Leslie Driskill

Template:TOCnestleft Leslie Driskill is an Oklahoma activist.

Formation

On May 15th, 2016, five local citizens were recognized as the official Executive Committee in Oklahoma City for the national Democratic Socialists of America. Eric Crump, Leslie Driskill, Leo Loveless, Mark Maxey, and Mabruka Yazidi, officially signed their By-Laws on May 15, 2016 at their second meeting. They are planning their third meeting in June. They have successfully been chartered through the national organization as a Local Chapter.^[1]

OCDS Facebook group

Members of the Oklahoma City Democratic Socialists Facebook group, as of March 16, 2017, included Leslie Driskill .

NPC candidate

In August 2017 Leslie Driskill stood for election to the Democratic Socialists of America National Political Committee, at the National Convention in Chicago.^[2]

I am running as a part of the Praxis platform, along with Ravi Ahmad, Allie Cohn, Celeste Earley, Michael Patterson, R.L. Stephens, and Zac Echola. I chose to be a part of this awesome team because we share the same vision of empowering chapters at the local level to pursue the issues that are important in their region. I believe that in order to grow our organization, we need representation from all areas of the US. Organizing and base building in the South/Plains/Midwest is a totally different animal than organizing and base building in the coastal states. We need the perspectives of team members from all regions in order to make fully informed decisions that affect members all over the country. I also realize that having input from comrades with varied backgrounds and experiences is also vital to being able to see the big picture. I highly value the fact that our team is so diverse. We have all learned from each other’s experiences and have taken all into account when developing our platform.We would love for you to check out our platform at DSAPraxis.org. We are also active on Facebook and Twitter (@DSA_Praxis). We welcome any questions, and especially welcome feedback about what YOU want to see from our NPC.

My thought on leading is that logistics is one of the most important and least exciting parts of leading a successful organization. Professionally, I manage a large research program with many moving pieces. I am Lean-Six Sigma certified and oversee workflow as well as finances. In my first six months in my position, I was able to help our team simplify organizational processes to save time and effort. We have fewer errors, fewer lost action items, and faster turnover times. With a spike in growth, it will be crucial for DSA to be very organized and very strategic with spending to ensure our staff are not overloaded. On the recent National Budget call, someone asked a question and nobody on the call was sure who should answer it. This is a problem in most organizations- a lack of clear roles and responsibilities. If elected, I hope to visit the National office to discuss the various roles and responsibilities so we can develop a clear internal reference guide of who completes what task. I also hope to assess the current fundraising system so we can ensure that the Swag Store is always fully stocked with that sweet Socialist Swag we all want. Lastly, I’d like to assess the managerial processes in place and help develop more streamlined processes for easier management and enhanced organization. This will also help reduce the workload on DSA staff and the NPC so all can focus on organizing.

One of my goals for this year was to become more active with DSA on the National level. I served as co-chair on the Social subcommittee of the DSA at The People’s Summit Host Committee. At this year’s convention, I am working on the Convention Marshals team as well as serving as an official media spokesperson. I’ll also be a trainer at the DSA Values, Structure, and Strategy workshop. Lastly, Zac Echola and I are helping to develop and deliver the Rural, Small Town, and Suburban Organizing workshop. As you can imagine, I have a busy convention ahead!

I serve as Chair of my chapter. My current work has been scattered lately, partially by chance and partially due to the many issues that face Oklahoma. Our chapter had a few major internal issues at the beginning of its inception, which we have just begun to smooth out. For the past few months, I have been working with our chapter leadership and core members to build a base, organize our administrative processes, and become more active in our community.

We are hosting a Labor Day picnic to collect supplies and donations for the school, cohosted by DSA member and Oklahoma Gubernatorial Candidate Connie Johnson. One of the keys to organizing in red states where some of our ideals may seem controversial is to focus on the common ground and move together, so our chapter felt education was a great place to start. Outside of DSA, I recently served on the steering committee for the Oklahoma City March for Science. I also serve on the SMART board at a local elementary school, which serves to generate funding for the school’s art teacher..^[3]

2017-2017 DSA NPC members

Members elected to the Democratic Socialists of America National Political Committee, August 2017;

DSA Prairie Dog Caucus

Members of DSA Prairie Dog Caucus closed Facebook group. As of August, 2017, included Leslie Driskill.^[4]

DSA Women's Caucus Facebook group

Members of the DSA Women's Caucus closed Facebook group, as of August 25, 2017 included Leslie Driskill .^[5]

OKC DSA Discussion Group

Members of the OKC DSA closed Facebook Discussion Group, accessed November 8, 2017 included Leslie Driskill. ^[6]

"Wholesome Meme Stash"

Members of the Democratic Socialists of America Wholesome Meme Stash closed Facebook group, accessed November 14, 2017 included Leslie Driskill.^[7]

References

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[1] PRESS RELEASE – LAWRENCE WARE MAY 29, 2016 OKCDSA

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[7] [https://www.facebook.com/groups/DSAWholesomeMemes/

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