GPCA Media Pages

This page contains specifics about the Media Committee, its business, and personnel

Committee Composition

GPCA Spokesperson

The term of a spokesperson is not defined; spokespeople may serve as long as they stay active in the Green Party and are available for press correspondence.

If a spokesperson is running for or elected to government office, he or she must step down as spokesperson for the duration of their campaign and/or term in government office. This applies only to those running for government office such as school board, Congress, Assembly, etc. and does not include those running for or serving in internal positions within the Green Party, such as on a County Council or Coordinating Committee. A former spokesperson shall be automatically re-instated as spokesperson once an unsuccessful campaign for government office has ended.

Biographies

Derek Iversen (Spokesperson)

Derek Iversen has been a member of the Green Party since 2000. He was inspired to join by Ralph Nader's bold, eloquent and quixotic campaign for the Presidency. Since then, Derek has been active with his local, the Los Angeles Greens, where he has served both as secretary and facilitator. Derek has participated in numerous Green events and meetings, including county council meetings, regional meetings, demonstrations, precinct walking, candidate fundraisers, rallies, candidate training seminars and statewide plenaries. In 2003 he served as full-time campaign manager for the Milosavjlevic Los Angeles city council campaign, where he garnered national attention by winning 21% of the vote against a popular incumbent with deep pockets. Derek has been arrested twice for civil disobedience: once to help hotel workers in the airport corridor, and once for bicycling, which is another story. Derek currently serves as a California delegate to the Green Party National Committee. By day, Derek writes for an obscure television show called SpongeBob SquarePants. He also heads up a volunteer committee of employees at Nickelodeon who are working to reduce the carbon footprint of their animation studio: it's called "Eco-lodeon." Derek is proud to be a bus rider and bicycle commuter.

Laura Wells (Spokesperson)

Laura Wells ran as the Green Party candidate for Governor of California in 2010, and for State Controller of California in 2002 and 2006. In 2002/, she received 419,873 votes, the most ever for a Green Party candidate in a statewide partisan race in California. Starting in 1992, Wells was a member of the first Green Party County Council in Alameda County and in 2002, she co-founded Green Focus, a party newspaper. Wells was part of the 2006 campaign steering committee that achieved 69% voter approval of Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) in Oakland.

Wells has over 20 years experience in financial systems - investments, pension funds, union dues accounting, and real estate loans. She holds a B.A. from Wayne State University (Detroit, MI, Phi Beta Kappa), and an M.Ed. from Antioch University. She lives in Oakland and is the proud mother of twenty-something Natalia.

Committee Duties and Authority

According to Green Party of California Bylaws, Section 7-7, the following governs the Media Standing Committee:

7-7.1 Duties and Authority

- The Media Standing Committee is charged with facilitating all GPCA communications

- The Media Standing Committee shall develop and distribute media releases that express positions in accordance with the GPCA platform; coordinate press conferences around significant figures and issues; draft and distribute notifications of significant, newsworthy events relevant figures, platforms and growth.

- The Media Standing Committee serves under the direction of the General Assembly of the GPCA.

- The Media Standing Committee assists local chapters of the GPCA to develop media resources.

7-7.2 Membership

The Media Standing Committee is a standing committee with up to 8 members, in accordance with bylaws 6-1.4^*. Co-Coordinators are selected in accordance with bylaws 6-1.9.

7-7.3 Ex Officio Members

The Green Party of California's Press Secretary and designated Spokespeople are non-voting members of the Media Committee.

^*6-1.4 Committee Membership

Coordinating Committee (CC) membership is defined in Section 7-1. Other Committees shall be composed of no more than eight members not including ex officio members (see ex officio members, paragraph 6- 1.7). At least once a year or whenever vacancies exist, the active counties, Group coordinators, and individual CC members shall be given the opportunity to submit nominations or recommendations to the Coordinating Committee for committee membership. Eligible candidates must have attended at least two prior plenaries within the previous 24 months and demonstrate a working knowledge of the GPCA bylaws and operating procedures. Committee members shall be appointed by the Coordinating Committee and shall serve for two years or the remainder of the current term, or if appointed more than 12 months after the start of the current term, shall serve for the remainder of the current term plus two more years, unless a successor is appointed before this time. Terms begin and end at the start of the second plenary of each year and must be staggered whenever possible. Any Committee member may be recalled with a 2/3 vote of the CC.

Media Standing Committee

Green Party of California Spokespersons