LD2 News – Two Big Events this Weekend

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR NEW CHAIR

Dear Team,

Thank you for this opportunity to serve as your next LD2 Chair. This is a tremendous honor and I look forward to all we’ll achieve together.

A little bit about me…I grew up in the Valley of the Sun (fun fact: I graduated high school with Julie Gunnigle). I’m a lifelong Democrat who is curious, competitive, and collaborative.

I am a Talent Optimization Consultant for a company called Lever Talent. We work with organizations, like the Unit ed States Airforce, on team dynamics and leadership development. Let’s please get LinkedIn!

My whole purpose in serving as a PC surrounds the future of my son, Jack. My husband Snehal and I are big believers in the public school system and there is nothing we value more than education.

I want to thank my mentor Janet Wilson for nominating me for this position; these are big shoes to fill. Thank you, Janet, for being our LD Champion and role model.

And finally, the road ahead…

With our powers combined, we will achieve greatness.

We must expand our PC community, engage high schoolers to prepare for their first election, build a pipeline of inspiring candidates, increase voter registration, and capitalize on the brand-new CHIP plant in our backyard which will employ 10,000 new neighbors. This off-year is our time to outpace the competition. And I have no doubt in my mind – we will!

Here we grow!

Meg

TWO IMPORTANT EVENTS

LD2 Holiday Party

This is one last friendly reminder about our LD2 Holiday Party happening on December 9 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. A special thank you to PC Ron Owen & his husband Peter Rosenberg, who have graciously opened up their home for the festivities. And many thanks to Diane Feldman Schoen who has pulled an incredible evening together for us.

Please bring a dessert to share at the party. Try your hand at our inaugural LD2 Trivia Contest. We will be inviting several electeds so you never know who will appear.

If you have not RSVP’d by now, please text Diane Feldman Schoen at 602-616-8675.

MCDP’s 2022 Annual Winter Convention

Winter is coming! Yes, the Winter Convention is upon us. Please be sure to attend this important event taking place on Saturday, December 10 at 10:00 AM via Zoom.

The event will include the election of the new board consisting of Chair, First and Second Vice-Chairs, Secretary, and Treasurer. You must be present to vote (no proxies). Please check out the MCDP Board Cand idate bios!

Check out the LD2 website to register. Questions? Please email info@maricopadems.org.

LD2 REORGANIZATION

The LD2 Biennial Elections took place on Wednesday, Nov 30.

Here is your newly elected and appointed Executive Board:

Meg Patel, Chair
Janet Wilson, 1st Vice Chair
Janet Johnson, 2nd Vice Chair
Craig Beckman, Secretary
Truly Bone, Treasurer
Chris Gehlker, Dems Give Back VC
Eric Shelley, Data Analysis & PC Education VC
Whit Johnson, Digital Resources VC

We would like to congratulate all the new and continuing State Committee Members.

Future newsletters will feature PC and LD2 leadership spotlights! So, you’ll have a chance to learn a little bit about the executive board members as well as your fellow PCs.

Related to PC Spotlights, our first one will feature Rivko Knox! It’s difficult to imagine this LD2 leadership team without Rivko serving as Secretary, but her leadership and legacy will continue to shape this LD.

Thank you, Rivko, for all you’ve done to preserve and protect our precious democracy in Arizona.

Stay tuned for next week’s Newsletter for this inaugural PC spotlight!

DONATE YOUR TIME AND MONEY HERE

Consider donating your time, talents, and/or money to organizations.

Jeanne Casteen made us aware of an opportunity to donate to an organization that works to ensure a separate of church and state in AZ. Visit the Secular Coalition for AZ at www.secularaz.org

Become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for foster children. A friend of mine is a CASA volunteer who has found this work very rewarding. Visit www.azcourts.gov/CASA

NEW LD2 BUSINESS CARDS & NAME BADGES

We’ve received inquiries from some of our active volunteers who are not PCs but want to take advantage of this opportunity. By all means, please feel free to purchase these items and wear/use them proudly! We validate the information before sending them to the printer. You can order LD2 business cards at $30/box of 100 cards & name badges at $15/badge.

Please use this link to submit and pay for your order: http://azld2dems.org/order/

The turnaround is pretty quick.

If you have any issues with ordering them, please contact Whit at whit@azld2dems.org

DONATE TO LD2 AND WIN A GIFT CARD!

If you’re reading this newsletter, you know the importance of voting in all elections and understand the process. However, not all of our LD2 neighbors do, so one of the uses of our funds is for the purpose of creating literature and mailers to help educate the voters of LD2 about the importance of elections – especially down ballot local races. Consider becoming a recurring donor to LD2 and you will be automatically entered to win a gift card for your recurring donation!

Anyone can donate - you don’t have to live in LD2.

How about $20.23 for LD2 in 2023?

If you have any questions, please contact LD2 Treasurer Truly Bone at Treasurer@azld2dems.org

Easy-peasy with the button below!

MAKE A DONATION

STORAGE NEEDS

We will be organizing our LD2 storage unit at the end of the year. Some of the signs and materials can be used in a future election. If you have any of said materials you’d like to store, please text Meg at (602)741-2373 to coordinate a pick-up or drop-off.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Dec 9: LD2 Holiday Party, 5-9 PM

LD2 PC Ron Owen & husband Peter Rosenberg have graciously offered to host this year’s LD2 Holiday Party. Bring your dessert to share. Beverages and food provided. Bring a friend. Try your hand at the inaugural LD2 Trivia Contest. Let Diane Feldman Schoen know you’re attending by texting her at: 602-616-8675.

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Dec 21: No LD2 Monthly Meeting

It’ll be really quiet at the PVCC Conference Center – no meeting in December. Happy Holidays!

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Jan 27: Hall of Fame Dinner, Time TBD

Hold the date! It should be a fun dinner having won the top two seats.

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Jan 28: ADP Biennial Reorganization Meeting, Time TBD

Hold the date! Elected State Committee persons will vote for the ADP Executive Board. Make sure you participate in this as they will need a quorum.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD

Paradise Valley USD – District Administrative Center / 15002 N 32^nd St; Phoenix – Typically the first and third Thursday of the month. Governing Board | Paradise Valley Unified School District (pvschools.net)

Deer Valley USD – 20402 N 15^th Ave; Phoenix – Typically the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Governing Board / Governing Board (dvusd.org)

Glendale Union High School District – 7650 N 43^rd Ave; Glendale – Typically the first and third Wednesday of the month. Meeting Dates 2021-2022 - GUHSD (guhsdaz.org)

Washington Elementary School District – 4650 W Sweetwater Ave; Glendale – Typically the second and fourth Thursday of the month. In-person seating will be limited to 40 people. Meetings are live streamed.

Governing Board / Governing Board Meeting Schedule (wesdschools.org)

A recurring monthly donation of $5, $10, or more to AZ LD2 Democrats will go a long way toward helping us finish the job of turning Arizona blue!

MAKE A DONATION