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Our dear friend, Linda Bock, passed away on October 3, 2023. Those of you who knew Linda, know what an amazing person and activist she was. She was a long time Board Member & Officer for Fix Democracy First.
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Cindy Black has been the Executive Director of Fix Democracy First since 2016. She was also the Campaign Director for WAmend’s successful statewide 2016 ballot Initiative 735 campaign, making Washington the 18th State to call for a U.S. Constitutional amendment to end court decisions like Citizens United. She is active with several state and national coalitions, addressing voting access, money in elections, alternative voting systems, and increasing civic participation. Cindy is committed to helping pass pro-democracy legislation locally and nationally, as well as building an active citizen’s movement through ongoing coalition building, common sense reforms, and public outreach.
Ken is president and secretary of the Education Fund board and vice president of the FDF board. He is a retired Everett firefighter, paramedic and fire captain. He’s been active in Firefighter’s Local 46 and various community groups. In his previous lives, he was the drummer in the 60’s era rock band Fragile Lime, a reluctant soldier, a scholar (Ph.D. in developmental psychology), an adjunct professor, dishwasher, and just about everything in between. He serves on the newsletter committee and chairs the resource development committee.
Norm is treasurer of both the FDF and Education Fund boards. Former chair of the corporate personhood/clean elections committee for MoveOn.org’s Seattle Council and former Coordinator for the reported #1 council in MoveOn. Co-founder of WAmend and chair of the committee that wrote I-735. Norm was instrumental in helping write the initiative language and is a great source of historical and constitutional information.
Alpana is vice president of the Education board and secretary of the FDF board. She is an educator, advocate, community organizer, and academic researcher. As an activist, she has been involved in public policy work for over 15 years through various organizations. She is committed to empower communities at the local, state, and federal level. She has over a decade of experience teaching K-12 students and post-doctoral research experience in higher academia.
Linda is president of the FDF board and former WAmend Chair. She grew up in Canada, but moved after graduate school to the United States. After 20 years without a political voice, she became a citizen in 2000, and vowed to roll up her sleeves for the changes she wanted to see. As a psychologist, Linda abhorred the role insurance companies play in the health care she was able to offer her patients and the pre-existing conditions they were saddled with. It was clear to her that big money (and the political leverage that purchases in the US) was impacting the care people were receiving.
Ken is president and secretary of the Education Fund board and vice president of the FDF board. He is a retired Everett firefighter, paramedic and fire captain. He’s been active in Firefighter’s Local 46 and various community groups. In his previous lives, he was the drummer in the 60’s era rock band Fragile Lime, a reluctant soldier, a scholar (Ph.D. in developmental psychology), an adjunct professor, dishwasher, and just about everything in between. He serves on the newsletter committee and chairs the resource development committee.
Alpana is vice president of the Education board and secretary of the FDF board. She is an educator, advocate, community organizer, and academic researcher. As an activist, she has been involved in public policy work for over 15 years through various organizations. She is committed to empower communities at the local, state, and federal level. She has over a decade of experience teaching K-12 students and post-doctoral research experience in higher academia.
Norm is treasurer of both the FDF and Education Fund boards. Former chair of the corporate personhood/clean elections committee for MoveOn.org’s Seattle Council and former Coordinator for the reported #1 council in MoveOn. Co-founder of WAmend and chair of the committee that wrote I-735. Norm was instrumental in helping write the initiative language and is a great source of historical and constitutional information.
Erik is an Attorney with the law firm Lee Smart. He graduated cum laude from Seattle University School of Law, where he served as the Business and Marketing Editor for the school’s law review and made the Dean’s List. Erik has previously worked on election reform issues as a steering committee member for Fair Elections Seattle’s Proposition 1 campaign, and for FairVote, including in their national headquarters in the Washington, DC area, and as the campaign manager against three ballot measures in Pierce County, Washington. Prior to that, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Swaziland, working on HIV/AIDS education.
Jim is the founder and Executive Director of the Citizens Institute for Public Policy. He led the “Safer Spokane” campaign to require crude oil shipments through Spokane to have a reduced volatility, which ultimately led to a State law accomplishing the objective statewide. He served on the Board of “Spokane Moves to Amend” (S.M.A.C.), which was the group working for I-735 (and subsequently folded into Fix Democracy First). He is currently working on a project to convert Avista Utilities to a non-profit, customer-owned cooperative. Jim has three grown children and 4 grandchildren.
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