Chair:
Kendra Borgen-
I’m very eager to serve once again as the Chair for Democrats Abroad Netherlands.
Since joining the Executive Committee 4 years ago I've worked tirelessly to bring the American
community together to get out the vote and encourage people to be involved. As we move towards
the 2020 elections it's important to increase voter turnout and help restore order to the White
House. In a time when elections are literally being decided by one vote (looking at you
Virginia) the fact the only around 15% of the 6 million voting Americans abroad vote in
elections is saddening. We can do better. I hope to inspire people to get involved and get out
the vote!
I stand proudly on my current achievements as Chair. DANL has executed great fundraisers in the
last 2 years to help DA globally get votes. We've also raised funds for new posters and banner
sets, hoping to use these sets to develop smaller chapters outside Amsterdam and the
Randstad.
If re-elected as Chair I intend to continue in with these developments and am looking forward
help grow our membership.
Thank you for your consideration.
Legal Counsel:
Ethan Nasr-
Prior to moving to Amsterdam with my family in April 2018, I’ve been a government attorney in different roles over the past 15
years. I started as a municipal attorney for the City of Oakland, California, then worked for the judiciary as a staff attorney for the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, before transitioning into the Office of the Chief Counsel at U.S. Citizenship &
Immigration Services where I worked on refugee and asylum law.
In these various positions, I’ve spent considerable time analyzing and revising regulations, guidelines, and other policy
documents which I believe to be directly relevant experience for the role of legal counsel for Democrats Abroad. I also had the
opportunity to speak with outgoing counsel, Jeff Rupp, about the position at the January 27th, 2019 meeting to make sure I could
meet the demands of the role.
I’ve been active in democratic politics for the past 25 years since first joining my college democrats student group. Over the
years, I’ve volunteered my time to various local and federal candidates for phone banking, door-knocking, and get out the vote
campaigns. I think we’re all newly energized by the ever-unfolding disaster that is the Trump administration and his Republican
enablers and how we can direct that energy toward increasing our representation as American voters here in the Netherlands.
Thank you for your consideration of my candidacy for the role of legal counsel.
Treasurer:
Stephan Paine-
Originally from San Diego, California, I have been a Dutch resident for the last eight years and am currently a Lecturer at the Breda University of Applied Sciences within the Creative Business degree program. I have been quite involved with Democrats Abroad Netherlands (DANL) over the past year, working together with a small group of DA volunteers in organizing meet-ups in North Brabant and organizing a voter registration/information booth at the expat fair in Eindhoven. While a resident of San Diego, I went door-to-door for the John Kerry presidential campaign, soliciting donations and discussing campaign issues with potential voters. My support of the Democratic Party goes back a long way.
My goal for the role of Treasurer is simple, to get Democrats elected in 2020 by supporting the efforts of DANL and the DA get-out-the-vote initiative. If elected, I will use my knowledge and skills towards this purpose. My commitment is strong and I’m motivated by a desire to see America become a place of equality and respect.
I feel that I am an excellent candidate for the role of Treasurer because of my integrity and attention to detail. I am also an MBA graduate from the State University of New York, Buffalo. I have the required time to invest in this endeavor and promise to make this very important 2020 election a personal priority.
I hope you will support my candidacy for Treasurer and I look forward to meeting you at the 2019 Annual General Meeting.
Member-at-large:
Ingrid Lanz-
I have always felt that participation in the democratic process is an essential part of living in the U.S. Now that I'm no longer living in the U.S., I feel this even more - I want to maintain my ties to my home country and help nurture our democracy in whatever way is possible from afar.
When I lived in the US, I was very active as a phone banker during voting season, door-knocker on Capitol Hill and with my local representatives - and even a door-to-door neighborhood campaigner for candidates from Gore to Obama.
I also worked in the Democratic convention office for two months preparing for Obama's election in 2008. For the past 3 years, I've watched my country from abroad - and when I don't feel like weeping about what's happening to the democratic process, I'm angry - but now I want to take action. I'd like to see what a few of us determined expats can do and maybe surprise those who think we don't care. I'd be honored if you elected me to be a member at-large.
