CYD Candidate Questionnaire
CANDIDATE INFORMATION
1. Name as it will appear on the ballot: First Name Middle Initial or Nick Name Julie A. 2. 3. 4. 5. Last Name Lind
Office Sought: Political Director Are you the incumbent? Yes No X Are you a Voting Member in Good Standing of SFYD? Yes X No How many years have you been a member of SFYD or other YD Chapters? SFYD – 2 years Silicon Valley Young Dems – 6 years 5. Contact Information: Home Address: Campaign Phone: Campaign Email: Campaign Website:
juliealind@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
Senior District Rep – Professional Office of Senator Ellen Corbett Senior Field Rep – Professional Office of Asm. Rebecca Cohn CBAY Director Elected President – Silicon Elected Valley Young Dems Political Director – Elected Silicon Valley Young Dems Membership Director – Elected Silicon Valley Young Dems QUESTIONNAIRE
Dec. 2006 Present January 2004 – Dec. 2006 Dec.2007 – Present June 2007 Present June 2006June 2007 June 2005June 2006
1) Why are you running, and what makes you qualified for this position?
2008 was an historic election for many reasons. Not just because we elected the first African American President, but because of how it affected young people. We have been the margin of victory in countless elections for some time, but last year the Country finally started to take notice. Young people turned out in record numbers for Barack Obama – as campaign staffers, volunteers, fundraisers, and as an informed and engaged voting block. A lot of that had to do with how Obama ran his campaign, and the importance he placed on people like us. He came to us where we lived – he reached us through text messaging, online communities, email, on campuses through Students for Barack Obama, but most importantly by utilizing the tried and true CYD method of peer to peer organizing. He had young people talk to young people, with youth volunteers targeting youth voters to make sure that they understood the power they wielded, that they knew the facts, and that they knew not only that they’d be heard, but that they mattered. That is why I’m running for CYD Political Director. I am qualified to be the CYD Political Director because I have the vision, the education, the track record, the experience and the drive to take our organization to the next level
CYD Candidate Questionnaire
politically. As we continue in 2009 and gear up for the statewide elections in 2010, it is important to keep the momentum going that we created in 2008. CYD is the premier organization for young democrats in California, and it is a priority for me to make us as strong as possible. A big part of that is continuing to strengthen our infrastructure, something I have a lot of experience with. I have been active in my local chapter for the past six years, and in leadership for the past four. As the Membership Director, I worked to more than triple the membership of the organization. As Political Director, I created the endorsement and outreach process that made us one of the most sought after endorsements in the county. As President, I spearheaded the fundraising drive the earned us over $15,000 last year, organized the Convention party, continued building and maintaining strong relationships for our organization with local electeds and other groups, and ensured that our group remained politically relevant. As CBAY Director, I have overseen chapter clinics for CBAY chapters who needed some outside help addressing chapter issues, organized campaign invasions for Jerry McNerney and Joan Buchanan, held CBAY candidate forums in 2008 and 2009, assisted clubs in getting notable speakers for events, helped chapters through chartering, and assisted chapters in fundraising. We have many new clubs this year, and we need to make sure to invest in them and help them develop. Further, we must help them connect with the more established clubs in the area, creating a dialogue that will strengthen not only those chapters, but which will set a precedent for better communication throughout the organization as a whole. We also need to give more tools to our chapters to help them be successful. I am committed to bringing resources to clubs up and down the state, working with the other executive board members to create workshops for our members on such topics as fundraising, peer to peer organizing, and the ins and outs of running a successful campaign. I met many incredible people and learned a lot during my year as a member of the Emerge political training program, which I am looking forward to bringing to CYD. Further, we must continue our legislative advocacy, organizing behind issues and pieces of legislation that are important to us. As a legislative staffer for over five years, I am uniquely poised to facilitate that effectively. I plan for us to be in frequent communication with the state party and with legislative leadership, ensuring that they know where we stand. We will establish more frequent lobbying visits, but take them to the next step – having our members testify in committees when our bills come up for hearing. We will also continue the calls and letter writing campaigns we have done in the past, but make that process more targeted and formal. Finally, we will keep working hard toward such fundamental issues as marriage equality, access to quality higher educations, reproductive rights, and the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.
