretary and DPCA voting rep where I will continue to bring my passion and drive to the leadership of this organization. Let’s #growtogether
DAUKgrowtogether.com
[email protected]
John Scardino
John Scardino for:
Voting representative, Executive Committee, Council
Woo-hoo!!
Winning the 2020 Presidential election was fantastic. Electing Georgia’s first African American Senator and first Jewish American Senator was historic. This is a Democratic Party to be very proud of. I’m thrilled and grateful to have had a chance to work with DAUK for many years, but especially leading up to this great victory.
As a DAUK member since 2004, I’ve worked in support of individual Democratic presidential candidates every election year, one year co-writing a series of columns about the campaign for The Guardian newspaper (Sample column here).
My skills are primarily in communications, earning my Master’s at the Medill School of Journalism and working as an NBC TV reporter in Raleigh, NC.
I’ve been increasingly active in DAUK and, in 2016, began working with the communications team on:
• message development and discipline
• organising press interviews
• drafting and editing communication materials
• preparing speakers for interviews and events
• serving as a DAUK spokeperson on radio and television
Leading up to the 2018 midterm elections, I increasingly represented DAUK as a spokesperson debating Republicans Overseas on TV and radio with appearances on BBC, Sky, ITV, LBC and elsewhere, promoting VoteFromAbroad.org in the process.
I marched with family members, protesting Trump’s London visit in July 2018, proudly carrying the VFA banner through central London from Oxford Street to Parliament Square, then pitched our spokespeople to the press gathered at the rally to ensure Democrats Abroad was included in their coverage of the protest wherever possible. It was an unforgettable day.
Although I vote in D.C., my hometown is Savannah, GA, and my political roots are there, having worked as a press assistant in a campaign for governor and a legislative aide to an Atlanta congressman. I remain active in state and local politics through family and friends in the state. In December 2020, I organised the Global DA event New Georgia Project Speaks to DA, with NGP leader Nse Ufot, in support of our Georgia GOTV effort. You can still watch the event here on the DAUK Facebook page.
In 2019, I was elected as DPCA Voting Representative and, with your vote, hope to be re-elected. I also ask for your vote to join the Executive Committee, and the Council, so that I may continue to work for DAUK’s continuing mission to expand our membership, combat the false narratives promoted by the other party, ensure ongoing maximum press coverage for our core messages and help get the vote out for the elections this fall and the 2022 midterms.
I live with my wife and sons in London.
Ariadne Schulz
I am very interested in seeing DAUK grow in membership, caucus participation, and strategic action. Americans abroad are an underutilized source of ideas and action as demonstrated by our involvement in policy drafting in the spring of 2020 and our voter registration drives prior to the Presidential and later Georgia special elections. I was honoured to be included in the policy drafting work and was especially thrilled to see DAUK’s Covid-19 language and ideas strongly reflected in the Biden Harris administration’s strategy to address the pandemic. I have had a largely positive experience in providing volunteer and some leadership work within DAUK and would like to increase my responsibilities and participation.
As a researcher and curator I have been entrusted with the care of delicate and valuable objects relevant to cultural history, human remains, and private medical data. This educational and occupational background lends me exceptional organizational skills and has engendered conscientiousness of the ethical constraints and necessities for handling data. I am a thorough and disciplined note-taker often recording verbatim conversations mnemonically useful to participants and helpful to absentee but interested parties. These skills translate directly to the task of looking after our delicate and valuable democracy.
While the state of the DA is strong, there are also areas where Democrats Abroad and DAUK may improve. We have a wide pool of talent, but our communications could be more standardized and accessible. Particularly as we have been forced online we have an opportunity for greater inclusion and a wider reach. However, this will require better communication with other groups, more communication with the media, and the willingness for members of DAUK to meet at hours that are more convenient for Democrats on the other side of the globe. Particularly in reference to this last issue as a recovering academic I am eminently prepared to meet with members of Democrats Abroad who prefer to meet at early hours of the morning.
