Thank you to all who made it out to our February meeting! Here's a recap of the proceedings. You can also read the meeting minutes.

Please also join us at our March membership meeting on Monday, March 16, at 7 pm! At this meeting we'll be holding club elections for President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and two Director positions. As always, the meeting will be preceded by an Hour of Action, starting at 6 pm.

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Guest Speakers

Our first guest was City of Miami Beach Commissioner Micky Steinberg. 

She praised the club for its efforts to back Democratic candidates. She talked about the importance of supporting initiatives such as offering better nursing services in public schools to include mental and behavioral health. She announced that the new Convention Center hotel would be a Grand Hyatt. She also said the city was building tents for early voting to increase the number of privacy booths at City Hall. 

We also welcomed Melba Pearson, candidate for Miami-Dade State Attorney.

She talked about her four-pronged platform: Bail Reform, Juvenile Crime (stopping the tendency to place juveniles in the adult system), Accountability of elected officials and police officers, and Transparency.

Club Elections

Tim Johnson of the Nominating Committee explained the voting process to be followed at the Monday, March 16 meeting. Every candidate will be allowed to speak for 2 minutes to say something about themselves, why they are running for office, and any relevant experience they have. A candidate who is unsuccessful in his/her race will be able to enter the next race down, and continue until the last position is filled. Nominations will be accepted from the floor during the Monday, March 16 meeting.

In order to vote in board elections, you must have become a club member no later than our last meeting (which was in February). You can email Club Secretary Ileana Oroza ([email protected]) to confirm your membership status.

Reports

President Dan Royles reminded the members of the club's election on Monday, March 16, adding that anyone intending to run for office should become a member no later than Monday, February 24. He announced the new Communications Co-Chairs, Oliva Fernandez and Steve Hawes will take on Christopher Richmond’s job as Communication Chair

Secretary Ileana Oroza reported that the club had 165 paid members. Dues are just $25 for the year, and can be paid through our website!

Treasurer Patrick Breshike reported that, thanks to recent fundraising efforts, the club’s account was at an all-time high of $11,109! He also reported that the club’s first big advertising campaign of the year had generated 15,000 views and that 379 people had gone directly to the VR website from the ad.

Campaign Chair Matthew Land reported he was working on a series of conversations with Miami Beach public officials. There will be no guest speakers in March since the entire meeting will be dedicated to the club's election. State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle and Sen. Jason Pizzo will be the guests in April.

Fundraising Chair Victoria Villamil spoke of the upcoming fundraiser (March 1 at the Marseilles). She said the original $2,000 goal had been surpassed. The money will be used to buy digital ads to drive the vote in the fall.

Neighborhood and Building Organizer Janis Good encouraged members to contact Democrats in their building to remind them to participate in the upcoming primaries on Tuesday, March 17.

Outreach Chair Amanda Knapp could not attend the meeting. Members are encouraged to come to the club's Days of Action from noon to 3 pm on the second Saturday of each month at the Hôtel Gaythering (1409 Lincoln Rd).

Program Chair Bill Warren reported on the Pride Parade scheduled for April 5 and reminded everyone that it was important to sign up, as participation is limited to 100 people. He said the club would be registering voters during the parade as well as gathering petitions for Daniella Levine-Cava.

Voter Registration Chair Honey Bernstein reported that the DEC was offering an incentive ($100/month) to any club that can register 50 people and sign-up 40 people to vote by mail. She shared that we had a very successful sign-up effort in February and that the club would be registering voters at the upcoming Diana Ross concert and at the New World Center Park every Wednesday.

Next Meeting

Please join us next week at our March membership meeting on Monday, March 16, at 7 pm. At this meeting we'll be holding club elections for President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and two Director positions. As always, the meeting will be preceded by an Hour of Action, starting at 6 pm.