February 16, 2021

2021 DACH Elections: Here are our Nominees


New Executive Committee to be elected at Annual General Meeting March 14

The DA Switzerland 2021 Nominations and Elections Committee is pleased to announce that Election of the 2021-2023 Executive Committee will take place during the 2021 Annual General Meeting, on Sunday March 14th, online. (See separate AGM announcement for details). We hope you will attend to hear our annual reports, to show support for the nominees, and, most importantly, to vote for the candidates of your choice. The offices to be elected are:

  1. Chair

  2. Vice-Chair

  3. Secretary

  4. Treasurer

  5. Members-at-Large (4)

  6. DPCA Voting Representatives (3)

We thank all those who came forward to present themselves as candidates. See their names and statements below.

Voting Method

Meeting attendees who are DA members as of Friday March 12th may vote. Online ballots will be available to all attendees who register at start of meeting.

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 March 12th, 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.

Election Process

At the meeting, the eleven offices will be elected one by one, in the order shown above. For offices with zero nominees (only), nominations for office may be made from the floor, as write-in candidates. As of now, two of the three DPCA Voting Rep positions have no candidates. Floor nominees may be listed candidates who did not win their announced race and wish to run in another. All candidates will be given two minutes to address the members.

The weekend before the meeting, voters will be able to meet and hear candidates at an online "Meet the Candidates" session (to be announced) before choosing.

List of Candidates

Candidates are listed here within each office in alphabetic order by last name.

Office: Chair (2)

Eric Wasson Burns (Zurich)
The last few years have been difficult for all of us. Our nation has become increasingly polarized, basic information has become politically charged, and mistrust in our institutions has grown. At the same time, our planet faces tremendous challenges which desperately call for urgent and unified factbased action. I am running  continue...
Leedonal Moore (Zurich)
Bio: My motto: Angenehm Anders Alls Alle Anderen (pleasently different than every one else.) My name is Leedonal Moore and i also go by the name Jazzmin Dian Moore and i'm a Texas State Voter. I identify as non-binary and i recently celebrated my 40th birthday in company of my Swiss partner and our black labrador. Originally  continue...

Office: Vice-Chair (1)

Liz Voss (Basel)
I have been an active member of the DACH ExCom since joining as replacement Secretary in May 2017, being reelected in 2019, and becoming Vice Chair effective January 2020. I have worked hard to assist the other members of the ExCom, as well as my local Basel chapter, and members around the country, with tasks  continue...

Office: Secretary (1)

Kristen Sharp (Aargau)
I am running for the position of Executive Secretary because I believe that I can help Democrats in Switzerland. I have professional experience working as a Democracy Coordinator in a UK university, taking and preparing minutes for student government executive meetings and AGMs, coordinating democratic elections  continue...

Office: Treasurer (1)

Meli Hughes (Basel)
I am currently the Treasurer of DA Switzerland, and have been an active member of Democrats Abroad since I moved to Basel five years ago. I am committed to doing whatever I can to make sure that Americans abroad have a voice in the US political process. I have an MBA from the Stern School of Business (NYU). I worked  continue...

Office: 4X: Member-at-Large (4)

Joe Amato (Zurich)
I was born in New York City in 1955 and grew up in Flushing, Queens. I left in the early 1980s to work as a Biology and Geography teacher as well as an IB Coordinator at . international schools in Caracas, Bangkok, Tokyo and in Zurich (since 2000). I am presently retired and once the pandemic dust reasonably  continue...
Pete Kaiser (Zurich)
Dual national (France/USA) living in Zürich and voting in Massachusetts; married to a Dutch/Swiss partner; and politically active since early adolescence -- active in the senses of "activist" and "showing up for work". I'm on DA's Global IT Team, where I work with DA's international data, skills I've also applied for DACH. All  continue...
Jennifer Shore (Geneva)
I think it is fair to say that this was one of the most important presidential elections of my lifetime. This really motivated me to get involved as much as I could with Democrats Abroad in Switzerland in the run up to the elections. I really felt like there was more I could do. I am seeking this position as I am committed to  continue...
Cedric Sumo (Lausanne)
My name is Cedric A. Sumo and I’m an American from Virginia who’s been living in Lausanne since December 2014. I’ve been a proud member of Democrats Abroad Switzerland since 2016 and I’ve participated in many voter registration campaigns since then. A while back I put my name down for a leadership role and  continue...

Office: 3X: DPCA Voting Representative (1)

Cedric Sumo (Lausanne)
(See Cedric's statement above.)

We encourage all Democrats to attend the election meeting on Sunday March 14th, and to consider standing for one of the unfilled DPCA Voting Representative positions.



The DACH Nominations and Elections Committee
Peter Butterfield, Vivian Beetle, Vance White

Questions? Write [email protected]