As Democrats we have recently had some remarkable successes both morally and electorally. While I consider myself a relentlessly progressive idealist, at my core I am a little d democrat and believe in – above all – the democratic process even where it does not necessarily reflect my own preferences. I am proud of the work I have thus far been privileged to do with DAUK and would like to increase the reach of my service. We have an excellent opportunity at this historical inflection point to increase membership and activism and to improve the efficacy and positive action of our Party and nation and I would like to be a part of that. I believe that my skills lie in communication, writing, and presentation as well as organization. I would make an excellent Secretary or DPCA representative, but as a little d democrat I defer to the will of the voters to place me in any position where I may be of service.
Amarynth Sichel
I am committed to working with Democrats around the world to support help ensure that my fellow Democrats have the knowledge, information and tools to make their voices heard. During the 2016 elections, I passively watched the election cycle from South Korea, and like many, when Trump was elected I felt shocked, saddened, and guilty, because I had not taken action. During the most recent election cycle, I was committed to making sure I did my part. To that end, I became a community organizer, bringing together fellow Dems in the UK for weekly phone banks. I also became a foreign policy volunteer for the Biden campaign, and spearheaded a group of fellow volunteers to bring to life relational organizing efforts all over the US and the world. Finally, in the lead-up to the election, I was a SWAT team captain for abroad volunteers participating in the campaign’s Late Help final phone bank push. Working with fellow Democrats around the world to enact our shared vision was a powerful experience for me, and I am committed to ensuring that we do not lose momentum. We need to remain organized, motivated and focused in the coming months and years, if we want to help ensure the US government adequately addresses our global health, climate and inequality crises. From my experience over the past year working with Dems abroad, I know that we have valuable contributions to make. I would like to represent the DAUK as a Voting Representative to the Democratic Party Committee Abroad to help make our voices are heard, and to ensure that the Democrats abroad agenda remains focused on supporting progressive change.
Fred Sprague
I am honored to have received a nomination for these posts and, if elected, would represent members to the best of my ability, informed by my Democratic and progressive values.
I am a lifelong Democrat. I’m presently a co-organizer of the Yorkshire Humber Region of DAUK. We in the region over the past year tried to reach out to Americans in universities in the region, developing contacts with students’ organizations and relevant trade unions. Moreover, we organized regular meetings, with members being encouraged to increase DAUK presence in the region. As a result, our members were featured in local newspapers and radio outlets. Our social media presence has improved. I believe that the increased emergence of regional groups across the UK has been an exciting development in DAUK and should be further encouraged and fostered.
I have lived in the UK for 35 years. I am an elementary/primary teacher by profession. I have taught in schools in the US, American schools in the UK, and in British state schools. I am a committed union activist and member. I was branch secretary of two unions in Yorkshire. I currently belong to the NEU and Unite. I was a union member in the US in both the NEA and UFCW.
I believe that the fight for social, racial, and economic justice has never been more urgent. It is essential that we stand with people in their struggle for human rights. The Black Lives Matter Movement, defending a woman’s right to choose, and the fight for LGBTQ+ equality are social justice issues which demand our support as Democrats. If elected I will try to do so.
I firmly believe the that the Democratic Party needs to be part of a coalition that advances the rights and rewards of workers and their families. As Democrats living abroad, we have a unique opportunity to reflect and share our experiences and values as part of a global effort to improve the lot of labor. The unionization of Amazon workers in Alabama, along with the recent UK Supreme Court victory of union Uber drivers here, will resonate beyond their respective national borders. We Democrats can advance this cause.
Of course, DA members have concerns unique to themselves and their families, such as the US tax system which penalizes overseas citizens with unfair bureaucracy and regulations. I will do my best to have these concerns heard.
As we enter an era of good governance and progressive change, Democrats Abroad can provide perspective and experience to help our fellow citizens. I would like to be part of this as an active member of these committees.
