Green Party of California
Application for Member, Delegation to Green Party of the United States
(job description)
received March 26th, 2007

Name  -  Laura Wells
City - Oakland
County  - Alameda
Contact information (phone/email) (510) 986-0879
lwlaura@yahoo.com
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BIO:
-- Early 1992, registered Green shortly after it attained ballot status
-- 1992, elected to the first Green Party County Council in Alameda County; served two years; helped edit and manage the Green Consensus newspaper; active with the Women's Caucus both locally and at the state level.
-- 1990s and 2000s, remained a Green registrant and supporter, employed at environmental and women's organizations and as a union staffer, while focusing on community-building in my living situations.
-- 2001, began campaign for State Controller in the first ever full slate of candidates running for statewide partisan office in California.
-- March 2002 primary, won contested primary election; elected to the County Council inadvertently (due to election officials entering statewide candidates as County Council candidates); active on the Outreach Team; organized a long-running weekly registration table at the local Farmers Market; helped institute monthly Green Sunday events.
-- November 2002 Controller election I earned 6% of the vote and got the most votes ever received in any Green Party partisan election in California
-- December 2002, co-founded the statewide newspaper, Green Focus, which I co-edited for six issues
-- May 2005, ran for and was elected to the GPCA Coordinating Committee as an at-large representative. One goal of my tenure was to hold state-wide gatherings again, and in September 2005 we held a gathering in Oakland.
-- 2006, ran a three-part campaign, (1) for State Controller; (2) to achieve voter approval of Instant Runoff Voting in Oakland; and (3) to do what I could to make the Green Party the most functional political party in the state. When the CC was unable to schedule its annual retreat officially, I organized a facilitated retreat to address important issues, and invited CC members, Green Party of the U.S. delegates, and co-coordinators of the working groups and standing committees.

GOALS AS A GPUS DELEGATE:
My goal in running for the position of CA delegate to the GPUS is to work toward having the Green Party be as functional as possible. I have begun a course of study on how to keep an organization/movement on track and moving forward, rather than being "divided and conquered". It is possible, and certainly necessary, for Green values to become strong in the U.S. as we work together to create a better world. I want to be a part of the group that makes that happen.