Interested in
ExCom Position: Vice Chair, Secretary, Legal, Director of Communications and Information Technology
At-Large Board Member: Women's Caucus Lead; Progressive Caucus Lead; Issues Advocacy; Rapid Response Team
Based in: Beijing
My name is Kira Leinonen, registered Maine voter. I would like you to support me for a role as an At-Large Board Member, working on Issues Advocacy.
I am an independent film and documentary producer living and working in China since 2008. I believe that Americans living outside of the US need more effective engagement in US politics to be better represented, and to be better heard. I believe that as Americans overseas we offer an invaluable perspective on some the most pressing issues facing our nation and our planet, and the future for all. As a Board Member, I feel that my experience in communications and media would help DA China mobilize around issues that matter to large cross-sections of Americans abroad, such as climate change and specific US foreign policies, and communicate them effectively to our representatives in Washington. I hope to offer my experience as a communications and creative professional managing complex teams in in identifying, articulating and moving toward specific goals can be of service to the incoming Leadership Board, in better engaging voters and connecting with the issues relevant to our political system back home on both local and national levels.
Whether working on regional and global campaigns, or feature films and commercials, my production work has reinforced the importance of clear communication within and between teams, and the importance of understanding audience and the appropriate tones and channels through which to reach them. As the video producer at Greenpeace East Asia for several years, I collaborated with mixed teams of local and international activists, journalists, and media professionals. As an editor of a documentary series about China's environment, in collaboration with state media, I had the responsibility of distinguishing key elements of sensitive grassroots activism in order to shape their stories for broad domestic and international audiences. I believe the ability to gather, understand, and distill diverse issues and the opinions surrounding them into coherent narratives would be an asset to DA China in the effort of relaying our concerns and priorities to our representatives and allies in the US. As a delegate of Global Power Shift, the international movement that laid the groundwork for events such as the 2014 and upcoming 2016 People's Climate March, and through volunteer work for US unions and civil rights organizations, I have been able to apply my communications and advocacy skills to translating international concerns into US-based movements. I would like to continue building this momentum with DA China to impact US politics from abroad.
I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to this country committee leadership effort, and I thank you for your consideration. If you have any questions please contact me. EMAIL