DPG hires homegrown grassroots leader.
Yesterday I managed to sneak out of work a little early to attend a gathering of local bloggers and new media folks all invited to meet Matt Weyandt, the newly hired Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia. Congratulations to Jane Kidd, recently elected DPG Chair, for her good judgement. Matt is a great choice. Being a native Atlantan he has an understanding of the local scene; having worked for the Jim Martin campaign in 2006 he has statewide campaign experience. In addition, his grassroots campaign work on the West Coast provides the broader experience and connections necessary to help us engage across the southeast and nation. He's warm and willing to listen. I had a "most embarrassing moment" at one point during the small round-table discussion when I realized that, while I thought I had never met him, I actually had the pleasure of meeting him very early on in the Jim Martin campaign. My apologies, Matt, for being such a bonehead.
The DPG has hard work ahead of them. Even this impromptu (I got my "official invitation" the day before) meeting had it's pitfalls. Shelby, veteran Atlanta blogger, new media expert, and volunteer extraordinaire apparently learned about the meeting via comments on the blog of local independent-minded, Grift Drift. Even so, Shelby gives a good review of the content of the meeting over at Shelbinator. Those who showed up were of varied outlooks and experiences and all seemed interested in helping the cause.
A couple of take-away lessons for the DPG:
-Remember that most of us bloggers have full-time jobs - schedule accordingly.
-If you're not sure who should be on the invitation list let us help you.
-Ask people to turn off cell-phones and do so yourselves.
Thank you, Matt, for taking the time to meet with all of us. We look forward to working with you! Hope we can get together again soon.
Comments (4)
Turn off cell phones? How are we supposed to live-Twitter the meeting???
But seriously folks...I dunno, churches, theaters, and cinemas should ask people to silence their mobile devices. Everywhere else, I think we ought to just have the ability to figure out discretion. Plus it's a good way to identify where people's priorities are! :-P
Posted by shelby![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blogfordemocracy.org/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 9, 2007 12:29 PM
Posted on June 9, 2007 12:29
Really enjoyed seeing Matt again. Thanks to Martin for arranging the Meet&Greet. (And I'm pretty sure you've been added to the list now Shelby.)
Long story short, Matt rocks! I wish him the best of success and very much look forward to working with him.
Posted by MelGX![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blogfordemocracy.org/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 9, 2007 12:59 PM
Posted on June 9, 2007 12:59
Oh but that I was a local blogger.
Posted by Sid Cottingham![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blogfordemocracy.org/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 9, 2007 9:05 PM
Posted on June 9, 2007 21:05
Got to see Matt again today, was really good that he was at the North Georgia Rally.
Welcome home buddy!
Posted by Tim![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blogfordemocracy.org/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 10, 2007 6:55 PM
Posted on June 10, 2007 18:55