Steering Committee Meeting – AGENDA
Sunday August 24, 2025
8:00 pm EDT
I Setup and Background
Facilitator: Joseph Naham
Steering Committee Roll Call:
1. Arshia Papari (co-chair) – present for the mid-portion of the meeting
2. Cassandra Lems(co-chair) – present
3. Craig Cayetano (co-chair) – present
4. Charles Ostdiek(co-chair) – present
5. Justin Paglino (co-chair) – present
6. Tamar Yager (co-chair) – present
7. Wissam Charafeddine (co-chair) – present
8. Holly Hart (secretary) – present
9. Bob Stuller (transition treasurer) – present
10. Mark Elbourno (incoming treasurer) – present
Observers are asked to remain muted and refrain from using the chat function. If someone wishes to speak to an agenda item, please send a request to secretary@gp.org.
OBSERVERS: Rick Lass, NMex (BAC); Jim Becklund (MI); Starlene Rankin (WA); Donna Pulling (CA); Haryaksha Baba Knauer (LavC); Gloria Mattera (NY, Media); Sandy Przybylak (NY)
Establish Quorum (9 current members, quorum is 5)
ANNOUNCEMENTS, if any – please consider how much time will be needed for these items
1. Note liaison sheet sign-up
2. One dropped item
3. Voting queue
ITEMS marked FYI are included for informational purposes, unless discussion is requested.
Approve Agenda (changes require majority, new items require ⅔ approval)
REQUEST to ADD (Holly) – Monthly/Quarterly Delegates’ Meeting to discuss party-building, suggested by Dave Mulinix, HI – APPROVED, 5 minutes under New Business
REQUEST (Cassandra) – from Rick Lass to talk about federal election in AZ APPROVED, 5 minutes
REQUEST to ADD (Mark) – initiative Uniting for Peace – APPROVED, 5 minutes
II. Treasurer Report (Bob)
Signal
General $64,260.10
Merchant $13,095.70
Savings $88,757.85
PayPal $2,886.51
III. New/Current Business –
1. Online Decisions – FYI (Holly)
1. Request from Craig Cayetano to endorse People’s Conference for Palestine. https://peoplesconferenceforpalestine.org/endorg
https://peoplesconferenceforpalestine.regfox.com/2025-sponsor-the-peoples-conference-for-palestine
APPROVED by CONSENSUS, 48 hours
Holly will follow up to make sure GPUS is on their endorsement list
B. 48/48: Request from Howard Switzer, Banking & Monetary Reform Committee for GPUS co-sponsorship of Torrens U (Australia) Forum
BMRC is already listed as a co-sponsor. Craig hopes we can get a livestream shared to the GPUS YouTube account.
APPROVED, YES: Justin, Charles, Craig, Arshia
ABSTAIN: Tamar, Cassandra, Wissam
Stand-Aside: Holly
IV. Standing Business/Old Business
1. Reminder, follow-up: Open Media and Good Party Request for Party Chairs’ responses. Cassandra was interested in responding. There is no set timeline,but sooner rather than later is probably better
Any update – Cassandra asks for input from other members of the SC.
V. Reports
Co-chairs should review and select committees they want to serve as liaisons. The following list of Co-chairs and committees will be updated. Holly and Justin are following up; Holly to set up calendar or add to Liaison assignment spreadsheet.
Co-chairs, please review liaison spreadsheet and edit, as needed
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1c2gpFv7aivHl29B5Dx-6hixVsA5QUY9I1c6wpz0f2Ko/edit?gid=1854246226#gid=1854246226
1. Guest Committee(s) : TBA; Calendar begun? Invited: None this week. Stay tuned. Interest in setting up a regular calendar; Holly and Justin are following up; Holly to set up calendar or add to Liaison assignment spreadsheet.
Nearly finished
2. Staff (Justin) – Tamar has stepped up to be co-supervisor. Staff meeting is coming up Thursday. Issue with getting Stripe account authored and working with NationBuilder. Mark is willing and authorized to have his home address used, as they need a physical address. Charles is looking for the contract for the interim fundraiser, Rose Roby, trying to get all the pieces in one place. Job ad for Digital Media Coordinator has been updated and posted on gp.org and Idealist.
3. Secretary (Holly) Ongoing General “Housekeeping” Information/Requests: Delegates 101; NEW: Committee Co-chairs Basics. Following with Committee one-on-ones, to the degree possible. Policy/ies on security, storage and access.
Tamar suggested offering caucuses have the option of having a liaison, if they wish.Holly will follow up to inform caucuses.
TBA:
4. Craig: Media, Merch, PCSC, Outreach – may need to reboot Outreach again; Merch is small and could use more people, but working; Media in the middle of a quorum call; will have elections for one – and two-year terms. .
5. Cassandra: ANMCom, ETC, FundCom, Credentials – ANM continues to assess this year’s meeting, and starting to plan for 2026 ANM in Chicago; has received a proposal for Detroit in 2028. Craig advised making sure to ensure safety, accessibility and health issues. ETC tabulation process is complete; official report not out, yet.
6. Wissam: IC, Green Pages, GPAX, BRPP – IC put out call for renewals
7. AC
8. DRC, Platcom – single document version of Platform is in teh works, should be finished and sent to the web manager soon.
