Civic Buzz 2015 Recap
2015 Civic Buzz Meetings:
On May 3, we discussed voter turnout: How can we be #1 again?
For nine elections in a row we were number one in the country in voter turnout. But in 2014, we fell off our perch. Secretary Simon discussed actions his office is taking to bring more voters to the polls.
Steve Simon
Come to meet, learn and discuss. Our speaker, Secretary of State Steve Simon will join us this month for a discussion about the state of elections and election laws in Minnesota. His goals are straightforward: expand access to voting, remove barriers to voting, make business services as streamlined as possible, strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence and, most importantly, be a Secretary of State for all Minnesotans.
Civic Buzz May handoutCivicBuzz flyer half sheet
On April 12, we discussed: How DO you Win Campaigns?
Best Practices for campaigning, be it for a politician or a issue, were outlined by Tony Sterle, Campaign Manager for Save Our Minneapolis Parks. He talked about the importance of communications, development of a list of supporters/maybes, and fundraising. To be successful leaders of the campaign must be totally committed and passionate as it takes determination and lots of attention to detail. League attendees had lots to add to the conversation and benefitted from a quick update of where we are with the campaign to get more funding for neighborhood parks. It is truly a moving target as the City Council and Mayor thrash out the possibilities for funding, if not a referendum.
What is Involved in Building a Political Campaign?
Come to meet, learn and discuss. Our speaker, Tony Sterle will join us this month for a discussion about effective campaigning whether it is for a candidate or an issue. How do you tailor your message to the audience? What is the role of a campaign manager/community organizer? Tony is campaign manager for Save Our Minneapolis Parks.
On March 8, we discussed: Education: How do we make schools great places to work and lead?
The quality of the educator in the classroom is critical to student success. We lose 50% of all educators within the first five years of their career. Overwhelmingly, exiting teachers cite poor work culture and leadership as their main concerns.
Our speaker Nathan Eklund is founder of Eklund Consulting which focuses entirely on improving workplace culture and developing effective leadership in schools. Having served over 15,000 educators and administrators over the past 5 years, he has a unique pulse on the state of teaching in America. He is author of the book, How Was Your Day at School? Improving Dialogue about Teacher Job Satisfaction
On February 9th, we discussed why many young Americans are not interested in running for office.
Our discussion was based on the book: Running from Office: Why Young Americans are Turned off to Politics by Jennifer Lawless and Richard Fox. Jennifer Lawless discusses the topic at a Westminster Town Hall forum in October. Stream it at: www.booktv.org
Our guest speaker was Matthew Bergeron. Matthew has managed or consulted on numerou
s state legislative races, served as field staff for a gubernatorial campaign, and in 2013-14 sought the DFL endorsement for Minnesota House District 64B. He will give us his perspective on running for office.