Diversity needed on Male-&-Pale Committee Revising Plan of Organization

Mostly old, white guys.

That describes the 17-member committee selected to revise the NCDP Plan of Organization under former state Democratic party chairman David Young. Of course, Young appointed his recruiter and predecessor, Jerry Meek, to the committee and he's one of the younger white guys.

Ann Newman of Mecklenburg County initially raised concerns about the committee's gender imbalance during the State Executive Committee meeting on Jan. 29th. Our research shows Newman is right.  There most definitely is a lack of women as well as minorities and younger democrats among the committee members revising the Plan of Organization.

Newly elected NCDP Chair David Parker is strongly urged to review this disproportionately "male-and-pale" committee and to make immediate changes to right the demographic imbalance. Unlike the GOP, democrats are a diverse team.

By replacing several members with more women, more minorities and more youthful members, the new NCDP leadership team can show it supports balanced racial, gender and age representation in its top level projects and committees. These replacement changes should accurately reflect the state's population of registered democrats.

These are the results:

• Five out of six members are White 

RACE of 17 members

82% White (14)

18% African-American (3)

• Three out of four members are Male

GENDER of 17 members

24% Female (4)

76% Male (13) 

• Committee members average age is 52; Five out of six members are between the ages of 52 and 77

GENDER of 17 members

18% age 25-49 (3)

82% age 50-77 (14) 

Demographic research of the NCDP Plan of Organization Revisions Committee's individual members are detailed below and include race, gender, age, city of residence and profession where available. NC Voter registrations confirm much of this information. 

These are the members recently chosen by the previous state party executive council to revise the NC Plan of Organization:

• District 1    -  Betsy Leech - White, Female, age 60, Greenville
• District 2    -  George Greene - African-American, Male, age 53, Raleigh (Teacher) 
• District 3    -  Chris Hardee, chair - White, Male, age 39, Manteo (Realty broker)
• District 4    -  Matt Hughes - White, Male, age 22, Hillsborough (University student, teaching fellow)
• District 5    -  Charlie Wallin - White, Male, age 37, Boone (University employee)
• District 6    -  Richard O'Brien - White, Male, age 50s - 60s, Franklinville 
• District 7    -  Don Simmons - White, Male, age 74, Erwin 
• District 8    -  Tom Macon - White, Male, age 63, Fayetteville (Education mmgt.)
• District 9    -  Kenneth Baker, chair - White, Male, age 50s, Waxhaw (Physician)
• District 10  -  Cliff Moone - White, Male, age 61, Hickory, (Education manager)
• District 11  -  TBD
• District 12  -  Bernita Sims, chair - African-American, Female, age 59, High Point (Realty & former Councilwoman)
• District 13  -  Mary Alice Simmons, chair - White, Female, age 77, Raleigh (Retired Secretary)
• Chair Appointed  -  Susan Oller - White, Female, age 67, Raleigh 
• Chair Appointed  -  Jerry Meek, former state chair - White, Male, age 40, Matthews  (Attorney)
• Chair Appointed  -  Eugene Weeks - African-American, Male, age 70, Raleigh Councilman
• Chair Appointed  -  James Stephenson - White, Male, age 52, Cary (Attorney)
• Parliamentarian   -  Stephen Gheene - White, Male, age 60, Durham (Attorney)

The days of backroom political favors are over. We need the best team working to revise the Plan of Organization and the less lawyers on the team, the fewer the loopholes. We need an easy-to-understand plan, written in simple, clear language that won't require a law degree to comprehend or apply.

Chair Parker, are you listening?

The new Chair's new to-do list

State Party Chair David Parker's to-do list just got a good deal longer after today's highly anticipated announcement by the Democratic National Committee awarding Charlotte, NC with the honor of hosting the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

But before the Chair can even begin to think about the national spotlight's focus on North Carolina in a presidential election year, Mr Parker will have to contend to some urgent housekeeping items long-overdue. Among them:

• Addressing the role of party infighting and division instigated by the faux-auxillary Progressive Democrats of North Carolina through actions violating the Plan of Organization. This key item must be addressed before March 1st with the onset of precinct organizing, county conventions and district conventions

• Appointing an interim DNC delegate until the State Executive Committee can convene to elect Parker's replacement due to his election to party chair. 

• Addressing the gender and age imbalance of members selected under the past chair's administration to the Plan of Organization's Revision Committee 

Chair Parker has his work cut out for him.  Check back here to read more about these three issues in upcoming articles.