Progressive Caucus Executive Board
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Chair: Karen Bernal
Vice-Chair, Northern Region: Chris Niehaus
Vice-Chair, Central Region: Rose Roach
Vice Chair, Southern Region: Mike Thaller
Treasurer: Vacant
Secretary: J Brian Washman
Parliamentarian: James Williams
Communications & Media Officer: Sharon Kyle
Officer-at-Large: Paramo Hernandez
Officer-at-Large: Susie Shannon
More information on your new Officers:
An unrepentant activist for peace and social justice issues for many years and former Officer-at-Large of the Progressive Caucus, Karen Bernal is now serving as its Chair. As past E-Board Rep from the 5th AD, she co-authored an Iraq War Withdrawal plan which was presented to the CDP in 2006, and widely embraced by progressive Party activists. In Sacramento, she is an elected member of its Central Committee and belongs to a number of Democratic clubs. In California, she is the Northern California State Co-Coordinator for Progressive Democrats of America. Her main areas of interest are foreign policy, Labor issues, and grassroots organizing. She was recently involved in the International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s organizing drive for Rite-Aid and Blue Diamond Almonds, among others.
J Brian Washman has made his career in publishing and media communications. In addition to his position of Officer-at-Large for the Progressive Caucus, he is serving his third term as DSCC delegate and second term as E-board Rep for the 4th AD, and is Chair of the 4th AD Democratic Council and Chair of the Placer County Democratic Central Committee. He is past Chair of the Auburn Area Democratic Club. An elected member of the Placer County Democratic Central Committee Since 2004, Brian also serves on the Board of Directors of the Sierra Foothills AIDS Foundation. He is a past Council Member of Take Back Red California, founding member of the Democratic Visibility Committee which drafted the original 58-county Plan, and past Editor of the California Democratic Dialogue. He currently lives with his partner of 12 years and a spoiled wiener dog in Auburn, Placer County since relocating from San Francisco in 1999.
