The Guadalajara Chapter of Democrats Abroad now has eight members on our Board, and perhaps you would like to know something about them! Read on to learn about each of them…

NICK

Nick McLellan came to Guadalajara for a two week vacation in 1976. He recalls, “I really liked the climate and the city. I went back to my job in Portland, OR and I was homesick.” He moved to Guadalajara in January 1977.

Nick soon found a job as a teacher of English. While his original intention was to learn enough Spanish to do something he liked more than teaching, he found that he never did find something better than teaching!

Nick met his future wife, Lupita, and they married in 1980. They raised two daughters together. Lupita died of cancer in 2012.

Back home in Oregon Nick was active in Teen Dems and Young Dems. Today, Nick says that he still votes in Oregon. Nick comments that, “With the rise of the Christian Nationalists, or as I call them the Republicans Taliban, I fear for the future of democracy in the US.”

Nick became active in Democrats abroad in 2020, because “Trump and his ilk scare me.”

For U.S. news, Nicks keeps up online at MSNBC, CNN, NY Times, and more sites. 

Nick also reads a lot. “My favorite books range from Alice in Wonderland to Grapes of Wrath.” And his favorite restaurants also range from fondas to la Casa Argentina. As a hobby, Nick enjoys using small hand looms to make blankets for donation, and teddy bears.

 

SEAN

Sean Godfrey is originally from Massachusetts. He arrived in Guadalajara in 1990 to finish his last semester with the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. He came to improve his proficiency in Spanish at the Universidad de Guadalajara’s Centro de Estudios Para Extranjeros, and never left. Sean is one of the publishers of the Guadalajara Reporter, a weekly newspaper in English, since 1994. 

Sean is new to the board but is a long time active member of our chapter. In fact, he became a member of Democrats Abroad’s Lake Chapala chapter before transferring to the Guadalajara Chapter when it was founded in 2016. Since then he has been involved in the Communications Chapter.

About his life in Guadalajara, Sean says, “I eat out with my wife and sons at restaurants and taco joints around the city, and occasionally enjoy a breakfast of birria de chivo in the Mercado Alcalde near the Federal Building. My favorite restaurant in Ajijic is Go Bistro.” He gets most of his news about the world and the U.S. from the NY Times. 

In regard to his views on our role in Democrats Abroad, and in general, Sean says,

“I want to keep the U.S. a democratic, liberal, progressive country and hope that I can help DA Guadalajara get out the vote in Mexico to shore up the Democratic party’s wins in 2024 to achieve that.”

Sean also enjoys bringing the American community in Guadalajara together for events such as St. Patrick's Day and Independence Day. He invites everyone to join the Independence celebration planned for July 6 at St. Mark's Anglican Church.

 

ANNE

Anne Senter has lived in Mexico since 2021. She moved to Guadalajara two years ago, after living one year in Puerto Vallarta. Anne is registered to vote in Los Angeles, California. 

Anne likes living in GDL because it is a world-class city with progressive values, similar to Los Angeles. About herself, Anne says, “I am part of the LGBTQ+ community, an avid road cyclist, love to read, and am a Biden/Harris supporter in the 2024 election cycle.” 

Professionally, Anne is a fluvial geomorphologist, which means “I am an earth system scientist who studies how water influences landscapes, especially water that flows in (and occasionally floods out of) creeks and rivers.”

Anne recently got involved in Democrats Abroad because, “as an American citizen and regardless of where I live in the world, it is my civic responsibility to be engaged in the democratic process of my home country. I hope to support and encourage other US citizens living abroad to stay engaged in the political process”. In recent years, given the political upheaval in the US, Anne has found that the adage "this election is the most important election of my lifetime," can be true more than once! Anne believes that, “Democracy can only be successful if citizens stay engaged and work to influence how our country will change and grow. Voting is both a privilege and a responsibility, and represents your voice and power within the democratic process.” 

Anne invites everyone to get involved, because, “Democrats Abroad is here to help all US citizens check their registration and apply for voting abroad materials (every year!)”. Always friendly and proactive, Anne asks people to: “Please let us know how we can help you,” and if you have the inclination, “join us in helping others, too.”

 

Looking ahead…

With these new members on our board, we now have a treasurer, a secretary, and two Members at large focused on Event Planning. If you are interested in Events, GOTV (Get Out The Vote), or Membership, we are currently seeking volunteers!