Our All-Star Membership Team!
If you’ve received a warm welcome when visiting our General Meetings, chances are you’ve met a member of our Membership Team!
In January and February of 2017, SemDems grew rapidly, growing from just 18 Precinct Captains to almost 70 Precinct Captains in just two months. To help new SemDems feel welcome, the Membership Team formed. The team includes our fabulous Greeters at the front door at our General Meetings and continues to the “Team Seminole Democrat Member” Table and to our Snack Table. We hope to make meeting participants feel included, appreciated and ready to work.
The SemDems Membership Team includes:
Madra Christian, Chairperson: Madra was raised in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and spent 20+ years in high-tech advertising and marketing communications. She moved to Florida in 1995 to work at an internet marketing company. She watched from the sidelines and was never involved in politics, and only contributed small amounts to candidates until 2016 … when everything changed. She joined the Membership Team and co-chaired the committee with Kristine Kraus. She took over as Chairperson when Kristine was elected to the School Board in 2018.
Laura Evelev: Originally from St. Louis, Laura graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. She spent 15 years working as a reporter at newspapers in Florida and Missouri, mainly covering crime and courts, before leaving the news business to raise her two children. Her husband’s job brought them to Orlando in 2001, and she volunteered for President Obama during both of his campaigns. She joined the SemDems in December 2016. The meetings were a little chaotic back then as attendance exploded. She loves the membership team as they’re always trying to make members, old and new, feel welcome.
Holly Larson: Holly is an English professor at Seminole State College. She believes that the 2020 presidential election is critical: it is about who we want to be as a nation, a people, and as a global leader. The SemDems creates a path of action to actualize a brighter, kinder, more just future. She is proud to be part of this group.
Helen McCain: Prior to retiring and becoming a stay-at-home mom, Helen was a Retirement Planning manager for TIAA-CREF in NYC. Her family moved to Florida in 2016 and desperately wanted to do something to help Hillary Clinton and other Democrats win. They soon discovered SemDems and began volunteering prior to the election. She joined the Membership Team primarily because of the team members — a really great group of people, Helen says.
Alvin McCain: Alvin retired from Merrill Lynch in 2009, where he was an Information Technology Director. Since that time, he’s been continuously involved with volunteer efforts, usually 3 or 4 days per week. His family became active with the Democratic Party in Hilton Head, SC prior to moving to Florida. It was very important to meet like-minded people, so they joined the SemDems right after relocating. He’s worked with a couple of other committees in addition to the Membership committee.
Chris Mincey: Chris was born in Ohio and moved to Florida when she was a teenager. Her day job is a Nurse Case Manager Supervisor with a Health Insurance plan. Chris worked as a neighborhood organizer for President Obama’s campaign in 2012 and joined SemDems after the election. She then joined the SemDems Board as Secretary in 2014 and helped with membership and credentials. She also worked the 2016 Hillary Clinton and Stephanie Murphy campaigns with the SemDems, covering the office and helping recruit volunteers. Chris has joined the membership committee to assist in building the membership to carry us to victory in 2020!
Jean Robie Finnegan: Jean grew up on various continents. She had a 41-year career as a flight attendant with Pan American World Airways and then Delta Airlines based in Washington DC, London, New York and Orlando. She and her husband had an exciting jet-setting life, but now in retirement have the joy of spending time with their two daughters and their families. She joined SemDems during the mid-term election and cannot wait to replace Trump with a qualified, ethical and smart Democrat!
Mary Shelton: Mary is a lifelong Democrat originally from Ohio. She is a lover of the outdoors, animals, and all things chocolate!
Traci Starkweather: Traci is a mother of one son and married to Dave Starkweather who together are a very active Precinct Captain couple. She spent years in retailing, had some health challenges in the past year, but is on the mend and is ready to work to win for Democrats in 2020!
We thank our membership team for all they do!