Coaltion Votes to Continue, Elects New Leadership

by Greater Cleveland Voter Coalition

The Greater Cleveland Voter Coalition started off 2005 with a unanimous and enthusiastic vote of its Steering Committee to continue as a nonpartisan Coalition, to work on election reform, registration, education and mobilization of voters. Three new Co-conveners were elected: Gerardo Colon, Cynthia Samples and Roslyn Talerico. Former Co-conveners Judy Gallo and Marcia McCoy stepped down and were elected as at-large members of the new Executive Committee, along with researcher and Coalition study team leader Norman Robbins and the director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, Angel Pagan.

Eight committees are being set up – some new, some continuing from the earlier Coalition The committees and their chairs are: election reform, co-chaired by Susan Hagan and Pam Rosado; voter registration, chaired by Mariel Wallace; education, chaired by Jocelyn Travis; media, chaired by Cecil Hickman; young adults/college and high school students/hip hop, chaired by Judith Pindell; women, chaired by Tanjie Smith; faith-based, co-chaired by Mary Hills and Virginia Robinson, and resources (both financial and technical), chaired by Sandra Norvel. Co-chairs are being sought for the voter registration, and young adult committees. Anyone interested in volunteering with any of these committees should call the chairperson. Numbers are listed on this web site, under the section on volunteers. The new executive committee will discuss the possibility of additional committees being set up, including one on the voting rights of people with criminal records.

The election reform committee has already met and is in the process of prioritizing which of the many needed election reforms it wants to work on first. The committee will network with other groups and organizations at the county, state and federal level to support necessary reforms of our very flawed election process.

Regular meetings of the Coalition’s Steering Committee are held on the third Friday of every month at 3:00 p.m. at the United Labor Agency, 3328 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland. Meetings are open to all, and there is free parking on either side of the building. For more information please call Judy Gallo at 216-391-0900, ext. 13.