This past weekend the Wisconsin Green Party held our 2013 Summer Gathering. We were honored to be joined by the Green Party’s 2012 Presidential Nominee, Dr. Jill Stein, who gave a rousing keynote and helped us to strategize about the future of the Wisconsin Green Party and the U.S. Green Party.

We elected new state party officers, a statewide coordinating council, and delegates to the national Green Party meeting to be held July 25-28 in Iowa City, Iowa. Four out of five of the newly elected officers are Greens under 30, several of whom were inspired to join the Green Party by the Jill Stein for President campaign. Dave Schwab and Erika Wolf were elected as co-chairs, Adam Porton and Jolie Lizotte were elected as co-secretaries, and Michael Slattery was elected as treasurer.

“The meeting was a great success,” said co-chair Dave Schwab of Madison. “We laid the foundation for a growing, dynamic Wisconsin Green Party focused on winning concrete improvements to people’s lives. Americans are increasingly realizing that a better way forward is needed, and the Green Party is ready to be their voice.”

At the meeting, members discussed how to grow the Wisconsin Green Party, held a training on building local parties and running for office, made plans for upcoming skills trainings and issue campaigns (including a working group to stop the Penokee open-pit mine), and started the process of setting goals for the 2014 Spring and Fall elections.

As we grow and evolve, the Wisconsin Green Party is proud to present a true alternative to the two corporate-sponsored parties that dominate the political environment in Wisconsin and across the country, and we look forward to Wisconsinites learning more about the party and realizing that they too are Greens.

For more information on the Wisconsin Green Party, visit our website and our facebook page.