Name: Kari Hiepko-Odermann
Gender: Female
Office: Treasurer
Member since: 2006
Residence: India
Biography:
I was raised on a buffalo ranch in North Dakota and have lived outside the US since 1999. I have always worked and researched in fields where politics, the public, and communication overlap. Highlights include work on Germany’s first conference on poverty and wealth, working in venture capital, being a staffer at German Council on Foreign Relations, teaching, a Fulbright Scholarship, and being able to serve constituents both as a staff member and as an elected official. In January 2006 I joined Democrats Abroad in Berlin and left my daughter Emma, who is now 11, with a babysitter for the first time to attend the meeting at Max and Moritz. My husband and I added a second daughter in 2012. We have lived in India since 2013. In New Delhi, I focus my energies on low-level capacity building, consulting work, and have served as the Vice Chair for DA since 2016.
Links to MYC video.
Links to any Website/Blog/Facebook/YouTube sites.
@KariOdermann
Describe your volunteer work with DA and and cite your greatest DA accomplishment.
Sometimes just showing up leads to bigger things. I am new to leadership within Democrats Abroad and have served as Vice Chair since 2016. I also serve on the Travel Fund Award Committee and was unsuccessful as a Sanders delegate in May 2016 in Berlin. I am reluctant to take credit for anything that has been accomplished in India for because it truly is always a team effort. The meetings and events I have organized in Delhi would mean nothing if it wasn’t a priority of our members to attend. The party is who shows up, and I think we can all admit, showing up is sometimes the toughest part. So as mundane as it might sound, I see my biggest accomplishment as “showing up,” doing my part, and being present at meetings, WebEx calls and local get-togethers.
Why are you running for this office?
I have a strong personal commitment to public service and have a realistic grasp on both the time, and financial commitment that acting as treasurer will mean for me. I am ready to make the effort and have begun to wrap-up other obligations so I can focus on the position. This is an opportunity for me to help our organization and support our new executive committee. I see the challenges of the position in a positive way and am admittedly looking forward to filing Federal Election Compliance reports.
How will your skill sets and experience contribute to DA’s success?
Illustrations probably speak best to skills and experience. In 2009 I moved to a small village outside of Frankfurt and re-activated the local Foreign Citizen’s Council there. As an international banking hub, Frankfurt draws in a large amount of foreigners to the surrounding area. These strangers have limited access to local resources like childcare because of language barriers and systematic exclusion. Non-EU citizens had no representation at all, despite paying taxes. I faced both bureaucracy and local political reluctance to reestablish an eight seat Foreign Citizen’s Council in our village. Beyond using the tools available to make an impact, I am particularly proud that this committee has remained sustainable beyond my leadership and is currently in its second term. The skills I have from past public service experiences like this are transferable and I hope to use these skills to help the ex-comm reach our organization’s goals.
If elected what are the three top issues issues within DA you will work to affect and and how?
DA needs to introduce more roles at the regional and country levels that train members for roles in the executive committee. This will increase inclusion and ensure that we have well trained, well prepared new leaders who are familiar with the theory as well at the practice of leadership. Tapping into the potential of traveling elected officials to utilize them for fundraising events. We need to ensure that our regional and global meetings don’t become a club for only those who can afford to travel. We need to work on beefing up our travel fund and setting appropriate guidelines for applicants.
What three planks/issues are you most passionate about o include in the DA 2020 Platform and why?
We need to work on our environment and ourselves as Americans. Education, healthcare and the environment are the issues that I see as an inside, inside, outside approach. And, frankly, making education on all levels more accessible could solve most of our nation’s current problems. Populations that are well educated vote more and more discernibly.
Let’s make access to education, starting at the preschool level, continue all the way to a debt free, merit based higher education system. In addition, a focus on the development of trade skills as an alternative to a four-year degree needs to be explored. A functioning healthcare system - including allowing women recovery time after birth - will keep our nation healthy and productive. Environmental protection and a focus on renewable energy, paired with national infrastructure projects to free Americans from their dependency on oil needs to be sooner rather than later.
