In even-numbered years, the County Chair surveys party members to determine who is interested in serving on which committees. After summarizing the results and conferring with the Advisory Council, the County Chair appoints committee chairs. Chairs select their own committee members, or they follow the suggestions of the County Chair. Unless otherwise required, a committee appointment is two years. Committees report to either the Political Director or Executive Director.
The Executive Committee comprises precinct chairs in Denton County, the County Chair, and the Party Secretary.
Committee chairs:
- Vigorously pursue the committee’s goals and objectives.
- Work with and communicate regularly with the Political Director, Executive Director, and County Chair on issues related to his/her committee.
- Notify the Executive Director of the date, time, and location of all meetings.
- Convene the committee no less than quarterly, create an agenda for each meeting, and keep accurate minutes of what was discussed and recommended.
- Send copies of minutes to the Executive Director and the County Chair.
Advisory Council
Goal
To provide advice to the County Chair and to the Executive Committee to better serve the DCDP.
Objectives
- Review the strategic plan.
- Review the rules and bylaws.
- Review the party structure.
- Assist the County Chair in locating committee chairs.
- Assist the County Chair in any duty assigned to the Council.
- Liaise with other Democratic clubs or organizations.
Success Factors
- Ensure committees update goals on an annual basis.
- Present a set of rules to the Executive Committee by the end of 2011.
- Present a structure to the Executive Committee before the end of 2011.
- Ensure that all committees have a chair.
Precinct Chair Development Committee
Goal
To organize and develop a sustained precinct system.
Objectives
- Establish standards and accountability for precinct chairs.
- Develop training programs and continuing education program for Precinct Chairs.
- Increase number of precinct chairs.
Success Factors
- Issue multiple phase operations plan to establish base level organization in 85% of precincts by May 2012.
- Create a Precinct Organization Committee (POC) in at least 85% of precincts, with a standard of 5 persons per 1,000 registered voters in precinct.
- Create 20 person Precinct Reaction Force at county level to establish temporary POC to take over precinct development duties if a precinct has no chair or current chair shows below standard involvement.
- Generate a call and email list to increase precinct chair attendance at Executive Committee meetings.
- Train all precinct chairs. Round-robin training schedule will include: Voter Access Network (VAN), Texas Election Law, and best practices.
- Develop online continuing education training.
- Review existing Precinct Chair Handbook. Distribute electronic version of Handbook to all chairs.
- Increase and maintain filled Precinct Chair positions to 85% of available positions.
- Ensure 100% Precinct Chairs in critical precincts (DPI +50%).
Communications Committee
Goal
To promote Democratic ideals and values within the community through grassroots organization, education of the public, consistent online and offline communication (including website, email, and social media), and identify and elect well-qualified candidates through ethical campaign methods.
Objectives
- Develop consistent and clear messages.
- Distribute messages to the public, party followers, and leadership.
- Support fundraising efforts through effective messaging.
- Develop standards for press releases and relationships with traditional media outlets.
Issues Committee
Goal
To identify political issues at the national, state, county, and local level and work with the Communications Committee for proper broadcast.
Objectives
Identify issues to the Communications to promote a positive Democratic Party image or a negative opposition image.
Success Factors
Identify one national, one state, and one local issue per week to present to Communications.
Energy And Environment Sub-Committee
Goal
To provide information, promote political action, and allow a forum for discussion about environmental issues relevant to Denton County and the North Texas area.
Objectives
- Coordinate local efforts by community organizations and groups.
- Organize and endorse local events on environmental issues.
- Create a platform.
- Clarify Democratic candidates’ and office holders’ positions on environmental issues.
- Increase membership and conduct outreach activities.
- Organize local environmental meetings or activities.
- Provide information and education on environmental issues.
- Maintain a blog on activities and meetings.
Success Factors
- Publish at least one blog entry per month.
- Attend at least one energy & environment related meeting per quarter.
Volunteers and Events Committee
Goal
To discover what events in Denton County that are relevant to the County Party and organize events at which the party will be represented.
Objectives
- Provide dates and information to the Communication Committee.
- Examine events hosted by other organizations.
- Organize volunteers to set-up and staff the events.
Success Factors
- Identify DCDP and non-party events by the end of each quarter and provide information to the Communication Committee.