CYD Candidate Questionnaire
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 main challenge facing CYD in the context of this position is getting the young voters who got engaged during the Presidential election to stay engaged during the coming months and years. Some work has already been done on that front, with our college chapters being very welcoming and encouraging SFBO chapters to fold in to their organizations. Some specific things I plan to do to help our members continue to be active are the aforementioned political training workshops, activities surrounding legislative advocacy, helping chapters organize campaign invasions around local races of importance to them, working with chapters to establish individual endorsement processes and activities to support those endorsements, and remaining in frequent contact with chapter leaders so that they know of various opportunities for action throughout our organization and the greater party structure.
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?
Two challenges facing young people in the context of CYD Political Director are the constant struggle to be taken seriously by older generations, and the fight to be seen as not only leaders of the future, but leaders of the present. Both of those issues can be addressed by carrying out the plans I have delineated for this office already, as taking those steps will heighten the professionalism of our organization, strengthen our chapters and make them more effective in their areas as well as statewide, highlight our local leaders and activists, and go a long way toward establishing CYD as a powerhouse of advocacy and activism in California with a reputation for excellence that stretches beyond the borders of our state.
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?
Please see question 2.
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.
A lot of the different things I have done, though relatively small, have a ripple effect on young people as a whole. When I became a member of the Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee in 2004, I was one of only two delegates under the age of
CYD Candidate Questionnaire
30. In my Emerge program last year, I was the only program member under 30 out of a class of 26. On the Hayward Human Services Commission, I am the only person under the age of 40. Every time a young person breaks that glass ceiling and enters into a network, program or group that had previously lacked a youth presence, it makes it a little easier for the next person that gives it a shot. Something I have done that is more specific involves the past two years that I have spent as a mentor in the Cal Hills “Out to Lunch” program. Cal Hills is the City of Milpitas’ Continuation High School, and many of the students there have had some unique challenges in their lives. The “Out to Lunch” Club program matches community leaders with some of the most at-risk youth, giving them someone to talk to and work with outside of the school and family structures. I was a mentor last school year, and am a mentor this year as well. Both of the young ladies that I mentored were/will be the first in their family to graduate from high school. Stephanie, the girl I mentored last year, is at Mission College now. She will be there first one in her family to attain a college degree. We talked about a range of issues each time we met, with her sharing with me some of the issues her family faced, some of the difficulties she was enduring at school, and her uncertainties about her future. We worked through them together, sometimes with the school counselor, and she seemed genuinely happy to have another adult in her life that was there just for her. Tiffany, the young lady I am mentoring this year, is facing a lot of the same hurdles Stephanie faced. We have met with the counselor, I have tutored her a couple times in English Lit., and we are touring the local beauty school next month. She wants to be a cosmetologist. She is on track to graduate in June, and we are both very excited.
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.
POLITICAL/PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND - CYD Bay Area (CBAY) Regional Director – December 2007 to Present
CYD Candidate Questionnaire
President of the Silicon Valley Young Democrats (CYD Club of the Year for 2008) – June 2007 to Present. Prior to that also served a year as Membership Director and a year as Political Director Senior District Representative to State Senator Ellen Corbett – Dec. 2006 to Present Senior District Representative to Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn – Jan. 2004 to Dec. 2006 Paid intern to Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren – October 2002 – June 2003 Emerge CA Alumna – Class of 2008 Board Member of Democratic Activists for Women Now (Only Democratic Women’s Club in Santa Clara County) – 2004 to Present Member of the Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee – 2004 to Present Member of the California State Democratic Central Committee – 2005 to Present Member of the City of Hayward Human Services Commission – June 2008 to Present Mentor – Cal Hills High School “Out to Lunch” Club – 2007 to Present Volunteered on many different campaigns, including Obama for President, McNerney for Congress, Hannah-Beth Jackson for Senate and Joan Buchanan for Assembly during 2008, as well as on several local races in the Santa Clara County Area
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EDUCATION - Bachelor’s Degree in English – San Jose State – May 2003 - Master’s Degree in Public Administration – San Jose State – May 2007
As I stated earlier, I am qualified to be the CYD Political Director because I have the vision, the education, the track record, the experience and the drive to take our organization to the next level politically. I have been a chapter leader, a party leader, a CYD leader, and a community leader. I can build a chapter, enrich a region, grow a local party, and shape a young life. I have a long history of political engagement and activism, and have made a lot of great connections along the way. I am really passionate about my goals for this position, and I really hope you’ll give me the opportunity to carry them out.