News

Gertrude Stein Democratic Club Elects Officers For Year 2007

Washington, DC - November 21, 2006 - On Monday, November 13th, 2006 the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club (Stein Club) held elections for its Executive Committee at its monthly meeting held at the John A. Wilson District building.

Elected as President is Mr. Mario Acosta-Velez. Mr. Acosta-Velez, a longtime civil rights advocate for the Latino and LGBT communities, currently serves as Vice Chair of the District of Columbia Commission on Human Rights and Chair of the Commission's outreach and education committee. He also serves on the District of Columbia Workforce Investment Council as an Executive Committee member and Chair of the Universal Access Committee, is a current Board Member of the ACLU-National Capital Area, and is an elected board member of the National Stonewall Democrats. Mario served as Stein Club's President in 2006 and previously served as Vice President for Political Affairs and Secretary. Mario is a graduate of the Harvard's 2005 Executives in State and Local Government Program, a member of Leadership Greater Washington, and the recipient of the 2006 Capital Pride Hero Award. A long-term resident of Ward 2, Mario has two master's degrees in Public Administration and in Political Science, and is a diversity and strategic planning consultant.

Elected as Vice President for Political Affairs is Darren A. Bowie. Mr. Bowie is Assistant General Counsel at AOL, where he manages advertising, privacy, and other consumer protection legal matters. Before joining AOL, Darren served in a number of positions at the Federal Trade Commission, including as legal advisor to the FTC Chairman. He prosecuted criminal telemarketing fraud cases as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, and received the FTC's Louis D. Brandeis Outstanding Litigator Award. Darren is Vice Chair of the Consumer Protection Committee of the American Bar Association's Antitrust Section. Darren currently serves as Chair of the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

Elected as 2nd Vice President of Administration is Mr. Darrin Glymph. Mr. Glymph is the current Chairman of the District of Columbia Small and Local Business Opportunity Commission and also serves as Vice Chair of the Center for Family and Youth Investment. Darrin is a longtime Democratic Activist and a founding member of the Gay Men of African Decent (GMAD). Darrin is a Municipal Finance Attorney practicing in Washington, DC and owns a home in Ward 4.

Elected as Treasurer is Tim Mahony. Mr. Mahony is Associate Director of Government Affairs for the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), where he assists the President in all legislative strategies and works with the Accounting Office to approve budgets for all special events sponsored by the Government Affairs Office. Tim worked as an intern in the fall of 2005 for Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. Tim previously worked as a Social Worker for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. In 1994, Tim and his parents played a key role in adding sexual orientation to the Omaha Public School District's anti-discrimination policy, which was the first such inclusion in Nebraska. In 2006, Tim was active in the Stein Club's membership and mayoral forum committees. Tim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Elected as Secretary is Jeff Marootian. Mr. Marrotian is a community organizer and currently serves as the Manager for Community Partnerships at DC's Metropolitan Police Department, where he is responsible for collaborating with community leaders to create and sustain effective police and community relationships. Jeff has broad experiences in higher education and government being responsible for advancement strategies, policy advocacy, and government relations. A former Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, Jeff continues his active involvement in city affairs and Democratic politics. He served on the Mayor's HIV/AIDS Policy Advisory Commission and has been active with several grassroots campaigns. Jeff holds a Master's of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from The George Washington University.

The Stein Club, founded in 1976, is a membership organization dedicated to growing the political participation, representation, and visibility of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in the District of Columbia's political process. It is also the local organization of National Stonewall Democrats, a grassroots network connecting LGBT Democratic activists from all across the United States.

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