- Attend all major party events.
Diversity and Community Outreach Committee
Goal
To build and strengthen relationships with Denton County communities and recruit underrepresented groups to represent the Denton County Democratic Party.
Objectives
- Create and maintain a diversity events calendar.
- Register for diversity events in Denton County and recruit volunteers to work at them.
- Recruit Democrats from underrepresented communities in Denton County.
- Increase participation in community organizations and events that serve these underrepresented communities.
Success Factors
- Represent the DCDP at all Denton County diversity events.
- Increase diversity of the DCDP member base.
- Encourage members to actively participate in other diverse organizations.
Technology Support Committee
Goal
To provide technological support for the computers and network services used by the DCDP.
Objectives
- Provide technological tools that are as user-friendly and accessible as possible to as many users as possible.
- Maintain and catalog computers, network, and telecommunications equipment at party headquarters.
- Provide, deploy, and regularly test a system for maintaining regular, frequent, on-site and off-site backups of all headquarters and hosted applications and data.
- Maintain relationships with, and track technical developments of, state and national party technology staffs.
- Provide and technically maintain a database system, the updating of and reporting from which will be the responsibility of the appropriate committees and party staff; this database should include a centralized repository for shared contact information and modules for tracking volunteers, financial contributors, and voters.
Success Factors
- Fewer than one incident per month at headquarters involving a technical outage of greater than 24 hours.
- Fewer than one critical issue ticket per month open for greater than two weeks.
- Fewer than twelve normal-priority issue tickets open at any given time.
- Log quarterly testing of online and offline backup system.
Candidate Recruitment Committee
Goal
To recruit qualified candidates for all elected offices in Denton County.
Objectives
- Gather necessary information for each elective office on the ballot.
- Recruit at all Democratic functions.
- Evaluate the legal qualifications of potential candidates.
- Develop knowledge base of current and former candidates and officeholders to assist in evaluation criteria.
Success Factors
- Information compiled for elective offices in next election cycle and available on Google Docs.
- Recruit candidates to enter races for 50% of races on 2012 ballot.
- Resurrect of Project Farm Team to assist in training of current and future candidates.
Fundraising Committee
Goal
To raise adequate funds to accomplish the goals of the DCDP, as detailed in the operating budget.
Objectives
- Create a business community constituency of donors via the Business Outreach Sub-Committee.
- Fundraise throughout the year to reach a wide spectrum of Democratic constituencies.
- Explore new avenues of raising money.
Success Factors
- Create a fundraising plan.
- Review the fundraising goals at the beginning of each quarter.
- Increase the number of donors and sustaining members of the DCDP by 35%.
Coordinated Campaign Committee
Goal
To coordinate the effort of the DCDP and Democratic candidates for elected office.
Objectives
- Create a field plan for election cycles.
- Remain in constant contact with Democratic candidates for elected office throughout the election cycle.
- Coordinate with the Events Committee to ensure candidates are aware of available events.
- Coordinate with Precinct Chair Development Committee to ensure candidates have ample access to precinct information, including but not limited to phone banks, block walking, precinct level events, etc.
- Coordinate with the Fundraising Committee to pay for items such as direct mail, door hangers, events, etc.
Success Factors
- Create election cycle field plan at least one month before the beginning of the election cycle.
- Identify precincts to target for coordinated action during election cycles.
Executive Director
The DCDP hires the Executive Director as a permanent part-time position to provide a professional level of administrative support for the Party, to present an appropriate image to the public, to coordinate the activities of staff and volunteers who work in the headquarters, and to provide a home for Democratic activities and information. The Executive Director reports to the County Chair and is detail-oriented, reliable, and flexible.
Duties
- Maintain scheduled office hours in coordination with the County Chair.
- Supervise and work with volunteers at the headquarters.
- Provide quality work and support for party officials and activities.
- Work with the County Chair to provide and request information from the Executive Committee, other committees, candidates, volunteers, and state and national party officials.
- Excel in computer skills and work with a diverse constituent base.
- Help candidates and the public at a level consistent with available party resources.
- Keep the County Chair aware of equipment and space needs at party headquarters.
- Maintain and file Democrat records and materials in the headquarters.