Stephanie Stewart
Democrats Abroad UK, in the face of a corrupt and ineffective US administration, has gone through an unprecedented level of growth and change. As a DAUK Executive Committee member and DPCA Voting Representative, I will consolidate and build on the great work of our Caucuses, Committees, Chapters and leadership. We must inspire more UK based Americans to get involved with the Democratic Party and vote. We will enact an integrated, transparent and action focused plan to continue our growth, so we are game ready for the 2022 midterm elections. I want to help lead this next level of growth and am asking for your vote.
We are at an inflection point of needed organizational growth given our increased and very active membership. We must attract new, diverse volunteers and encourage their contributions with training and a clear path to engagement. As a volunteer, you know what activities succeeded and have ideas on expanding our outreach. With the knowledge and resources of a state-like Democratic party at your side, you will have the support to realize your projects. The caucuses, chapters and committee leadership can be further integrated into the DAUK Executive Committees with a clear process of consultation and activation when launching new projects, establishing budgets and setting priorities. We can have forward looking internal communications allowing time for your input into decision making and involving leadership from across the UK in our officer meetings and planning.
To engage and attract new-members, our external communication processes need an integrated 2 year plan for press, social media and advertising with targeted funding and staffing to meet our voter registration, membership and engagement goals. Zoom and other technology must amplify member’s voices in new ways that involve our volunteers across the UK. To sum it up, we will do the critical work to engage more members and deliver more votes at every level of government.
My experience working for the Democratic party allows me to be a strong, action-oriented, inclusive member of the DAUK Executive Committee. Registering voters has been my focus since 2004. As DAUK Voter Registration Coordinator, Executive Committee Member and Vice-Chair, I organized 100+ volunteers to register voters, oversaw huge membership growth, hosted more than 200 events and supervised a 1300 person London Inaugural Ball. In 2012, I was honoured to be a DA DNC Delegate for Barack Obama. In 2014, I co-founded Ready for Hillary London and London for Hillary hosting events, registering voters and raising funds. In 2020, with DA international, I fundraised for global phone banking with Call the World , managed numerous global speaker events and manned the 2020 global voter Zoom help desk. On the DAUK Executive Committee, I promote VoteFromAbroad.org, fundraise and coordinate numerous events. I have delivered concrete results to elect Democrats again and again. In short, I use my know-how and experience and I get things done.
Please reach out to me at [email protected] and support the DAUKGrowTogether.com Coalition.
Asha Subas
Asha Subas for DAUK Executive Committee and DPCA Representative
When I moved to the UK, Democrats Abroad provided opportunities to impact United States politics in ways I didn’t think possible. I would be honored to serve on the ExCom and as a DPCA rep to give back and grow our impact in two proven ways: as a responsible and strategic team contributor and as a determined advocate.
At the DAUK level, I care deeply about projects and hold myself accountable to their success: from writing and editing to providing project management or an extra pair of hands. As a result, I collaboratively worked on committees such as the 2019 Elections Committee, the 2019 Bylaws Committee, the 2020 Global Primary Committee and the DAUK Website Committee. I am often asked to speak at events such as the 2018 Blue Wave Boot Camp, the 2019 RBG Film night, or the 2020 debate watch nights. Beyond just speaking, I am comfortable advocating for a point of view, project direction or more support for a cause.
What I would bring to the DAUK ExCom is this collaborative experience as well as strategic ideas and leadership to grow DAUK. I’m passionate about building a sense of greater community. After the 2020 election, I helped relaunch the DAUK-wide Speakeasy to build bridges between constituencies as well as pitched a website blog for more creative volunteering opportunities. For the 2022 elections, I and others want to restart a ‘states committee’ project to build links between Democrats Abroad members and their voting state. Most importantly, however, I see ExCom’s role as one of encouraging new ideas among membership and empowering members to pilot new projects.
At the global level, I was one of six members worldwide appointed to the 2020 Global Platform Committee due to my DAUK experience, especially with the Policy Network and Resolutions Committee. Not only did I build global connections, and reconcile members’ concerns from around the world, but I provided strategic advice to DAUK members for global platform changes such as better language around COVID and historically marginalized groups or regarding US taxpayers abroad. In addition, during the 2020 elections, I was a lawyer on the new Voter Protection team to ensure our abroad votes were counted. Currently, I am chairing the global Nominations and Elections Committee for 2021.