9. Charles: FinCom, Animal Rights, GCCC BMRC – FinCom discussed next year’s budget; possible hires and rationales for hires; potential separation of YES caucus bank account. Possible budget amendment for the last part of this year. Attended another GCCC meeting; they are updating their statement of organization to qualify as a qualified multi-candidate PAC. This will allow them to raise more funds for candidates and candidate committees. working on an NDA and Donors’ bill of rights.
10. Wissam attended GPAX meeting; no activity on BRPP; communicating with YES caucus. IC is reactivating with some housekeeping tasks, quorum call.
11. Justin: BAC, EcoAction; Staff Supervisor
VII. Voting Queue – (Holly)
Received for the Queue
-
A. Proposal to Authorize International Collaboration (Creating a Taskforce to Study European Greens Platform Tools in Efforts to Upgrade, Modernize, and Streamline GPUS Platform Tools
SPONSOR: Green Party of Michigan
CONTACT: Wissam Charaffedine
Craig, Tamar stated they saw no need for a proposal, the this can go directly through the International Committee, already working on the issue. Craig noted concerns about Global Greens interaction with US Greens. Charles stated he does not find anything that would prevent this from going forward. Tamar asked if a “finding” the fact that we don’t need a proposal to move forward on what is being proposed with out a voting page proposal.
Charles noted that the timeline should involve two weeks’ discussion. Could also delay sending something to the voting queue if it would address needs of the national committee (like amount of information), can stagger timelines.
Craig stated that the proposal mentions directing communications to European parties that directly told GPUS’ presidential candidate to stand down in 2024. Does this not contradict out platform/policy? Wissam stated they could remove those parties. Tamar suggested removing all names.
FINDING: concern to resolve/clarify (as Wissam had agreed) by removing all country names and all parties, as literal reading is not what was intended.
Will be sent back to the state party to update.
Stand-aside: Tamar, Holly
B. Proposal to Establish a Youth Accessibility & Procedure Reform Working Group
SPONSOR: Green Party of Michigan
CONTACT: Wissam Charafeddine
Holly noted that a working group is already involved in investigating communications platforms. Craig noted a lot of the issues is the lack of the communication with the YES caucus, even though the rest of the party has invited them to participate in party activity with no response. Craig believes Outreach Committee is what needs to be reactivated. Not what is proposed, but it’s not addressing the issues. We need materials in different languages.
Wissam noted frustration with reaching out to Committees, including Outreach, and getting little or no response. If we can mandate some work to committees, there would be no need for these proposals.
Craig noted that putting out a proposal regarding the YES caucus could be seen as infringing on their autonomy. Cassandra asked if we can ask GPMI to temporarily withdraw the proposal until there has been a chance for SC to meet with the YES caucus and others to hear their input.
2 weeks discussion, 1 week vote
Floor Manager: Charles
C. Proposal to Modernize the Branding and Social Media Strategy of the Green Party of the United States
SPONSOR: Green Party of Michigan
CONTACT: Wissam Charafeddine
Holly stated the same view as above, re: Media Committee and ad hoc group looking into various communications platforms
Cassandra stated she would like to see the buy-in from individual committees or caucus before trying to go ahead with this.
FINDINGS: Holly stated that this violates or encroaches on the mission and rules of the Media Committee. Holly will follow up with GPMI and ask them to follow up with Media to see if Media will incorporate or want to adopt the proposal.
D. Coalition Engagement Protocol _need final copy for Google drive
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y31hl2UAcwpP9T7misAKtEgb6v6do0D5/edit#heading=h.7a7myfujosyc
Steering Committee is requested to sponsor
Wissam asked to delay until next meeting.
2. In the Queue —
Discussion
Voting
Completed
#1264 – Format – location for 2026 Annual National MeetingAnnual National Meeting Committee 2025-7-13 Format/location for 2026 Annual National Meeting
Sponsors: Annual National Meeting Committee
Floor Manager: Joseph Naham
Ranked choice vote
Result: 2026 ANM in person in Chicago
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VII. ADDED ITEMS
Rick Lass noted that there is just one Congressional candidate coming up this fall, with Eduardo Quintana in Arizona. Rick stated
that national party should put energy/support into it. would like to see help with volunteer recruitment, phone banking, media. Percentage of vote could be a game-changer. Charles stated that the CCC has not made any funding requests for this year. They have $1000 budgeted, and SC may approve this year up to $1500 regardless of committee request. Holly recommended outreach for volunteers for phone/text backing, social media. Some national social media including Substack. Craig noted that he needs a DONATE button on his website. What does his campaign want us to do? GCCC has created video ads and is buying radio ads; told them they need volunteer and donate buttons for the website.
REQUEST for NC meetings for party building. Tamar suggested using the 5th – day of whatever, since there are no meetings already scheduled on those days. Holly asked for those interested to be in touch and they will move forward.
REQUEST from Mark – United for Peace, UN Resolution. Established in 1950 to override the Security Council veto issue. This would allow the Palestinian state to request and enforce what last year (2024) secretly council voted on. to allow humanitarian aid. LIfeline for Palestine
Holly asked to see the proposal, asked for 48/48 process to start Monday After not seeing anything forthcoming l Cassandra proposed adjournment. No response, but following, proposal for 48/48 was accepted.
IX. Executive Session – None
1. Staff union contract – FINISHED – ??
2. Compensation question.
TOTAL TIME – 3 hours, 10 minutes