DPS BOARD MEMBER MERIDA BECOMES DENVER’S ONLY ELECTED GREEN PARTY MEMBER
Denver, CO – Andrea Merida, the current Board of Education member representing southwest Denver on the Denver Public Schools board, was selected as the co-chair of the Denver Green Party at the party’s membership meeting on September 17, 2013. She serves in this capacity with fellow chair and longstanding Green activist, Laura Clark.
With this change in party affiliation, Director Merida becomes the only registered Green among the elected officials of Colorado’s state capitol. She formerly served in the Denver Democratic Party as a house district captain and member of the Denver Democrats’ Executive Committee and Diversity Committee, as well as the co-chair of the Progressive Democrats of Colorado, an initiative of the Colorado Democratic Party.
“Too many people opt out of their fundamental right to vote because they’re faced with choosing the lesser of two evils,” said Merida. “The Green Party wants to reactivate those voters by giving them access to the electoral process in a way that isn’t purchased by corporations and that respects the building of power from other, non-electoral realms as well.”
The state party’s co-chairs welcome Merida’s leadership and embracing of the Green Party’s 10 Key Values. “Andrea is passionate about the issues of social justice and equal opportunity. When she announced at our state meeting that she had changed her affiliation from the Democratic Party to the Green Party, there was an excitement in the room. We know that Andrea, as a leader and elected official, will add to the continued progress and growth of the Green Party of Colorado,” said co-chair Chris Allen.
“Andrea is a powerful addition to the Denver Greens and the Green Party of Colorado. Her experience, passion, and dedication to social and economic justice are are the core of what being Green is all about. I look forward to seeing the Denver Greens flourish under strong female leadership,” said Bill Bartlett, Green Party of Colorado (GPCO) Co-Chair.
“Andrea’s vision, commitment, and drive are evident every day. She truly embraces and applies the Green Party’s 10 Key Values. Andrea is a force to be reckoned with,” says fellow Denver co-chair, Laura Clark.
There are approximately 1800 registered Greens in Denver county, as of September 2013, according to the office of the Colorado Secretary of State.