Message from the President
Greetings Fem Dems and Happy Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) month!
May is a time to reflect upon and celebrate the remarkable role and contributions of the AANHPI community. This month, we reflect on the tradition of leadership, resilience, and courage shown by AANHPI communities, and recommit to pushing equity for AANHPI. We must continue to uplift the community and be strong allies today and always.
Additionally, May is also mental health awareness month. Together, we must fight stigmas, educate one another, and provide support. I hope that amongst the chaos, you give yourself grace, take care of your own wellness , and take a moment to cherish the good around you.
Last but not least, I’d like to take a moment to reintroduce myself. My name is Alice Montes and I have the greatest honor and privilege of being elected this year’s Fem Dems President. I have been on the board for 5 years now, first as finance director and then as vice president. Nothing brings me more joy than being a part of an organization that elects progressive leaders and helps the greater Sacramento community. I look forward to working alongside this new and amazing board. It is full of eager and motivated individuals. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any one of us to chat, get involved, or to let us know how we as Fem Dems can be there to support you.
In community,
Alice Montes
Introducing our 2023-2024 FemDems Executive Board
President - Alice Montes
Vice President - Brooke Prichard
Secretary - Nia Jones
Communications Director - Erika Valle
Treasurer - Shy Forbes
Member Services and Outreach Coordinator - Symphoni Barbee
Political Director - Faith Lee
Pipeline Program Director - Katrina Linden
Finance Director - Rainer Apostol
Parliamentarian - Valeria Hernandez
General Counsel - Amber Maltbie
Media Relations Director- McKenna Jenkins
2023-2024 Executive Board Retreat
Our Fem Dems Executive Board met for our 2023 Executive Board retreat in early May! The board planned many social, political, and community oriented events for the next few months. Be sure you pay your dues and stay subscribed to our newsletter and follow us on twitter/instagram to stay informed about upcoming events.
Pay your dues here.
Women Dems 2023 Ice Cream and Wine Social
Join Women Democrats of Sacramento County on Thursday, June 1st for their annual ice cream social! The event features 7 delicious ice cream flavors, wine, and a silent auction. Purchase your tickets at the link below.
When: Thursday, June 1st from 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Where: Park Terrace, 5500 Parkfield Court, Sacramento
Rainer Apostol-Dooley (they/them), Finance Director
What is your role on the board and what do you hope to accomplish?
My role on the board is Finance Director! I have the privilege of planning our annual fundraiser this year and hope to bring in additional first-time sponsors of Fem Dems and uplift our work while also focusing on the work of the community. I'm also looking forward to supporting and contributing to our organization and other members' work. As a non-binary Board Member, I'm excited to work with our organization to further expand our focus on LGBTQ+ and gender-expansive understandings of feminism.
From your perspective, what is one of the biggest feminist issues right now?
One of the biggest feminist issues right now, in my view, is the intersectional issue of equity for all genders and sexualities, class backgrounds, and racial identities. It is apparent in the disparate outcomes for people of lower incomes, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ people that there is still a great deal of work to be done. The feminist movement specifically has historically in the United States centered white, able-bodied, middle/upper-class, cisgender, and heterosexual women. I believe that our job as a feminist organization is to be a living expansion of this movement that actively includes and centers every historically excluded group.
What is your favorite part about being a part of Fem Dems or your favorite event?
My favorite part about being part of Fem Dems, as a new Board member and returning member, is the community that it embodies and the intentionality with which our organization makes decisions. I really appreciate that all of the board members take their roles seriously and understand the platform that our organization has to make a difference in and support our community, and I'm excited to be part of that at the Board level!
What is a fun fact about you?
A fun fact about me is that I have a bearded dragon!! His name is Artie, he's four years old, and he's perfect.
KEEP IN TOUCH!
Alice Montes, Chapter President, linda@femdems.org
Brooke Pritchard, Chapter Vice President, brooke@femdems.org
Shy Forbes, Treasurer, shy@femdems.org
Nia Jones, Secretary, nia@femdems.org
Faith Lee, Political Affairs Director, faith@femdems.org
McKenna Jenkins, Media Relations Director, mckenna@femdems.org
Erika Valle, Communications Director, erika@femdems.org
Rainer Apostol, Finance Director, rainer@femdems.org
Katrina Linden, Pipeline Programming Director, katrina@femdems.org
Symphoni Barbee, Membership and Outreach Director, symphoni@femdems.org
WHO WE ARE
The Mission of the Fem Dems is to promote the feminist principles of political, economic, and social equality between the sexes.
We are a local club that meets monthly to discuss the issues our members want to talk about; from everything from pay equity to access to reproductive health care. We are committed to promoting feminist ideals through a combination of volunteerism, community outreach, fundraising and political activism.
We do this by building leadership skills, engaging community leaders, and discussing current events impacting gender equality and our local community.
For more information, check out our website!
BECOME A MEMBER!
If you haven't paid your dues yet, it's not too late. Membership is only $20 for the year! Your contribution will help us continue to organize interesting speakers for future events, contribute to endorsed candidates, facilitate workshops and more. Sign up today!