What can Democrats Abroad do to increase its profile among voters globally and better work to elect Democrats?
I am thankful for the cost effective means social media has offered DA to reach out in the past few years. We need to continue and further support the solid work taking place on social media platforms within the country committees. DA’s social media approach needs to be seen like a global franchise, with recognizable characteristics, yet local adaptations. While one could argue that DA has an easy job as American with passports are more likely to share Democratic values, we know that different countries have specific sets of challenges in reaching voters. As treasurer I would seriously explore DA’s options for funding localized social media advertisements.
How can DA work best with the Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee to represent the issues of Americans living abroad? What can be enhanced or improved in this relationship?
Democrats Abroad supports all the state parties in getting out the overseas vote and our current executive has created promising momentum for getting Democratic National Committee to recognize of this - and this needs to be continued. The fundraising done from Democrats Abroad needs to be recognized and our major donors need to be retained on our side of the pond. To keep our donors interested in staying with our organization, we need to push hard for better communication with Democratic leaders and elected officials, making it second nature for them to let us know whenever they're outside the U.S. We can then build on our reputation for having compelling speakers for fundraising events. And DA can give back - Americans living abroad have experienced the benefits of universal health care, low cost education and other issues, and remain a huge policy resource for taking America forward.
What will you do to grow DA and ensure greater overall participation by Chapter Members?
More participation by local chapters will improve our outcomes in terms of membership, voter registration, voter participation and fundraising. I have found that often our potential members do not even know that Democrats Abroad exists. Furthermore, our members are often unaware of the key roles they are empowered to play in our processes. By creating an information campaign with a social media focus we can attract and keep local members by underscoring the importance of the local chapter. In addition I feel we need more support for our regional volunteers who guide new and young local chapters. We need to create a chapter incubation system, which empowers members at the local level.
Endorsement from Alex Montgomery
I am writing to enthusiastically recommend Dr. Kari Hiepko-Odermann as International Treasurer. I first met Kari when she volunteered to help reinvigorate Democrats Abroad India and was elected Vice-Chair of DA India. In that role, Kari’s enthusiasm, focus and organization helped bring together a far-flung team in just a few short months. Her immediate contribution to their success made it clear that she is a team builder and natural leader. There is no doubt in my mind that she will be an excellent treasurer and critical member of the International Executive Committee.
Kari is incredibly organized and dependable, traits that are essential to the role of International Treasurer. She will be able to handle her responsibilities as Treasurer easily and confidently, leaving her available to help with general Executive Committee leadership and growth in all regions. Kari is very goal oriented. Rather than getting stuck in the administration of things she’ll keep the Executive Committee focused on our mission
She is an experienced organizer with a strong background in politics and communications. She is not afraid to speak her mind and will bring a fresh, issues oriented, approach to the Executive Committee.
Alex Montgomery
DA Communications Director
AP Regional Vice Chair
Endorsement from Carmelan Polce
Dear Democrats Abroad Colleagues,
I very excited to throw my support behind Kari Hiepko-Odermann for DPCA Treasurer. After time working in the DA India Country Committee Kari burst on to the DA global scene during our May 2016 Global Caucus and Convention. We in the Asia Pacific region leadership were delighted to welcome such a clever, engaging, fun and committed new leader to our group. I’m so pleased Kari has put her hat in the ring to lead at the global level and I urge you to give her your vote.
Like the rest of us, Kari has made a life-long commitment to the Democratic Party and believes strongly in the importance of public service and civic engagement. The issues that most specifically arouse her passion and concern are debt free college education, healthcare and the environment because, in Kari’s own words, “If we have smart, healthy people everything else will fall into place.” Wise words!
Kari was urged to run for Treasurer by her colleagues in the Asia Pacific region and she has given the position a great deal of consideration. She has a realistic grasp on both the time and financial commitment of acting as DA Treasurer and she is ready, willing and able to make the effort. She is poised to wrap up other obligations to put her focus on the job. How fortunate we are that she is willing to put other activities aside to give this job the attention it deserves. She will make a great Treasurer!
