Nominees for GPWA offices:
LEE SCOTT LAUGENOUR – CANDIDATE FOR DELEGATE TO GPUS NATIONAL COMMITTEE
Nomination Bio for Lee Scott LAUGENOUR (he/him/his)
Green Party Commitment:
- 2022 – present: monthly financial contributor to GPUS
- 2015 – present: monthly dues-paying member of GPWA
- 2008 – 2015: registered Green-Rainbow Party (MA) voter
- 2000: first Green vote cast
Candidate/Campaign Experience:
- 2022 – present: Candidate for GPUS Coordinating Campaign Committee (CCC) member
- 2021 – present: GPUS CCC Associate for GPWA
- 2021: GPWA point person for Forks (WA) mayoral candidate Stephen Wright
- 2013 – 2015: Director of the Green-Rainbow Party (MA) Candidate Development and Legal Committee
- 2012: Green-Rainbow Party Candidate for State Representative, Fourth Berkshire District of Massachusetts
- 2010: Green-Rainbow Party Candidate for State Representative, Fourth Berkshire District of Massachusetts
- 2009 – 2013: Treasurer for JD Hebert’s Berkshire County (MA) Sheriff (partisan) and Pittsfield (MA) City Council (non-partisan) campaigns
- 2008: Candidate for Lenox (MA) Select Board (non-partisan)
Other Green Party positions held:
- Green-Rainbow Party Representative to the GPUS National Committee in 2011
- Green-Rainbow Party Membership Director in 2008-2009
- Elected Green-Rainbow Party State Committee Representative from the Berkshire Hampden Franklin and Hampshire State Senatorial District 2011-2015
Career / Professional Background:
I have worked as a teacher of English as a Second Language in Tokyo and in Hanoi, worked in various front-line and in executive positions for Marriott International, and have run an art gallery business. I have served on a number of boards in various fields, including several appointed positions in town government. Presently I am retired, residing both in Hanoi, Vietnam and in Reykjavik, Iceland. I remain a registered voter in Washington State.
Education:
BA Liberal Arts, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Class of 1980
MATTHEW VILLATA – CANDIDATE FOR COORDINATING COUNCIL – AT-LARGE
Matthew Villata hails from California, though he is proud to call Washington State University his alma mater. He very much thanks you for your time and consideration.
There is no place quite like Washington. Here is a state that is diverse, beautiful with a thrilling combination of mystique and the simply strange. A new arrival to the state of Washington and the Washington Green Party, Matthew wishes to contribute constructive positivity to both of his new homes geographically and politically.
There is fertile soil in this country and State for the so-called minor parties to grow past the shackles the so-called major parties have imposed on them and the people of this nation. The Green Party is at the forefront of this. The Party can give people the hope and optimism they need to challenge the oppressive status quo and can do this in simple and practical ways, like continuing to heavily support ranked-choice voting reform and an end to the odious tradition of gerrymandering. The Party can also prioritize working with other minor parties, those who operate out of love and respect and should do so while not compromising its own integrity. The task of establishing multiparty democracy in America is great. Reasonable alliances should be made to this end.
With that in mind, Matthew believes that the chief duty of any representative is to listen to the hearts and minds of those represented. A representative must also be timely and responsive. He has modest political experience, though he has made a habit of attending rallies and protests in order to understand how to listen and hear. From BLM rallies in Sacramento to C.H.O.P in Seattle, Matthew has witnessed that people are demanding real solutions to painful problems. It would be his honor to contribute to the solutions.
The man you are reading about has a straightforward set of skills. Washington State University taught him to write and reason at a passable level. He is not afraid of public speaking or public communication. He constantly studies American History. Work in radio, visual interpretation for the blind and low vision, and Special Education have instilled communication and listening skills. Matthew considers himself a Green-Libertarian and also associates with the Libertarian Party. His most important personal issue is the establishment of multiparty democracy in the United States and an end of the reign of two parties guided by fear, greed and the military-industrial complex. No less important are the preservation of this planet for future generations, the protection of personal liberty including individual privacy and the correction of the injustices found within the historical record of the United States. Great strides can be made in all these avenues within this lifetime.
The Green Party can grow and provide real help to people who need it the most. Matthew would be humbled to contribute to this eventuality to the best of his ability if chosen to serve.
Nominees for GPUS Committees:
Animal Rights Committee – Charles Law (continuing, May 2022 – May 2024)
Bylaws, Rules, Policies and Procedures Committee – Rick Morrow (to be appointed)
Coordinated Campaign Committee – Scott Laugenour (elected by the GPUS National Committee)
Diversity Committee – Daniel Bumbarger (to be appointed)
International Committee – Noah Martin (continuing, May 2022 – May 2024); Scott Laugenour (to be appointed)
Link to all GPUS Committees.