Winifred (Wini) Robinson (NEA
MB)
Promoted to Senior Product
Specialist
Help
me congratulate NBSN member
Winifred (Wini) Robinson
(NEA MB) on her recent
promotion. Wini has been
employed by NEA Member Benefits
for 17 years. Having started
her career as an Administrative
Assistant to
Coordinator/Discount Programs
and New Product Development to
her previous position of Product
Specialist (Trust Programs) she
has now been promoted to
Sr. Product Specialist.
She has had an extensive and
exciting career working in
insurance marketing arena and
this promotion is a reflection
of the hard work and dedication
she has made with NEA MB.
Kudos to Wini on this very fine
accomplishment.
Peace and blessings!
Submitted by:
Malcolm B.
Staples
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Sinkfield named to
National Committee
A Montgomery resident
has been elected to the
Democratic National
Committee as Alabama's
designated lone
committeeman. He is one
of only five state
residents who sit on
the party's most
powerful council in
Washington.
Darryl Sinkfield, 42, a
longtime civil rights
and education advocate,
will become one of the
main "go-to politicos"
statewide when his
four-year term begins
Aug. 29, the last day of
the Democratic National
Convention in Denver.
Sinkfield is succeeding
one of the state's most
visible and powerful
Democratic leaders --
Joe L. Reed, who has
mentored him throughout
his 20 years as a
Democratic Party
official.
He developed an early
interest in politics,
beginning at age 19 as a
volunteer with Reed's
Alabama Democratic
Caucus, while attending
Alabama State
University.
Professionally,
Sinkfield works for the
Alabama Education
Association
representing the
interests of teachers
and support staff before
local school boards.
As Alabama's Democratic
National Committeeman,
he will have a voice in
all policies and
politics that emanate
from the national party
in Washington to every
level of government.
If a Democrat wins the
presidency this year,
his power will increase
two-fold, allowing him
access from the West
Wing of the White House
to the cloakrooms of
Capitol Hill.
Before his term begins,
Sinkfield sat down to
talk about some of the
issues that confront the
Democrats as they seek a
nominee for president.
Q: What do you consider
to be some of the most
important political
issues that face
America?
A: Increased funding for
public education is an
issue that is reaching a
critical mass from
Alabama's State House to
the nation's capital
because recent
shortfalls in funding
threaten to short-change
our children. Making
sure our young people
receive a fantastic
education from
kindergarten through
high school is the best
form of economic
development we can
create to ensure a good
economy. Iraq is also an
issue that warrants a
close examination by
whomever is elected
president in November.
Our troops never
belonged in Iraq, our
involvement was based
on a series of
distortions and
half-truths and the
first thing the new
Democratic president
needs to do is order an
organized withdrawal of
our troops before any
more lives or money is
lost.
How has the
Clinton-Obama rivalry
helped the Democratic
Party?
I feel the hotly
contested race between
our party's two
frontrunners is good for
both our party and for
America because it's
energizing our voters.
For the first time in my
life, I am seeing large
numbers of college-aged
people,
African-Americans, and
other diverse groups
registering to vote and
participating in
primaries and caucuses
across America. All
these new people and the
opinions they represent
are helping move
democracy forward in our
republic and that's a
very positive thing.
How has the stalemate in
selecting a Democratic
nominee hurt your
party?
I don't believe it has
hurt us. However, it has
helped the Republican
candidate to a small
extent by allowing him a
brief respite from any
active debate on
substantive issues. Mr.
(John) McCain has been
able to do a lot of
light lifting in his
race lately because he
isn't being forced to
discuss any of the hard
issues that face our
nation. But as soon as
we determine our party's
nominee, we will put his
feet to the fire and get
him to talk about high
gas prices, Iraq, the
economy and his support
for many of the failed
policies of the Bush
administration.
If Obama doesn't
receive the nomination,
will it hurt or hinder
black voter turnout?
There has been some
conversation among a
small percentage of
black voters, which has
been picked-up by the
media, but I feel it's
unfounded. I have never
heard any
African-Americans who
are within the ranks of
the party ever say they
feel this will occur.
There is way too much at
stake for our nation's
black citizens to lose
if the Republicans
remain in office. It
simply will not happen.
Should Clinton drop out
of her quest for the
Democratic nomination
and why?
I feel it's a matter of
personal choice and
privilege that is
totally up to her. All
the candidates have a
right to run as long as
they feel they have a
chance of obtaining the
party's nomination and
she must determine
what's in her best
interest. Our chairman,
Dr. (Howard) Dean, has
said he would like to
see it resolved by June,
so the party will have
time to unify before the
convention, but it's not
written in stone. At
this point, it's still
up in the air and I
would hate to see any
political party attempt
to dictate to an
individual candidate
what they should or
shouldn't do in terms of
dropping out of a
political race.
What will be some of
your duties as a
national committeeman in
the Democratic Party?
