It is my honor and pleasure to be the new Treasurer for the Riley County Democratic Party. As a way of introducing myself, I thought I’d write a bit about what brought me to this position.
About seven months ago, I was asked if I was interested in being Treasurer for Fanny Fang’s campaign for Riley County Commission District 2. As we had just entered a lockdown and my “to do” list at work had recently exploded, this seemed to be an unnecessary invitation to add yet another big job to that list. Thus my immediate reaction was not overwhelmingly enthusiastic.
Nevertheless, I took some time to check out Fanny’s interviews and hear her out. In one of these interviews, the reporter asked Fanny what she, as a business co-owner of the Asian Market, planned to do to survive the pandemic. Her response was “to make sure people get fed and my employees get paid.”
I volunteered to be her treasurer the next day.
During her campaign, I met many incredible people willing to offer up their services, time and money to make change in Riley County. Among them was Kim Zito, our new Riley County Democratic Party Chair, who hit the pavement day in and day out to support candidates and get out the vote. So when, during a fundraiser, she asked if I’d be willing to serve as RCDP Treasurer, I agreed without hesitation.
When considering what to write on why I am volunteering in this capacity, I initially hoped to give a compelling altruistic and philosophical explanation. However, the more I thought about it, the more compelling the pedestrian truth of the matter became to me:
I volunteer my time because people I respect and admire ask me to help.
And perhaps this does stem from an altruistic belief that a request for help is the currency of civic engagement. What it buys and for what cause varies wildly, but it is essential to push any movement or organization forward.
In the case of the RCDP, I take the cause to be a dramatic change in the political climate in
Riley County: a change to better address the needs of the citizens here and throughout the state - one that increases community involve meant and government transparency; one that encourages an honest dialog about the problems facing our county and their potential solutions.
I look forward to working alongside the RCDP executive committee and asking our community to help in promoting this change.