As DPCA voting rep, I would bring my existing global experience and connections along with a commitment to transparency and fairness in how Democrats Abroad fits into the larger Democratic Party picture. I would advocate for our members and their needs, whether by working together on strategy, participating in committees or in sponsoring resolutions, and I would help promote the reputation, skills and value of DAUK at the global level. I also have the availability to make meetings and build connections on the 24 hour global clock.
Thank you for your support and community over the years, and I hope I have your vote for ExCom and DPCA rep
Karen Suhaka
I believe as a DPCA Voting Representative I could provide a useful voice regarding policy, especially at the state level. I am the president and founder of BillTrack50, a platform for researching and tracking state-level legislation, which I’ve been running for over 10 years. As such I believe I have substantial knowledge and perhaps a unique 50-state perspective on state policy matters. While I’ve enjoyed organizing the West Midlands Regional Group and participating in various get out the vote efforts last year, I’d also like to offer my professional knowledge if others feel it would be valuable.
Monica Tanouye
In the run-up to the 2022 midterms, the Democratic Party needs to focus on voter turnout in red and purple states. I am passionate about the critical role Democrats Abroad can play in this, and that’s why I am running for DAUK Treasurer/DPCA Voting Representative.
My professional background is in the nonprofit sector, centered on project, partner and volunteer management for multimillion-dollar fundraising campaigns. I currently work at UNICEF UK where I manage relationships with major supporters, raising $1M annually. I am recognized at work for discipline and attention to detail, coupled with an ability to see the big picture, which I believe would be an asset as Treasurer.
My interest and involvement in politics is rooted in my background as a mixed race Japanese-Mexican-Irish-German woman. The stories told by my Mexican immigrant grandmother, learning about my Japanese family’s life in post-WWII Hawaii, and my own experiences have developed my understanding of race in America and what it might take to create a more inclusive and representative democracy. As a leader in the organization, I will bring this perspective to DAUK and the DPCA.
I have been a member of DAUK since I moved to London in 2017, volunteering at the Independence Day Picnics in 2018 and 2019. Last year, I helped raise over $25,000 for our global phonebanking and GOTV efforts as part of the Call The World fundraising team.
As DAUK Treasurer, I will ensure smooth operations of our work through efficient, equitable budget management. Ensuring we maintain momentum with voters will be more challenging in a midterm, so we will need to use our resources strategically to turn out the vote. I will build strong, collaborative relationships with our chapters, caucuses and group leaders to set budgets and financial plans that make this a reality. More broadly, as a member of the Executive Committee, I will contribute to a positive, proactive team culture and will support additional projects when and where needed most. As a Voting Representative, I will bring my insights as Treasurer and personal perspective to our engagement with the DPCA.
I love being a part of DAUK and supporting our historic successes in 2020. I believe my experiences and background will make a unique contribution. I hope you will cast your vote for me and the rest of Team Nicole 21. For more information on our candidates, please visit www.TeamNicole21.com.
Short biography: I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, studied Economics and Spanish at Boston University and worked in Charleston, South Carolina before relocating to London. While working in marketing and communications in Charleston, I organized for the city’s first ever Mayoral Forum on Race Equity, held in the wake of the Mother Emanuel Church shootings. Outside of my work in fundraising, I am pursuing a masters in international relations at SOAS University of London where I am researching migration diplomacy in Mexico and Turkey. I live in London with my husband, Mike, and love knitting, cycling and reading.
George Townsend
I am running for the position of DPCA Voting Representative. This is a very tumultuous period for our country as evidenced by the election of Donald Trump and culminating in the storming of the Capital Building. Our country is more divided now than any time since the Civil War. I believe it is imperative that we all become more involved in the political process that shapes our country and to re-engage with the working-class voters who had been lost to the Republicans in recent elections.
