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Name: Beth (Elizabeth) Landry Gender: Non-binary External links: Website
Candidate: International Secretary Member since: January 2019 Country/Countries: Sweden Biography: I have resided in Malmö, Sweden with my spouse and our husky since 2018, and vote in Maryland. My professional experience includes having been a Critical Care Registered Nurse (Post-Anesthesia & Acute Stroke), a National Nurses United shop steward, and Statewide Organizing Director for a Maryland non-profit. I also served as an elected Maryland Delegate to the 2016 DNC. |
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Describe your volunteer work with DA and cite your greatest DA accomplishment.
My greatest accomplishment within DA thus far has been my cumulative 2020 GOTV work. My involvement included empowering volunteers as Sweden's Phonebanking Coordinator, hosting 13 volunteer caller training sessions and 17 volunteer caller support huddles, ultimately tripling Sweden's registered CallHub callers. I made approximately 1000 GOTV calls to voters, as well. I am grateful for being able to contribute in 2020 through volunteer training and voter support for U.S. Citizens, and I am humbled by the collective achievements of Democratic voters to take back the White House and Senate.
Contributions: Democrats Abroad Regionally/Globally
-EMEA Deputy Regional Vice-Chair (current)
-DA WebEx Team (current)
-Diversity & Inclusion Workshops support (current)
-EMEA 2020 Regional Convention Director
-EMEA 2019 Regional Meeting WebEx Team - Athens, Greece
Contributions: Democrats Abroad Sweden
-Phonebanking Coordinator
-Former Country Vice Chair
-2020 Global Presidential Primary Coordinator
-2020 Annual General Meeting Facilitator
-Skåne Chapter Secretary
Why are you running for this office?
I am seeking election as DPCA International Secretary because:
I am an extremely organized, conscientious, diligent, and prudent individual committed to furthering the core mission and values of Democrats Abroad. Utilizing my pledged role as DPCA International Secretary, I seek to collaborate with and reinforce the 2021-2023 leadership to exponentially increase the visibility and impact of UOCAVA voters. I am passionate about providing the administrative support and structure that will make furthering Democratic values streamlined and efficient.
Through my leadership development and contributions to date within Democrats Abroad, I have an informed and comprehensive perspective of the foundation that advance planning and calendaring, meticulous attention to detail, effective meetings, solidarity, and mutual support provide for our work. All of these are inherently crucial to smoothly and sustainably run our Global organization.
I know how critically representation matters in organizations working diligently to protect and expand the rights of working people and families. If elected, I will have a seat at the decision-making table as a queer/Non-Binary individual. With the utmost gratitude to my LGBTQIA+ peers and predecessors, my holding of office will subsequently convey the door remains open for non-cisgender leaders.
How will your skill sets and experience contribute to DA's success?
The office of International Secretary requires extensive administrative knowledge. I am agile with organizational assets such as NationBuilder and the DA Wiki. Similarly, I am well-versed in the adjunct tools of Mobilize, Slack, CallHub, and more. In our global organization, web conferencing is ubiquitous. I have gained a wealth of knowledge providing support for leaders and meetings on the DA WebEx Team.
My competency with these tools and assets will allow me to concentrate right away on current needs of the organization. Additionally, by being knowledgeable of Democrats Abroad procedures and processes, I will be able to rapidly and seamlessly transition into this role, providing essential support to incoming 2021-2023 DPCA leaders. Finally, having acquired these skills and experiences, I "know what I don't know" and can seek guidance as necessary.
If elected, I will utilize these current proficiencies, and I am therefore uniquely qualified for this role.
Are there any DA organizational or practical issues (not political goals) that you would like to address should you be elected?
Organizational priorities and practical issues that I wish to be addressed fall into two distinct categories:
1. Those I would presume ownership over as DPCA International Secretary:
-Equitable rotating meeting times for the DPCA Executive Committee, of which there is a template calendar on my website
-With Executive Committee approval, the appointment of three Deputy International Secretaries. The aim is to have one Deputy each from the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and EMEA Regions.
-The initiation of a DPCA Secretary Wiki space as a repository for Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, resource templates, etc.
-A DA Global Secretaries Forum to provide robust support for Secretary positions organization-wide.
2. Those I support and would enthusiastically collaborate in the formative discussions of, without necessarily being sole proprietor:
-The creation of a DA Global Training Committee, composed of persons with knowledge bases in GOTV, Volunteer Engagement, Fundraising, IT, Communications, etc. Having a Global Training Committee as a resource would enhance DA training and skill-building.
-The development of a DA Organization Map for ease of visualization of our structure by members.
-Wider resource availability e.g. information in multiple languages including ASL, Closed Captioning.
