Elect Alexis Melvin as the Houston GLBT Political Caucus President!
I’ve worked with Alexis for many years. She was doing trans advocacy with Lee Brewster years before Stonewall and she wants to bring that experience to the Houston GLBT Political Caucus. Most importantly, I’ve watched her turn around queer nonprofits and this is exactly what the Caucus needs now… more than ever!
While I personally like Mike Webb, I’ve served with him a couple of years ago on Houston’s HIV Community Prevention Group and the reality is that they just disappeared. My personal experience with Mike is that they’re a very well-intentioned guy with a big heart who is great when they’re on but is totally unreachable when they’re not.
If you’ve been involved with the Caucus, you know what the organization is like when folks just don’t do their jobs. Of all years, 2018 is the year we NEED the Caucus to be firing on all cylinders. In the upcoming 2018 elections, the Caucus needs the steady hand of experience. Good intentions just won’t get us there this year.
Check out Alexis’ election announcement below:
This Wednesday, January 3, 2018, I am running for President of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus!
If you are a caucus member and eligible to vote in the January 3rd board elections, I would like your vote. Please vote for Alexis Melvin for Houston GLBT Political Caucus President!
Currently, the Houston GLBT Political Caucus (The Caucus) and the Houston GLBT Political Caucus PAC (The PAC) are financially sound, have fully functional technical systems, and can now identify our list of paid members. We have demonstrated our ability to consistently run fundraising events that sell out, have implemented a sustainable financial model, and have a mailing list that is in better shape than it has been in for many years. Additionally, we have been able to target voters as never before, have increased our membership significantly, and are positioned to be able to expand our reach and influence geographically as well as within our current core geographic area so that we can provide even more value to our members and endorsed candidates.
This progress was achieved through the collaborative efforts of dedicated volunteers and many of our board members. If we are to continue to move forward, we will need leadership that is not afraid of collaboration or unwilling to give credit where it is due.
Saying that you want to expand and move forward is one thing. Knowing how to do it and having done it is a very different thing. I know how to make this happen, have done it before, and have been working to get The Caucus into a position so that we can successfully move to our next level. My experience includes:
- Close to 50 years of working for equality, civil rights, inclusiveness, and fairness for everyone.
- Successfully stabilized, reinvigorated, and expanded multiple for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
- Current President Transgender Foundation of America.
- Former Chair of Houston Transgender Unity Committee.
- Taught at SMU, San Jacinto College, and several community colleges.
- Advisor to various Secretaries of Commerce from 2000-2009.
- Facilitated over 35 successful charitable fundraising events in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Orlando, and Los Angeles.
- Bipartisan political experience.
- Have served on 20+ Board of Directors/Trustees.
Though I could have spent much of last month building and distributing “Vote for Me” documents, my priorities are focused on doing the things that our organization needs first. For instance, during December, some of the things I did for the Caucus and PAC were:
- Created the Congressional screening questionnaire.
- Reworked all screening questionnaires into fillable PDFs and tested them.
- Updated our website with the downloadable screening questionnaires.
- As membership co-chair, I moved verifiable paid membership to over 400.
- Developed and presented a “Screener” version of the Screening Orientation training.
- As Screening Subcommittee chair for Congressional, State Wide Administrative, and County Administrative races; invited 117 candidates to screen with the caucus for our endorsement.
- Worked hard to make the Holliday Party a success.
- Responded to over 135 requests for information from members, candidates, other board members, and members of the general public.
As we move into the new year, I believe that the 2018 elections will be more critical to the future of our country than any of the other I remember. Considering the current state of our government, it is evident that the upcoming mid-term elections are vital if we want to stop the backslide on equality, human rights, and racial justice.
Please vote for me for President of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus, Wednesday, January 3, 2018. Doors open at 6:30 pm at the Montrose Center.
Thank You,
Alexis Melvin
At their emergency board meeting, the caucus board decided that candidates for caucus president were not going to be given the caucus membership list to use for campaigning, so please forward and share this message with anyone who might be a caucus member (or interested in becoming one).
To join The Caucus or renew your membership, please click this link and select your choice of membership: http://www.thecaucus.org/membership-links/
Note: To vote in the January 3, 2018 election, The Caucus bi-laws require that new members or members renewing after over 365 days absence purchase their membership before midnight December 6, 2017. To vote at the February 3 endorsement meeting new members or those renewing after over 365 days absence must have purchased their membership by the end of day January 4, 2018. Any membership that has expired less than 365 days is immediately reinstated when renewed.
H/T: Cara 😉
Tags: GLBT Houston