The Basel chapter held their AGM on April 18 and elected a new slate of leaders:

Announcement: Annual General Meeting and Election of Chapter Officers

The Basel Chapter of DA Switzerland (DACH) Officers and the 2021 Nominations and Elections Committee are pleased to inform you that our 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will occur on Sunday April 18, 2021  from 14:00 - 16:30. All members of the Basel Chapter of Democrats Abroad Switzerland are invited to attend the AGM. Due to COVID restrictions on public gatherings, we will meet online via Zoom. The primary purpose of the meeting is to elect our 2021-2023 Chapter Officers. We hope you will attend to hear our annual report, to show support for the nominees and, most importantly, to vote for the candidates.

The offices to be elected are:

• Chair
• Vice Chair
• Secretary
• Treasurer

We thank all those who came forward to present themselves as candidates. The candidates and their statements are presented below.

Proposed Agenda, subject to change:

• Welcome
• Roll call - online check-in
• Approval of minutes from 2020 AGM
• Year in Review report
• Short description of positions
• Thanks to outgoing officers
• Candidate statements
• Elections
• Welcome of new officers
• Announcements/Upcoming events
• Adjourn

All interested members are encouraged to attend. Pre-registration via our website is encouraged to help us simplify the elections process. You will receive the Zoom link upon registration.

Election Process

Meeting attendees who are members of the DACH Basel chapter as of Friday April 16th may vote. Online ballots will be made available to all eligible attendees.

At the meeting, the four offices will be elected one by one, in the order shown above. Since there is a candidate for each of the offices, per our bylaws nominations for office may not be made from the floor. Each candidate will be given two minutes to address the members.

If you cannot participate in person, it is possible to vote by proxy: Request a proxy form from [email protected], identify a member you know who will attend, send a copy of your completed and signed proxy form to us by April 16th, and give the form to the attending member before the AGM. Any voter at the meeting may hold at most two proxies.

Voting by advance ballot will not be available.

Candidates

Chair - Ben Stewart

My name is Ben Stewart and I am running for the position of Chair for Democrats Abroad-Basel. I am a native Hoosier and I vote in New York where I last lived before moving to the UK, Basel, Dubai, and now back to Basel. Based on my exposure to the DA-Basel community, I am absolutely convinced that we are well-positioned to continue delivering meaningful opportunities for active citizenship for our fellow Americans in the Basel region. More - add link

Vice Chair - Kristen Jafflin

It has been great working with the engaged, active team we have here in Basel over the last 4+ years that I've been active in the chapter. I am hoping to continue that work as Vice Chair for the 2021-2022 period. The last year has been challenging, as the global COVID-19 pandemic prevented us from engaging in many of the activities we hold dear. I'm sure many join me in looking forward to being able to start in-person activities again sometime soon. More - add link

Secretary - Vivian Beetle

Living abroad may create physical distance but it need not diminish our connection and involvement. This is what drives my commitment to Democrats Abroad. Working in concert with like-minded folks to address issues and determine leadership in the USA provides a concrete means to contribute from afar. More - add link

Treasurer - Jon Frost

I am running as Treasurer for Democrats Abroad Basel. 

I am a Washington state voter, born and raised in the Seattle area. My wife Elisa, our two kids (9 and 6) and I have lived in Basel since 2017. Before that we lived in Amsterdam for 8 years, and were part of Democrats Abroad in The Netherlands. More - add link

Contact [email protected] if you have any questions.

Faithfully submitted,
The Basel Chapter Nominations and Elections Committee
Jamie Donahoe and Carolyn Groff