Sunday, March 09
Nyon, Switzerland
Suisse Romande Chapter - Annual General Meeting
Please join Democrats Abroad's Suisse Romande Chapter in Nyon on Sunday March 9 for our Annual General Meeting and Election! We will elect Chapter leadership for the 2025-27 term, report on the previous year, discuss our full calendar of political, informational and social events, and engage in a group activity: Explore together the impact of Trump/Musk actions on International Geneva and how DA Suisse Romande might use its unique situation to help mitigate them.
Please scroll down to see candidate statements of the three nominees for election to Chapter office.
The afternoon will be enhanced by “fun” activities before and after: A group visit to the Historical Museum in the Château de Nyon, and a group restaurant dinner after. All activities are on or near the Place du Château of Nyon.
As a member of Dems Abroad’s Suisse Romande Chapter, you are most cordially invited to attend. Please RSVP at bottom of page, so we know how many to expect at the meeting.
If you wish to join the 2:30pm museum visit, please also write [email protected] so we know group size to reserve.
Thank you and we hope to see you on Sunday!
Schedule for the afternoon
2:30 – 3:45 pm (Optional):
Group visit to the Château de Nyon and its modest historical museum. Includes special exhibit opening March 6: FEMMES DE NYON. DE A à Z (Women in Nyon history).
4 – 5:30 pm:
Annual General Meeting at at la Ferme du Manoir on the Place du Château, 1260 Nyon.
6 – 8 pm (Optional):
Group dinner at a nearby Nyon restaurant.
Tentative agenda for the AGM
1. Chair's report
2. Treasurer report
3. Press/Media report
4. Elections of officers for 2025-2027 term. Please see candidate statements below.
5. Group exploration: The impact of Trump/Musk actions on International Geneva and how DA Suisse Romande, uniquely, might help mitigate them.
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Chapter Office Election Candidates
As an alternative to the traditional Chair/Vice-chair offices, a slate has come forward to run as a Co-Chairs team of two. Please see statements below, provided by the Co-Chair and Secretary candidates.
Candidate for Co-Chair: Morgan Gray
I’m asking for your vote for co-chair of the Swiss Romande chapter. By teaming up with Karin Powell, I believe we can be even more present across our entire region and accomplish more. I ask for your support not only in this chapter election but also as the two of us organize and lead this team of volunteers to
1) get attention on Democrats Abroad Switzerland (every last voter in Switzerland should know we exist!),
2) motivate participation in our community-building activities (because community is fun, but also a critical piece of what we need to get done!) and especially
3) leverage that awareness and network to turn out voters living in Switzerland for elections, activism, and above all, *the midterm elections* during the next two years. These are the voters we can influence, and we must win them.
I’ll bring my experience on DACH’s national committee and as an activist and volunteer (most recently at the 2024 DNC) to the team. I will also continue using my professional communications skills to represent us in the media whenever helpful, speaking out against the Trump administration and promoting our local organization to attract fellow Democrats.
I am motivated by my belief that Americans can and should have better, and my outrage as I stay informed about what is happening across our government. I want to help channel all of your energy by bringing as best I can the persistence and focus we absolutely need to defeat the MAGA flood-the-zone distract-and-overwhelm strategy.
Candidate for Co-Chair: Karin Powell
Hello and thank you for your time in reading this. Born and raised in Seattle WA, my parents immigrated in 1968 from Europe, my father is Suisse Romande and my mother Tyrolian Austrian. I grew up first generation US Citizen in a very liberal family that wanted the same ideologies in the US that we fight for today.
We moved to Switzerland as a family of 4 in 2012, to be closer to my paternal background and raise our two young children within the Swiss school system. Now 15 and 18, they are a part of the fabric of Swiss life. I am an Art Director in the gaming industry by trade, however for many years now I have also been a passionate personal advocate for civil liberties and our right to personal freedoms globally. Politically speaking, since the Clinton administration I have been involved in all of the Presidential election periods in some shape, way or form. Either as a volunteer at election headquarters in Western Washington State manning the voting booths and phone lines, to personal missions such as "Rock the Vote”, which was a particularly large source of pride for me. A team of dedicated west coast democratic DNC members partnering with the LA music industry to register youth to vote in a series of highly successful musical events and festivals. My contribution was in the events orchestration area. This partnership created the momentum for what was to become the singular largest concentration of marketing towards youth 18-24 year old new voters in our lifetime.
Once arriving in Switzerland, I joined a group founded by three local women in the Valais who created a non profit global political support organization called Solidarity for Humanity in 2016 running until 2020. This organization marched in Geneva for Me To in 2017, and held a rally at UN headquarters later for Black Lives Matter in 2020. Local small protests and fundraisers for other various global calls to action were a success. Finally, for the past 8 months my involvement with the local Chapter of Swiss Romande developing local business registration drives, outreach contributions, graphic design elements, and events such as our new 2025 Deep Dive series and other unique events on the East Side of Lac Leman have been very fulfilling. This work has driven me to this moment, to run for co-chair in order to assist in a greater capacity.
I would like to mention the idea of co-chair that we have discussed for some time with West and East of the Lac Leman. A brilliant move to allow the each co-chair to spend the time in important outreach into the outer areas of Suisse Romande.
In summary, my assurance to you is that you will be heard and supported in your endeavors to be a part of the DACH collective that will bring positive change. This will be especially challenging in the next 4 years, we can do this if we put our minds and energy into the maelstrom. I look forward to working with you to make this happen.
Candidate for Secretary: Anya Suzanne Marinkovich
For years, Democrats Abroad has served as an important information resource for me as an American living in Switzerland and I would like to pursue a role within the organization in order to contribute to the important work it is doing to keep Americans living abroad involved in the democratic process back home. It is now more important than ever to uphold and defend our democratic values, no matter where we live, as the anti-democratic policies of the current American government are having a far-reaching and potentially catastrophic impact across the globe.
WHEN
Sunday, March 09, 2025 at 04:00 PM Bern Time
WHERE
Ferme du Manoir
Rue Maupertuis 1
Salle de conférence 1
Nyon 1260
Switzerland
Google map and directions
CONTACT
Emily Blitz
[email protected]