I have been a life-long Democrat supporter dating back to voting for George McGovern in 1972, soon after the voting age was lowered to 18 years old. I had a twenty-year career in the Air Force and retired after serving my last assignment to RAF Mildenhall, UK. After my retirement, my wife and I decided to remain in the UK where I had a second career as the Trinity College, Cambridge IT Manager from which I am now also retired. We have four sons and are the proud grandparents of nine grandchildren.
I have been a member of DAUK for over twelve years and a Council member for six years. My level of involvement has increased over the years as I was able to spend more time and energy in the support of inspirational leaders such as President Obama and Senator Sanders. My support included volunteering for phone banking, GOTV, canvassing, texting, the Independence Day Picnic, and the Global Primary. I have also been recently elected as Vice Chair of the DAUK Cambridge Chapter.
Now that I am semi-retired, I would like to devote more time and energy in support of progressive policies that I feel passionate about. As your DPCA representative, I would lend my voice in support of policies that proves the Democratic Party represents the needs and desires of working-class families while helping to heal the rift that has polarised our country.
Joshua Van der Ploeg
During the past four years, I have had the privilege of serving as your Voting Representative to the DPCA (Democratic Party Committee Abroad, a.k.a. Democrats Abroad international), as well as Treasurer of DAUK. I am now asking for your support to continue this work at the global level as a DPCA Voting Representative.
As DPCA Voting Representative, I have worked to build a stronger partnership between DAUK and the DPCA, so that we can better focus on fulfilling our core mission: mobilizing the overseas vote to elect Democratic candidates. In this capacity, I served as a member of the 2020 Global Presidential Primary Committee and as Chair of the Credentials and Rules Committees for both the EMEA Regional Convention and the Global Convention.
As a lawyer by training, I hope to take on a leadership position at the global level by running for Global Legal Counsel, an officer position on the international executive committee. The Counsel acts as the in-house lawyer of Democrats Abroad. In this role, I would seek to use my professional skills and my experience within the organization to help Democrats Abroad establish policies that facilitate both membership growth and – most importantly – more effective voter outreach.
Although the UK is the largest country committee in Democrats Abroad and has strong ties across the party, it has been a number of years since the UK has had a representative on the international executive committee. If re-elected as your DPCA Voting Representative, I will continue to represent the UK’s interests, while continuing to build bridges with the global organization.
David Wenk
I have been active in Democrats Abroad for four years since joining off the back of the 2016 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. Born in Manhattan, I grew up on a farm in rural New York State. I am a longtime resident of the United Kingdom, having come to London at the age of 24 to work as a cartographer. I am running for the position of Voting Representative to the DPCA because I feel it is important to remain involved in shaping the future of our party through the start of the Biden/Harris administration and onward to the 2022 midterm elections, which will be critical for us to win.
It has been an honor to be involved with DAUK first as a Voting Representative, then for the past two years as Vice Chair. I’ve met and worked with dozens of wonderful, enthusiastic volunteers across the organization, and I have been proud to help organize a hard-working team that has done so much to effect positive change in government at the federal level in the United States. I’m especially proud of our efforts to expand our DAUK regional groups. We now have seven active groups, which is a great start. We need to do more, and I’ve identified about half a dozen further groups that we need to get off the ground over the next two years. These regional groups are key to the success of our outreach to voters around the United Kingdom and I look forward to continuing to help build them up.
On the global level, I have been an active participant in DPCA, co-sponsoring a resolution in support of Medicare for All, and then later as co-author of the health care plank in the Democrats Abroad platform. I look forward to continuing to push for an agenda that helps to improve the lives of all Americans, and our environment.
