Message to the Caucus from Carole Brand, Chair, Nominations Committee
District 18 Caucus Nominating Committee (Carole Brand, chair; Marilyn Bracken, Bernice Mills, Jon Fleming, Ann Statland, members) presents the slate of officers and board members for 2008-2009. Nominations were open to all members of the Caucus from March 29 through April 15, 2008.
The Slate to be voted on at the May 18th Caucus Meeting:
Chair-Dee Schofield
Vice-Chair: Vic Weissberg
Secretary: Mike Benefiel
Treasurer: John Cunningham
Board Members: Jon Fleming, Ann Statland, Carmen Vincent
A bit of information about each candidate:
Dee Schofield: I have been an active Caucus member for more than 25 years. I have held a variety of Caucus offices, and most recently have served as treasurer (2006-07) and vice chair (2007-08). I’ve been a Democratic precinct vice chair, chair, coordinator, member of the Maryland State Democratic Central Committee, and non-voting member of MCDCC. I currently serve on the MCDCC Issues Committee. In 2002, I successfully petitioned the Maryland State Court of Appeals to overturn the gerrymander of District 18, which would have moved large parts of Chevy Chase and Silver Spring into District 20 and radically altered the identity of our district. I am very proud that District 18 has one of the best organized and most active Democratic Caucuses in the state, and it would be an honor to be your chair.
Vic Weissberg has been active in Maryland and Montgomery County Democratic political and community organizations for more than 30 years, including a stint on the District 18 Democratic Caucus Board in the 1980's, in addition to currently serving as the Caucus Treasurer. Vic is a current member of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, representing District 18 and of the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board. Professionally, he was appointed by President Clinton to several posts at the US Department of Transportation, was the federal affairs officer at the Maryland Transit Administration, and currently works at the Prince George's County Department of Public Works and Transportation. Vic is married to Karen Welter and they have a two year old Schnoodle named Stella.
Mike Benefiel, chair of precinct 13-31 [Oakland Terrace ES], has lived in Montgomery County since 1977. President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the career foreign service in 1978. He and his family served overseas in Germany, Japan, India, and Israel before he retired in 2000. Active at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church, Mike also owns Persuasive Information, a consulting firm that does leadership coaching, organizational development, and team building for nonprofits in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. Married to Elizabeth since 1974, their children are Anna, Rebecca, and David.
John Cunningham is an Area Coordinator and the current Secretary of the Caucus. Before serving as Area Coordinator, John was vice-precinct chair in precinct 13-44 (Wheaton Community Center). John works at the Environmental Protection Agency, where he is a manager in the information technology group in the Superfund toxic dump cleanup program. He also has managed EPA’s oil spill cleanup and Superfund regional programs. In addition to work and his activities in District 18, John sings tenor in the choir of Grace Episcopal Church in Alexandria and its choral society. He is also a member of Watson’s Tin Box of Ellicott City, a group dedicated to the Sherlock Holmes stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. John lives in Silver Spring with his son, Jacob, who is a student at the University of Maryland, College Park majoring in Emergency Management.
Jon Fleming -- I have been chair of precinct 7-05 since early 2004, when our precinct raised nearly $4,000 for Dollars for Democrats by hand-delivering envelopes to every Democratic household in 7-05. We have continued this tradition in every dollars campaign since. This door-to-door effort reflects my belief that our party does best by contacting as many individual voters and donors as possible. I have served on the board of the caucus and am seeking a second term. I am committed to working in the District 18 Caucus for constant efforts to enroll new voters, to make places for newcomers in our party structure, and to assure a replenishing of new blood in our Montgomery County Democratic Party. Success can make us complacent. I will work to guard against complacency.
Ann Statland: Several weeks ago I was asked to join the District 18 Caucus Board to replace Al Carr, who is very ably representing D-18 in the State Legislature. I ask for your vote so I may return to the Board for a full term. I am a "native Washingtonian", a resident of Montgomery County, Md. and a registered Democrat in Montgomery County since 1972. I've been an Election Judge, an Election Judge recruiter, a Precinct Vice-Chair, a Precinct-Chair and an Area Coordinator. Ive been a member of the D-18 Caucus for several years and have throughly enjoyed participating in the Dollars Drives, the Candidates Forums, the Picnics, and the general meetings. I believe the D-18 is "alive and well" and will be an integral part of Montgomery county politics for years to come. I hope to a contributing member. Thanks for your consideration. Ann Statland (301) 949-1058
Carmen Vincent: I was born in northern Minnesota and raised a Democrat with strong populist leanings by parents with a predilection for social justice. I lived in northern Minnesota, Minneapolis, and Canada (Winnipeg) before moving to Maryland in 1979. It was my late husband John who got me to involved in politics, and to my surprise I found out I enjoy the "retail" end of it, particularly meeting and talking with voters. For several years I was the precinct vice-chair of 13-25. Now I am an area coordinator for District 18. Over the next year, in addition to organizing work on the campaigns, I would like to work on helping precinct officials to use database resources more to their advantage, for example to create voter contact lists and calling lists. Some of the issues that are dear to my heart are literacy, public safety (safer streets, safer neighborhoods), health care, housing, and the environment. I would feel most honored to serve you as a caucus board member.