My role will be to help
our state party organize
new Democratic clubs in
Alabama, register new
voters and serve as one
of the Alabama voices
before the national
party. I will have to be
in Washington for at
least four formal
meetings a year and will
communicate issues that
come from the national
committee back to our
Alabama members. My new
position is totally
without a salary or
compensation, and I will
even pay for all of my
own travel expenses. So
this is done out of love
and commitment by me to
advance the principles
of the Democratic Party
in Alabama and America.
|
Rita
Depp-Tyler (DC) Appointed
Executive Confidential Assistant
Help me congratulate NBSN member Rita Depp-Tyler
(DC) on her recent promotion at the NEA. Rita
will serve as the Executive Confidential Assistant
for the newly formed department called the office
of the Chief Learning Officer working with new CLO,
Julie Garcia. She currently works in the Education
Policy and Practice department working on an
English Language Learner Career Development
assignment. She will begin her new position on May
19th.
Kudos to Rita on this very fine and impressive
promotion.
Peace!
Submitted by:
Malcolm B.
Staples
|
Kim
Anderson (DC) Appointed
Interim Manager
Kim Anderson was recently
selected as the Interim Manager
for Ballot Initiatives that will
be a part of the "behind the
wall" operation at NEA for
Campaign 2008. Kim is currently
a lobbyist in the Government
Relations department focusing on
ESEA/NCLB, IDEA, and education
technology issues, as well as
helping to overhaul NEA's
Legislative Report Card and
devise numerous legislative
strategies in NEA's current ESEA
campaign. This appointment will
be until November 30, 2008.
Kim practiced law at Covington
and Burling, then went to the
Hill and became Deputy
Legislative Director for Senator
Chuck Robb (D-VA), where she
supervised the Senator's
legislative staff and advised
the Senator on all domestic
policy matters.
In Robb's office, she helped
draft and pass legislation on
behalf of African American
farmers who had been
discriminated against by USDA
officials for decades. The
legislation led to the largest
civil rights settlement in
American history.
We wish Kim the best of luck in
this new assignment.
Congratulations.
|
Submitted by:
Malcolm B.
Staples
|
Public
Places Named for Black Americans
African Americans have played an integral role in the history of King
County from its beginnings. In recognition of their contribution to the
community, many have had parks and buildings named after them. Described
below are a few of these Black Americans and the public places, which
honor them. For more information about famous African Americans and the
local public places named for them, an excellent source is "Tribute" by
Mary T. Henry, published by Statice Press and supported in part by funds
from the King County Landmarks and Heritage Commission.
William Grose (1835-1898).
By 1860 when William Grose first arrived in
Seattle,
he'd already voyaged to
Asia, the
Arctic
and Central America, panned gold in California, and helped run an
underground railroad for escaping slaves. Admired for his integrity,
business sense and hospitality, he owned a popular Yesler Way hotel and
became one of
Seattle's biggest landowners. His house at
1733 24th Avenue is still standing.
Located between 30th and 31st Avenues East between East Howell
and East Denny Streets,
William
Grose Park is a quiet and reflective place. The small park features
grassy sloping banks, graceful cedar trees and a winding pathway with
benches.
Powell Barnett (1883-1971).
Growing up in nearby
Roslyn,
Washington,
he mined coal and played in a local band. Powell Barnett moved to
Seattle in 1906, working first in road and hotel construction, later as
a clerk to a state senator, and eventually as an employee for what is
today's King County Department of Construction and Facilities
Management. As a musician Mr. Barnett broke the color bar at the then
all white Musician's Union, and went on to become a potent force in the
community for integration and racial harmony.
Located between
East Jefferson
and East Alder on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, the more than 4 acres of
Powell
Barnett Park features recreation facilities, a well-shaded picnic area,
a circling pathway and a hilltop corner with benches and a view.
Henrietta Mathews (1915-1983).
Tutoring minority students, counseling single mothers, speaking out for
senior citizens — all were the focus of Henrietta Mathews 25 years of
service in Seattle. For a time, like Randolph Cater, she was a probation
officer for King County Youth Services. After 1959 she worked as a
family services caseworker and as a coordinator for the
Seattle
Public
School District. Throughout her long career she devoted her energy to
helping the disadvantaged.
Given her distinguished service in social welfare, it's fitting
that the public place named for her is the
Gideon-Mathews Gardens, a landscaped 45 unit-housing complex for
low-income seniors and the disabled. Located at 24th Ave South and South
Jackson Street, the facility opened in 1986. It is jointly named for
Russell S. Gideon, a Seattle African American pioneer in senior housing.
Dr. Blanche Sellers Lavizzo (1925-1984).
A friend and schoolmate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Lavizzo
began practicing pediatrics in
Seattle
in 1956. She was a pioneer in children's healthcare, giving her gifts of
time, medical talent and compassion to serve the Central Area community.
Dr. Lavizzo served as the first Medical Director of Odessa Brown when
the clinic opened in 1970.
Two public places honor Dr. Lavizzo. Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Park is
a pleasant secluded pathway between
South
Jackson Street and East Yesler Way at 22nd Avenue South with shade
trees, a picnic area with grills, and a site for concerts and community
events. The Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Water Play Area at the Edwin T. Pratt
Park is an imaginative sculpture fountain featuring African motifs
created by local African American artists.
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