What have I been up to since February?

Just a few days after the DFL Business Conference on February 5th, I found myself in Hibbing, MN helping Get out the vote for Carly Melin.  It was a successful election night on February 15th, and it felt good to help out, even though our toes were frozen and our shoes and socks were soaked.

On February 19th, at our next State Affirmative Action Commission meeting, I had the pleasure of being elected Secretary for the State Affirmative Action Commission, and I jumped right in. That day the SAAC happened to also meet with the leaders of the Constituency Caucuses as well as the Co-Chairs of the Constitution and Bylaws Commission to determine the Affirmative Action portion of Minnesota's National Delegate selection plan. It was quite a meeting to start as Secretary, but I feel that I was able to do just what a Secretary needs to do, listen very intently and take good notes, with occasional interjection of facts, or a re-read of something previously discussed. It felt good to be complemented on my Minutes at our subsequent meetings.

I also had the pleasure of being elected a member of the Minnesota Young DFL Executive Board as an At-large Director at our Annual Convention on February 26th.  February was quite a busy month for my DFL activity.

Throughout the spring and summer I conducted regular Houston County DFL meetings, as well as parade prep, and the beginning of planning the First Annual Hotdish Throw Down, sponsored by the Houston County DFL.  The SAAC has also met periodically, as did MYDFL.

As things were staying busy in Minnesota, things were boiling hot in Wisconsin, and beginning in July, during the Primary GOTV for Jennifer Shilling in La Crosse, WI I started volunteering daily for the campaign. It felt good to be campaigning, and it was interesting to see politics work in a different state.

During the Get out the Vote effort August 6-9th I had the responsibility of being the Canvass Director/Walk Packet Manager. It felt good to have the responsibility of keeping track of 100+ walk packets, as well as overseeing the support staff and volunteers who were there to canvass and interacting with the Wisconsin politicians who were there to help launch canvasses.

My other free time before and after February has been spent volunteering at a place called Place of Grace helping feed and converse with people that are less fortunate.

As you can see I've been active in and out of the DFL, and in and out of politics.

As I mentioned in the run up to February, I want to bring my past experience, my more recent experience and my skill set to the DFL State Party, as well as my perspective of being a younger DFLer, living and being politically active in Greater Minnesota.

Jacob