The DA France Riviera Election Board is pleased to announce the candidates for DAFR Riviera Chapter leadership!
Members of the DA France Riviera Chapter area will receive a ballot by email. Electronic voting will end on March 15 at Midnight.
For questions, please contact the Riviera Election Board at [email protected].
***********
These are the positions that are up for election: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Officer, and 3 Members at Large.
Candidate Statements
Candidate(s) for Chair
Nancy Toolan
After a rewarding 27-year career in the federal government and 10 years of retirement in Florida, I happily moved to France in 2018.
My career began with my dream job at the Government Accountability Office. After 20 years at GAO, I transferred to the Inspector General’s office of the US Agency for International Development, serving as the Regional Inspector General in Dakar, Senegal. I am proud of my career and know that thanks to my work, government programs and operations in the US and around the world have improved and become more efficient and cost effective. Unlike the current administration, I know what fraud, waste and abuse looks like!
I’ve been active with the DA Riviera since 2023 as a chapter member and serving on the Executive Committee. As Volunteer Coordinator, I created a local database of members who want to volunteer and successfully recruited volunteers for our important voter assistance activities. Most recently I organized the Nice Carnaval weekend, one of the chapter’s largest fundraising events with proceeds of over $2,000 for Democrats Abroad France.
I look forward to deepening my involvement with Democrats Abroad and seek your support as the Riviera Chapter chair.
Candidate(s) for Vice Chair
Garland Walton
In my eight years in France, I’ve developed a deep knowledge of our organization’s mission and the activities we must engage in to help Americans vote so we can win elections.
An Illinoisan with Missouri and New Jersey roots who spent most of her adulthood in Connecticut, I have diverse political and nonprofit experience. In the IL State Senate, I ran political campaigns and analyzed legislation. In Connecticut, I worked for an urban mayor, then a regional nonprofit, focusing on education and youth issues for both.
My Democrats Abroad involvement includes:
- Riviera Chapter Executive Committee since 2019
- Deputy Get Out The Vote Officer for France, 2020
- Deputy Communications Officer for France since 2020
I write and copyedit the DA France enewsletter (since 2022) and am on the Global Communications team. Both of these roles provide me with developments as they happen as well as a sense of what the broader organization is focusing on, which I believe helps our local efforts be more responsive and valuable.
Collaborating with others to protect our values is very fulfilling, and I hope I get the chance to keep serving Democrats Abroad and US citizens living here. Thank you for your consideration.
Candidate(s) for Secretary
Leila Meresman
A lifelong Democrat from a family with deep Democratic roots, I’m originally a New Yorker but spent much of my life overseas. I moved to Paris in 2010 and relocated to Nice in 2023.
As a member of Democrats Abroad, I participated in phone banking for the 2020 elections, have been providing voter assistance as the Get Out the Vote (GOTV) officer for the Riviera Chapter since 2023, and managed this year’s membership database clean-up.
With over 40 years of experience as a marketing and communications executive at several major multinational corporations, I am eager to contribute further to Democrats Abroad. As Secretary of the Riviera Chapter, I would bring my expertise to maintaining records and managing the chapter’s database, while supporting our mission to help Americans register, vote and stay engaged. My background will also aid in developing social and political events that educate and mobilize our community as well as influence legislation that improves our lives as expats.
Democratic ideals—centered on popular rule, self-determination, and peaceful coexistence—are fundamental to who I am. In these turbulent times, it's more important than ever to support Democratic candidates and their principles.
Candidate(s) for Treasurer
Rhonda Neill
My name is Rhonda Neill and I'm running for Treasurer of the Democrats Abroad France-Riviera Chapter. I am the current acting treasurer for the chapter. I have over 40 years of experience in accounting, budgeting and finance working for both the private sector and local government in Southern California. I've also served as secretary, vice president, president and regional vice president for many non-profit organizations including local PTA's, Yucaipa Valley American Little League and the Association of Government Accountants. I feel strongly about Americans abroad and their voting rights and I look forward to assisting our chapter in these endeavors. I am retired and currently living in Nice.
Candidate(s) for Communications Officer
No nominations were received.
Candidates for Members-at-Large (listed in alphabetical order)
Paul Kriner
Introduction
I became politically active in high school, when I participated in a Youth in Legislature event in which students spent a week in Lansing, Michigan being a mock legislature.
Experience
I ran for the School Board in Dearborn, Michigan at age 18. Even though I was unsuccessful, the board invited me to serve on a millage committee, for which we successfully got a millage increase.
I served in the student government at Fordson High School and at Henry Ford Community College, both in Dearborn, MI.
I served on the Board of Directors of Kalamazoo Civic Theatre in Kalamazoo, Michigan for close to a decade.
I was a member of, and subsequently president of the Board of Directors of the North Pennsmen Barbershop Chorus in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
Goals
I am concerned about the current political climate in the US; and I want to help raise expats’ awareness about issues and about voting from abroad.
I want to see the democratic party become more open-minded and progressive in the future. I feel that without such a proactive approach, the party will continue to lose the interest of constituents.
Auricia Tamasweet
Hello fellow Democrats Abroad Members,
I am excited to offer my candidacy for the position of Member at Large for the Democrats Abroad Riviera Chapter. As an engaged and passionate supporter of democratic values, I am committed to helping our community stay connected, informed, and active in the political process.
Since I was able to vote I’ve been involved in Democratic elections with efforts to get out the vote, fundraise for candidates and raise awareness about democratic issues. After moving to the Riviera, Beth Blatt and I started the Canntibes group of Democrats Abroad. I’ve seen firsthand how critical it is to create a sense of unity and engagement within our expatriate community. If elected, I will work diligently to foster collaboration, facilitate communication, and ensure that all members have the tools and resources needed to participate fully in the democratic process.
Now, as a mother with a young son, considering the future of America and the world, I believe it is crucial that each of us step up and take action in whatever way we can. Working alone is difficult, but when ordinary citizens of good will come together we can be a powerful force for good. I am eager to bring fresh ideas and energy to this role and look forward to working together to make a meaningful difference at every level of the political spectrum.
Thank you for your consideration! If you have ideas or ways you'd like to get involved, please be in touch!