CYD Candidate Questionnaire
CANDIDATE INFORMATION
1. Name as it will appear on the ballot: First Name Middle Initial or Nick Name Dante A Last Name Atkins
2. Office Sought: CYD Parliamentarian 3. Are you the incumbent? Yes No 4. Are you a Voting Member in Good Standing of SFYD? Yes No 5. How many years have you been a member of SFYD or other YD Chapters? I have been a member of Los Angeles County Young Democrats since 2005, and have served as Vice-President and Political Director of that organization. 5. Contact Information: Home Address: Campaign Phone: Campaign Email: Campaign Website:
hekebolos@gmail.com n/a
CYD Candidate Questionnaire
POLITICAL BACKGROUND
Beginning with the most recent position, please list previous leadership and elected roles in the Young Democrats and other relevant Political or Leadership Organizations. Office/Role Elective/Appointive? Dates Held Leadership Role (if any)
Political Director, Elective LACYD VP of Communications, Elective LACYD Delegate to the Elective California Democratic Party QUESTIONNAIRE
12/21/08present 12/15/0712/21/08 1/15/2007present
Elected Executive Board Position Elected Executive Board Position Appointed to CDP Platform Committee
1) Why are you running, and what makes you qualified for this position? I am running for Parliamentarian to encourage (and manage!) the rapid growth that CYD has experienced in the past few years and to help CYD take the next step in its mission to become an unparalleled political force in youth political activism. I feel that I am the most qualified candidate for the position of Parliamentarian, as I have expensive experience with bylaws committees: I have worked extensively with California Democratic Party Rules Committee Chair Garry Shay to write important changes to the CDP bylaws, and I also currently serve on the bylaws committee of the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley. I am very familiar with parliamentary procedure and am committed to the highest standards of impartiality in all parliamentary procedures and rulings. 2) What are the main challenges facing the California Young Democrats as an organization in the context of this position? How will you address those issues if elected? If you are the incumbent, please list at least three concrete accomplishments in the office. The parliamentarian’s most challenging task is that of chartering, both in terms of assisting with the formation of new organizations and renewing the charters of existing ones in a timely manner. As the number of chapters continues to increase, it will become increasingly necessary for the Parliamentarian to have a committee that assists him or her with all aspects of chartering, and I intend to help develop this if elected so that all information can be provided to other board members and to the general public in a timely manner. Furthermore, the webpage of the California Young Democrats should have instructions for chapter formation and renewal more prominently displayed on its website. I commit to making sure that the next redesign of the CYD webpage includes this functionality to help streamline the process of chartering and ease the burden placed on the position. 3) Identify two challenges facing young people in the context of the position you seek? What specific commitment will you make to address these issues if elected? 1) Initial organization. Getting a new chapter off the ground is an involved procedure, and CYD must commit to facilitating the process, perhaps in the manner described in my
CYD Candidate Questionnaire
response to Question 2 above, or through other means such as actual visits to high schools and colleges to assist with initial chapter formation. To name one example, new organizations are required to furnish a set of bylaws to be considered for chartering, but writing and customizing a set of bylaws is no easy task, and this and other tasks should be made easier for those with little to no experience with these types of procedures. 2) Continuity. This is especially important for recently-formed campus YD organizations that need to make sure that the club survives beyond the group of committed individuals who founded it, and the Parliamentarian must make every effort to ensure that the organizational structure of such chapters is built in such a way that it encourages renewal rather than the possibility of an abrupt termination. However, continuity is also important in two other transitions: the transition from campus club to a non-campus local chapter, as well as the potential transition from the local chapters to the local and state parties. CYD members and chartered clubs are an invaluable source of new blood and “fresh horses” for the state and local party, and it is imperative for CYD to nourish the development of young Democrats and assist them with getting involved at all levels of the Democratic Party. As an active member of the California Democratic Party and the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, I have seen the dearth of young Democrats at many state and local party functions, and I have many ideas for developing a stronger connection between YD clubs and their local Democratic Party organizations. 4) If elected, what ideas and commitments would you put forward to engage more of California’s, and San Francisco’s, young people in the political process? What specifically would you do? As Political Director of LACYD, I invited current Parliamentarian Nick Caston to join me to host a training session in Los Angeles on how to run to be a delegate to the California Democratic Party. Around 50 young Democrats participated in the training session, many of whom are now first-time delegates to the party and will be attending their first convention this month in Sacramento. As parliamentarian, I commit to scheduling similar training sessions in every region of the state, including San Francisco, as well as providing any other assistance to train, motivate and inspire young voters to become more engaged throughout the State of California. 5) Please describe in sufficient detail at least one of your accomplishments that has improved the lives of young people. These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities which apply to the office you are seeking. These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life. In addition to all the activities mentioned above, I am also on the Advisory Board of an organization called the New Leaders Council, Los Angeles Chapter, which organizes a series of seminars designed to train young progressives to become leaders in their fields. The training includes fields such as public speaking, fundraising, campaign management, and building a media strategy. I have been involved in all aspects of this program, from selecting the fellows to planning the events to recruiting the speakers. The seminars have gotten outstanding reviews despite our shoestring budget. I feel that the success of NLC is a testament to the commitment I have toward ensuring that young people become the leaders of today, as well as evidence of my flexibility and a multifaceted skill set that will serve me well as CYD Parliamentarian.
CYD Candidate Questionnaire
EXPERIENCE
Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills relevant to the office you are seeking. Include your roles in the activities and when you were involved. Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life. Please explain how your experiences would make you an effective advocate for young people as a CYD office holder. The previous involvement I have mentioned in party activities with both the California Democratic Party and with the Los Angeles County Young Democrats, specifically my efforts to train young people on how to become involved with the party, are perhaps my most relevant activities—especially my work with bylaws, which is directly relevant to the office of Parliamentarian. In addition, however, I have also delivered several lectures at Community Colleges in my area about the values, positions and structure of the Democratic Party. I am committed to educating young people about the benefits of citizen activism. I also tutor several high school students, and turned their interest in Obama into activism, both in the campaign office and on their school campuses. In short, I am dedicated to improving the lives of young people in California through my activism with CYD and the Democratic Party, and I hope to continue that as CYD Parliamentarian.