Kari intends to hit the ground running. One of her goals is to ensure we tap into the potential fundraising opportunities that arise when elected officials make overseas trips. Some of her thoughts beyond the usual fundraising and compliance aspects of the Treasurer role include the importance of succession building within DA. Her view is that efficiency is essential to an all-volunteer organisation and so avoiding the need to re-invent the wheel with each new Excom Is essential.
For those who have not as yet met Kari it bears noting that, in addition to all her smarts, she is a warm, funny and lovely person to work and spend time with. I strongly urge you to give Kari Hiepko-Odermann of DA India your vote for DA Treasurer.
Sincerely,
Carmelan Polce
FBAR/FATCA Task Force Chair
Acting Issues Advocacy Coordinator
Former Chair, DA Australia
Former Chair, DA Singapore
Endorsement from Bob Vallier
To the Nominations Committee of the DPCA and the Voting Members of the DPCA:
I am pleased to write today in support of Kari Hiepko-Odermann's candidacy for Treasurer of the DPCA. The Treasurer needs to understand campaign and non-profit finance law, but also has to raise funds from donors and work with the finance wing of the DNC, while operating as part of the executive committee team. I'm sure you'll agree that Kari's experience, skills, and talents make her an outstanding candidate to achieve all of these goals with excellence.
Though I had previously heard her posing smart and insightful questions on our Global Town Halls, I first met Kari in person at our Global Convention in Berlin, and was immediately impressed by the depth and breadth of her knowledge of both politics and policy, by her confident and articulate manner of presentation, by her courage and intelligence.
Kari is, like me, both an academic and an activist. She knows how to translate difficult ideas and complex policy problems into clear, concise, coherent, compelling language that allows non-specialists to under the core issues. And more importantly, she knows how to translate those ideas into actions and how to persuade people to sign on to those actions. Understanding complexities. communicating clearly, and thoughtful persuasion are absolutely essential qualities for this position, and Kari has had career opportunities in politics and policy analysis that have allowed her to develop and refine all of these skills in a manner that will clearly benefit Democrats Abroad.
But politics and policy are not intellectual abstractions for Kari: she fights for them. Not only has she helped to revitalize and grow the membership of DA-India by taking concrete action, but she has also courageously stood up for principles of justice and fairness, as many witnessed in Berlin. She risked much and put her own aspirations aside in order to stand publicly for fairness. She did so in a thoughtful and diplomatic manner, without anger or rancor. Principles matter to Kari. Selflessly standing up for what is right is also a quality we should have in our Treasurer and executive committee.
It is worth noting that before she took her stand in Berlin, Kari sought other means to correct the problems she saw. She worked with many other DA leaders in the room to identify and propose a variety of solutions. She listened to and deliberated with others--on all sides of the issue--before taking action. Collaborative teamwork and deliberate action are also essential qualities for the DPCA Treasurer. She displayed these qualities not only in Berlin, but also in India, where the membership of DA-India seems to agree with this assessment, since they've elected her Vice Chair.
On a personal level, Kari is very engaging. She listens to what people have to say without interrupting them, she does not impose her ego into the conversation, and she responds with intelligent and insightful comments that makes interlocutors feel they've been heard. She respects the person with whom she is speaking as a partner in dialogue, even if they disagree, and she knows how to express disagreement without being disagreeable. She's pleasant and funny when she engages in dialogue. I would characterize this kind of engagement as both respectful and "charming". And if one of the primary activities of the Treasurer is to raise money from donors, the respectful and charming engagement is in my mind a winning combination.
I think Kari has in abundance all of the most important qualities that we ought to have in our Treasurer: she is thoughtful and principled, she is intelligent and courageous, she is selfless and collaborative, she is engaged and engaging. Her experience in politics and policy analysis, her skills and her talents will benefit the executive committee and the entire DPCA, and will make her an outstanding Treasurer. That's why I am supporting her.
Bob Vallier
DA France
International LGBT Caucus