-The development of a DA Alumni Forum and/or website space.
How can Democrats Abroad best raise our profile among American voters abroad and better work to elect Democrats?
Democrats Abroad voters are increasingly cognizant of their ability to make an impact as the "margin of victory" for elections. DA outreach has been pivotal in voter awareness, education, advocacy, and support. It is essential to galvanize our party and organization through expansive preparation, planning, training, and skill-building.
To the credit of Democratic voters, the provocation of a second Trump administration has been eliminated. We must remain especially keen to any and every opportunity to expand and support the abroad vote through perpetual voter education and outreach. This includes counteracting rebound voter suppression efforts.
DA will broaden our visibility through embracing the intersectionality of seasoned leadership and new faces and ideas, as well as through emphasizing the fundamental organizing power of our relationships with one another. Additionally, we must be intentional with implementation so that events and initiatives are open/accessible to everyone committed to Democratic Party ideals and values.
Endorsement from John Baumlin, Chair - Democrats Abroad Japan & Asia Pacific 2020 Convention
Delegate
We are out here to raise the voices of American voices overseas, and I firmly believe
there are few people more talented at listening to those voices than Beth Landry. Beth
has a seemingly pre-natural ability that's hard to describe.
First, they listen.
Then, they think about what was said.
Then they come back with the most unexpected, thoughtful, and well-constructed
feedback an experienced leader can give.
If you have ever been in a meeting with Beth, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It
will surprise you every single time it happens. When you stop, and listen, you know that
every word spoken was deeply considered and reflected on. Any Executive Committee is
going to benefit from this superpower.
What I look for in the International Secretary is someone who promotes transparency.
Someone who can communicate concerns about a process working well or not working
at all. Someone who can manage conflict. Someone who can nurture out-of-the-box
ideas and train others in well-tested political stratagems. Beth Landry is and has always
been that person in my experience. As Democrats Abroad explodes in size, the questions
Beth raises are always beneficial ones - about how do we best invest in our volunteers
and how do we empower them.
International Secretary Landry will not cast a wide net and hope for the best - they will
act on skill-building our volunteers and creating assets for your Country Committees, as
they did for Japan and so many others already.
Endorsement from Alex Lange, Chair Democrats Abroad Sweden
On March 5, 2019 the Chapter Chair for Skåne sent me a note letting me know of a new member in Malmö who had some experience with NationBuilder and could help the local team. I had no idea what a big deal this would turn out to be for Democrats Abroad Sweden and all of Democrats Abroad, because that member was Beth Landry.
Just a month later Beth was running for Sweden Vice Chair, and by our annual meeting on May 4 we were heading full tilt into the 2020 election. Beth took the lead organizing the Global Presidential Primary voting centers in Sweden and later our phonebanking as we pivoted away from our GOTV plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They then became Deputy RVC – EMEA, which is how many of you know them.
In each of these roles, Beth has shown a remarkable level of commitment and attention to detail, coupled with a structured approach that simply makes everything better. Thanks to already being proficient in a wide range of tools and their experienced organizer’s mindset, Beth ensures that every task they work on succeeds far beyond expectations, and then they even make sure to figure out how to improve further through rigorous documentation and analysis.
Now Beth is running for International Secretary, a role in which I know they will be a tremendous asset to all of Democrats Abroad. It is with great excitement that I endorse their candidacy for International Secretary
Endorsement from Merrill Oates, Chair - Democrats Abroad Hungary; Deputy Chair, DA IT Team; WebEx Team Lead; Previous CallHub Team Lead; Former EMEA Regional Vice-Chair (2013-2017)
I am very glad to be able to endorse and encourage your vote for Beth Landry as our next International Secretary.
Beth Landry is reliable, consistent, considerate, dedicated, data-focused, tolerant, and hard working.
I have had the privilege of working closely with Beth on almost a daily basis since they participated in a WebEx Host training back in 2019 and shortly thereafter joined the DA WebEx Team where Beth has improved our training resources and handled the majority of user support issues.
Beth led in designing and drafting our new Level 2 DA WebEx Host training materials – which incorporate the newest suite of features available in the WebEx service.
On a personal level, I have seen Beth’s commitment to the organization and to the Democratic Cause. Their tolerance, respect for diversity, good will, genuine concern for the disenfranchised, and a willingness to stand up for those who have been excluded guides their interaction with fellow DA members on a day-to-day basis.
Beth has a passion for orderly planning and preparation as well as skills in documenting, organizing, and tracking achievements and outcomes that will directly benefit the organization. They are a whiz with Google Apps and have demonstrated skills in collecting, managing, and sharing information through reports and data analysis that help us better understand how we are doing as an organization.