Contact UsWith the recent resignation of Jennifer McLellan, there is an opening in the DPVA 1st Vice Chair position. The seat will be filled at the next State Central Committee Meeting on June 12. Two Virginia Democratic Women have announced their candidacy: Gaylene Kanoyton and Susan Mariner. We have pasted below recent emails from both Susan and Gaylene announcing their intent to run for this position.
Message from Gaylene Kanoyton
Greetings,
My name is Gaylene Kanoyton, of Hampton, Virginia, and I am asking for your vote to be the next 1st Vice President of the Democratic Party of Virginia.
We Democrats are at a crossroads both nationally and here in the Commonwealth. We are on the right side of history as our nation stands to move in a new direction despite the forces working against us. The Democratic Party needs to be strong, smart, bold, and courageous…and Virginia is poised to lead the way. I believe my blend of professional and community work makes me uniquely qualified to be an integral part of the team that will provide that leadership!
I am a grassroots leader with a track record of rallying our traditional base while garnering support from the business community. Over the last several years I have spent the bulk of my free time working on behalf of the DPVA and Democratic candidates across the state. As Chairwoman of the Hampton Democratic Committee for the past five years, I’ve led the way to record voter turnout in Hampton precincts. Under Gov. Mark Warner and Gov. Tim Kaine, I served as the local organizer of the Hampton Roads “Happy Hour with a Purpose” and the Hampton Roads Network Connections, also increasing voter turnout among the traditionally non-engaged voters 21-40 year old age group across the region.
Now I’m ready to do MORE…
I’m ready to help strengthen Local Committees, Congressional Districst & Caucuses.
RECRUIT by broadening our base of traditional support to include people from more diverse and less traditional backgrounds. Establish innovative recruitment methods to attract new members to local committees, especially in the rural areas.
EDUCATE by more boldly communicating who Democrats are, what the Party stands for, and supporting President Obama by explaining his policies and what they mean for us at the local level. Incorporate grassroots training that includes local precinct operations and outreach initiatives critical for the success of electing Democrats to office. We, not the opposition, must brand our message.
ACTIVATE by building on our recruitment and education efforts and motivating people to act.
How do I know this works? Because I’ve done it before! During the 2008 elections, my Democratic Committee was able to draw upon ties I have successfully built both within and outside of the Party faithful. Thanks to my involvement in a variety of community and grassroots organizations, my precinct committee was able to reach into the traditional Democratic voting base and organize effective GOTV efforts that led to record voter turnout. Having spent more than 20 years working in corporate sales and marketing, my ties extend beyond those groups expected to vote Democratic. We need innovative ideas and energy to communicate to those groups and bring in a broader base of support that will not only vote Democratic on election day, but also work with the Party to accomplish its goals throughout the rest of the year.
I would appreciate your vote on June 12, 2010 at the DPVA State Central Committee meeting in Charlottesville!
Until next time…Go Virginia Democrats !
Message from Susan Mariner
Dear Fellow Democrat,
My name is Susan Mariner, and I currently serve as the Chair of the Democratic Committee in Virginia Beach. You may have heard that within the past 48 hours I have decided to run for the soon-to-be-vacated post of DPVA 1st Vice Chair, Organization, a role that has been filled by Delegate Jennifer McLellan, whose distinguished service will have positive ripples on the DPVA and role of 1st Chair for many years to come.
Should I be honored to be elected to this position, I would work to strengthen and perfect the organization through the City and County Committees, which are the heart and soul of the DPVA. I strongly believe that I am the best qualified and able candidate to help bring our local committees to the next level.
I’ve had a myriad of experiences working for the best Democratic Party in the country. I am the only candidate who has: 1) Worked for the DPVA staff in the Political department; 2) Worked with 17 different Democratic Committees in the Commonwealth, in Red and Blue areas, in rural, urban, and suburban areas; 3) Been a high level professional campaign staffer; and 4) Served as a Democratic Committee Chair.
I know the Party inside out, understand the special challenges of rural and suburban committees, and have forged great relationships across the state and with the DPVA staff. In addition to my experiences in politics, I have a strong organization skillset for the position, with 20+ years of executive experience in Organizational Development, Management, and Marketing.
As 1st Vice Chair, my main focus would be to use my strong organizational skills and political experience to assist in strengthening and perfecting local committees all across the Commonwealth. I recognize that every single vote matters, no matter where it comes from and that the local committees are on the front lines every day.
I will be sending more details of what I’d like to do to help committees in upcoming emails, but here is some of what I’ve accomplished during my brief tenure as Virginia Beach Democratic Committee Chair:
- Made the committee much more inclusive, increasing the percentage of minority members from 5% to 35%
- Brought our membership roles to a historic high of 175 from 80, including many new young members
- Professionalized internal and external communications and formed a Communications Committee
- Raised the profile of the VBDC in typically red leaning Virginia Beach with free media exposure
- Formed a Public Service Committee to “Live Our Values,” which has generated considerable goodwill and good messaging for the Party
- Used social media and online technology to vastly increase our visibility at no cost (see www.vbdemocrats.org and http://www.facebook.com/vbdemocrats)
- And more….
If given this extraordinary opportunity I’ll be a Vice Chair who represents all of Virginia. I love this Party, and you can be sure that I’ll bring the passion and energy necessary to motivate and build on the successes of the past to create a BLUER future. I would be grateful for your support.
My very best,
Susan Mariner