With the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we Democrats have set the stage for our country to re-establish itself as a functioning democracy. There’s now so much more that needs to be done. We as US citizens need to continue to encourage our leaders to take the bold steps that will be absolutely necessary in order to ensure that our country has a sustainable future. It means successfully tackling the serious economic difficulties which face most Americans on a daily basis, and restoring a sustainable middle class. It means successfully tackling the existential threat of climate change. It means re-enfranchising and re-engaging Americans everywhere in the individual civic responsibility of what it means to be a citizen living in a democracy. It means fighting for the rights of minorities and the dispossessed. It means taking effective steps to remove the corrosive effects of money in politics. The list is long but the main point is that we must stay engaged and on the ball as active citizens.
I look forward to serving on the DPCA.
Brian Westley
After graduating with a Political Science Degree from Penn State University in 1995, I hadn’t really thought much about Politics except to vote in every election but the Trump administration mobilized me into action.
My journey to becoming a citizen of the UK started when I met my partner at Manchester University in 1993, when I studied abroad. After campaigning with Stonewall Immigration group, we became one of the first 50 same sex couples in the UK granted indefinite leave to remain in 1997. I moved to the UK in 1997 and have been together with my now husband for 28 years based in Manchester.
My career as a Corporate Leadership Development Trainer & Career, Leadership & Sales Coach at General Electric (GE) has moved me away from my interest in Politics. Due to the Trump Administration anti-democratic policies and acts, I felt I had to get involved in the 2020 election and enjoyed phone banking and connecting to my fellow Democrat Abroad members. I also joined my local Northwest chapter of Democrats Abroad and have been an active participant. This has re-ignited my passion to get involved to support the Democratic party as I believe they fully represent the ideals of a more perfect union. I believe with the Biden administration the work has just begun. It’s energizing to help to continue working to elect Democratic candidates.
I offer a perspective as a gay man to the committee as well as representing a ‘Northern’ perspective to Democrats Abroad UK, living in Manchester, England.
I have worked in 18 countries and trained over 10,000 people so I think I have a good understanding of differing cultures throughout Asia, Europe the Middle East and Africa.
Thank you for reading and considering my submission.
Nathan Zaccai
My name is Nathan Richard Zaccai, and I am asking for your vote to continue serving as DPCA Voting Representative. Our organization is playing a crucial role in highlighting and addressing issues affecting Americans back home, and here, in the U.K..
I have a strong interest in U.S. government policy and Democratic politics, shaped by my life in Europe and my family’s in America, I am currently on the Executive Committee for the Cambridge Chapter. I have also joined the Global Veterans and Military Families Caucus and am part of the DAUK Policy Network. I am an academic scientist, whose research in biology uses tools and ideas developed in physics.
Last year, as DPCA voting representative, I was elected to represent the Democrats Abroad EMEA region on the Global Platform Committee. The aim was to finalise our party’s 4-year platform, including policy goals and aspirations. While working closely with DPCA representatives from almost a dozen countries, I consequently fought for the views of our members to be accurately reflected in the document.
It is important to note we come from every state and territory in the Union, but as Democrats Abroad, we also live in over 100 different countries. Our platform had to represent this diversity, but also highlight our core beliefs. It had to unite us. When the platform gained approval at our global convention, I felt great pride to see my values as a Democrat translated into writing.
A few years ago, President Barack Obama discussed American exceptionalism. We are exceptional because as a country, we are willing to confront and fix our problems. And how do we do fix these problems? Strive towards a more perfect union? We vote, and we win elections. And last November, we won. “Elections have consequences”.
I am, however, very worried by how narrow our margin of victory was. Although very pleased by President Biden’s Executive Orders, I believe that Congress should act now. Our laws cannot be repealed on the next president’s whim, and, in any case, our party will be judged by actions taken in the next two years. As a DPCA voting representative, I want to help Democrats Abroad effectively voice our concerns–on matters such as social justice, immigration, taxation, representation–and sustain our get out the vote efforts. This will be just as important as it was last November for safeguarding our democratic majority in Congress.
In conclusion, in Amanda Gorman’s poem for President Biden’s inauguration, we “witnessed a nation that isn’t broken but simply unfinished.”
I would be grateful for your support to continue serving as DPCA voting representative.
