Hi! I'm running for re-election to the Democrats Abroad Germany Membership & IT Coordinator position for the 2025-2027 term. You can drop by my campaign page from last term if you like. I plan to attend the Meet the Candidates sessions on Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 7:30 pm CET and Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 3:00 pm CET.. Here's some more stuff about me. But you are also welcome to ask me questions via email — use cliff at omg dot lol and you'll find secure contact methods at https://keys.cliff1976.net.
DA Germany elections are happening via online absentee voting for the very first time. This means you no longer have to attend a meeting (virtual or in person) to cast your ballot. Nor do you have to mail anything in! Please request your online absentee ballot by RSVPing to the election "event" before Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 6:00 pm CET and then vote for me!
I helped found my local chapter in 2020 and have since been its Secretary. I'm active in several IT-related capacities.
Nationally: you elected me to this position in 2023. I took on the new responsibilities administering our email accounts, distribution lists, and shared storage. In that, I found a way to save hundreds of dollars. I made your data available to you for voter outreach while strictly following our data handling rules. I provided training and consultation on how to use our systems.
Globally: I contribute to acute/ongoing global member data quality initiatives. I am the person identifying congressional districts for members — critical for taking back the U.S. House. I devised a cheaper and more consistent way for this, saving hundreds of dollars from the global IT budget. I actively test DA's Vote From Abroad ballot request system, and always look for ways to make the system more user-friendly. I strive for that in other areas too: make the technology accessible to the voter and the volunteer.
I am proud of what DA achieved in the 2024 election cycle am sure IT contributions made it faster, easier, cheaper and more effective. If re-elected, I will need to start preparing for a knowledge transfer nearly immediately, because I want sustainable knowledge sharing, and I will be termed out in early 2027.
For 2025-27, I plan to continue along the path I began in 2023:
- optimize voter outreach
- use your feedback to drive improvements benefitting all country committees
- share best practices for membership data
- recruit a small team for load-sharing and bottleneck prevention
We've got big results to deliver in 2026. I want to get the most mileage out of the resources available to us, and make success easier for our successors.
I say without exaggeration that Cliff Stuehmer is one of my favorite colleagues. He is firstly very good at solving problems and developing solutions that save hassle, time, and money. Cliff asks thorough questions that get to the root of what needs solving before starting a project, so we don’t waste energy heading in the wrong direction. He adapts quickly to changes, even when we might find the changes frustrating. He is patient with people who need time or explanation in understanding software, new processes, and alternatives to the way we’ve always done it.
Cliff cares about the end goal, the why of what we are doing, not just coming up with a process. Will it help us reach more voters? Will it make it easier for teams to use the data we have? Will it save us money? The IT team has benefited noticeably because of his focus on Democrats Abroad goals.
Cliff also cares about the people, not just the tech. I have never had the honor of meeting Cliff in real life. We have lived thousands of miles apart. But we got to know each other as we worked on many projects over these past few years. Now, I am now glad to call him a friend. He is thoughtful and funny and kind. He volunteers even when he is busy. These strengths are why I turn to Cliff when I have a technical question that maybe other people could answer. I know that he will never belittle me and will always work to help. That is the best you can ask of your “data dude”.
As colleagues on the DA Global Tech and Data teams, Cliff and I have worked together on a wide range of projects. He has demonstrated consistent dedication to DA's efforts to find new voters and update DA membership records.
I have always appreciated Cliff's ability to ask frank and insightful questions have helped us to refine the focus of our projects and achieve the goals help DA to run better. I am certain that by re-electing him DA-Germany will continue to see improvements in its membership and technical resource menagement."