My priority for CCDC is the main objective for our organization: the selection and support of Democratic candidates to represent Chesterfield County at the local, state, and national levels. And I would implement that by working with my other executive members to ensure we have enough active members to effectively focus on the five responsibilities listed in our bylaws:

a. Seeking out and encouraging the candidacy of qualified members of the Democratic Party for elected positions representing Chesterfield County;

b. Overseeing (organizing, regulating, and directing) the nomination of all Democratic Party candidates for Chesterfield County;

c. supporting the Democratic Party’s nominees in all general and special elections in Chesterfield County (organizationally and financially);

d. encouraging voter registration and participation in all elections without discrimination on the basis of gender, race color, creed, age, national origin, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression; and

e. Maintaining and promoting an active Democratic Party organization in Chesterfield County in whatever way advances the interests of the Democratic Party. Specifically as vice-chair for Membership, I would like to make nametags for every member that lists their districts in an old-school combination locker-code style format, your personal code to unlock democracy at home.

For example, my name tag would read “Traci Franssen: 4/12/74/Matoaca/314” utilize a conference room microphone to allow meetings to be interactive for virtual participants as well. ask each member to join a sub-committee of their choice and as membership chair would track their selection and ensure they get notifications for sub-committee meetings.

I would work with my fellow officers to ensure members are kept up to date on what is discussed at the meetings by timely sharing meeting minutes in an accessible fashion, perhaps by posting in the member-only facebook group. Which, speaking of, as membership chair I would call to welcome new members and follow up by sending new members a welcome letter with ways to get involved and proactively include a link to join the members-only group so they can be included in every way they would like.

I would also work with the communications chair to ensure a smooth, consistent process is in place to add new members to the newsletter distribution list. We could also set up new member orientation sessions and invite the officers and magisterial chairs specifically and also all current members would be welcome to attend as well to get to know everyone. I would utilize the voter database to log current members by district and also to reach out to folks who regularly vote in Democratic primaries to invite them to events put on by our committee to get more engaged. This can be done throughout the year along with the help of magisterial chairs and precinct captains as the committee, hopefully, plans events in each magisterial district and would provide an opportunity to current members to practice canvassing/phone banking skills prior to election season.

Part of being able to recruit the best candidates is being able and willing to support their campaigns so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel themselves while also attempting to maintain their livelihood and personal lives. We as a committee can offer support and infrastructure so candidates can focus on things such as refining stump speeches and personally following up with uncommitted voters who have been identified by volunteers via canvassing and phones.

Encouraging active membership throughout the year sets up candidates for success by training members and preparing them to be confident canvassers. Another part of recruiting the best candidates is getting the word out about which positions are coming open to run for in the next four years NOW and encouraging folks to start building for their campaigns ASAP. The membership chair can assist this by increasing active membership throughout the county to help share the message.