Notice of Meeting and Agenda
Democrats Abroad Switzerland, Geneva Chapter
Sunday, April 25, 2021
13h30 - 16h
The Democrats Abroad Switzerland (DACH) Geneva Chapter 2021 Nominations and Elections Committee is pleased to announce that the election of the 2021-2023 Geneva Chapter Leadership will take place during the 2021 DACH Geneva Chapter AGM on Sunday, April 25, online. (See separate AGM announcement for details). We hope you will attend to hear our annual report, to show support for the nominees, and, most importantly, to vote for the candidates of your choice. The offices announced for election are:
- Chair
- Vice Chair
- Secretary
- Treasurer
Two individuals submitted notice of interest and statements to the NEC and have proposed to stand for election as co-chairs of the Geneva chapter. We thank them for coming forward to present themselves as candidates. See their names and statements below.
We will accept nominations from the floor for Secretary and Treasurer. You can see descriptions of these jobs here.
Proposed Agenda, Subject to Change
- Welcome
- Roll call - online check-in
- Year in Review report
- Short description of positions
- Thanks to outgoing officers
- Candidate statements
- Elections
- Welcome of new officers
- Presentation and discussion: Diversity and Inclusion in DACH
- Announcements
- Adjournment
Voting Method
Meeting attendees who are DA members as of Friday, April 23, may vote.
If you cannot attend the Zoom meeting, 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 23, and send 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.
Election Process
At the meeting, the four offices will be elected one by one, in the order shown above. Because the nominations for chair have presented themselves as a co-chair team, meeting participants will be asked to approve the candidacy of the two nominees for co-chair. The candidates will then be given five minutes to address the members.
For offices with zero nominees (only), nominations for office may be made from the floor. All candidates will be given five minutes to address the members.
List of Candidates
Emily T. Blitz (Candidate for Co-Chair)
I am originally from New Jersey, living abroad for nearly all of the last 23 years. I have called Switzerland home since 2004, when I joined DACH. Despite the distance, I have remained involved in U.S. issues throughout the years living overseas. I was DACH National Secretary from 2006-2009. During my tenure, we more than doubled our membership, expanded the website, successfully pioneered internet voting at the Global Primary, and established local chapters. I also served as National Treasurer from 2013-2015, during which time we increased DACH funds year-on-year by 20 per cent.
Professionally, I am a conference specialist with rapidly growing experience in managing a wide variety of digital events. I live in Crassier (near Nyon) with my Dutch husband and our daughter.
I see serving as the Geneva Chapter co-chair as an interesting and excellent opportunity to expand my role in DACH again. As member of the Geneva Chapter Board, I feel I could contribute ideas and help chart the course that the Chapter could take in the coming years.
In addition to DACH, I previously served on the Board of The Condom Project, was the founding Board Secretary for GENDRO, and am currently the Independent Ethics & Integrity Counsel for Global Health 50/50. These previous experiences would prepare me for the roles and responsibilities involved.
If I am elected to serve, I would hope to continue the good work of my predecessors: developing membership, curating a varied program of fundraising and educational events, facilitating open conversations between local chapters in Switzerland and abroad, and helping our Geneva members make the most of this dynamic, though sometimes daunting, time.
Peter Butterfield (Candidate for Co-Chair)
I would like to serve as a co-Chair of the Geneva Chapter. Sharing the chair responsibility suits me well: I welcome having a leader’s say in setting the direction of chapter activities through the 2022 mid-term elections, but prefer to share leadership tasks with another person, especially when activities accelerate in election season.
I know how DA operates: I served as DA Switzerland Vice Chair 2013-2017. Since then I’ve stayed active to help DA advance its admirable mission, working in the national nominations/elections committee twice, serving as volunteer coordinator for the 2020 Geneva Global Presidential Primary, and continuing as a database admin and creator of email communications.
In the 2020 Presidential election, Dems Abroad helped achieve fabulous voters-abroad turnout, both in Switzerland and globally. We made a difference in Democratic victories all over the map. On-the-ground chapter activities played a key role. The newly-elected Switzerland Executive Committee has set outreach as a chief goal, to let Americans all over Switzerland learn about and join Democrats Abroad. As Chapter co-chair I will work to advance that outreach in the Geneva/Vaud region, with online and in-person activities that attract new members and keep current members engaged, on both the political and social levels. Tens of thousands of Americans live in this country, and although DA Switzerland is as large now as it’s ever been, there is plenty of opportunity to get more American expats to vote from abroad and join our activities here.
We will be electing our leaders for 2021 - 2023; they will guide us through our local chapter events leading up to the 2022 Midterm Elections. This will be a crucial period of creating and executing policy during the first half of President Biden's first term in office and we want your input!
The online meeting will start at 13:30 PM and will last a maximum of 2.5 hours.
RSVP here or to [email protected] for the meeting details and instructions on how to join the meeting.