Contact

Office Hours: Wednesday 4 - 7 PM and Saturday 1 - 4 PM

Headquarters: 1 W. 5th Street, Holland, MI 49423  (616) 396-7842
Mailing Address:  P.O.Box 1792, Holland, MI 49422-1792

Chair: Liddy Olszewski     info@ottawadems.com

1st Vice Chair: Doug Zylstra  616.953.6087   doug.r.zylstra@gmail.com

2nd Vice Chair: Joan Deters

Treasurer: Jerry Kirsch

Recording Secretary and Membership Chair: Sheila Nicholas

Kristin and Steve are two young political leaders who lent their talents and skills to OCDP over the last few months.  We thank them for their efforts as our Fall 2011 Interns!

Kristin Mahn is entering her senior year as a Political Science major at Grand Valley State University, and is the current President of the GVSU College Democrats.  Kristin says she is “always encouraging people to educate themselves [about political issues] and raising awareness among my friends regardless of their ideology.”  She believes that true civic engagement “means standing up for what you believe in and holding your leaders accountable,” and also “mobilizing those who have similar beliefs and getting out there and making sure that everyone has all the information they need to make well-informed political decisions.” 

Kristin chose to intern with OCDP “because I wanted to get an idea of how a party works, and get more hands-on experience with politics.”  She says the idea of equality is what drives her political action.  “No one should be treated differently because of something beyond their control,” she states, adding “I am also a big advocate of many social programs like welfare, Medicare and Medicaid.”  She believes “the government’s job is not to make a profit; its job is to keep the country on track and help those in need.”  After graduating from GVSU, Kristin plans to pursue graduate school with the goal of one day teaching at a university or law school. 

Steve James is an alum of Michigan State University, with a goal of becoming a political strategist or manager of a national campaign.  He says, “I’m interested in the complexities of how to get somebody elected and how to create a movement among a large number of individuals,” and he would one day “love to spearhead a presidential run.”  Steve currently leads a political life “by actively engaging people and encouraging people to care about the world around them.”  He thinks it is important for all people to have “active participation in the political actions of a given community.”  To that end, Steve is constantly encouraging his family and peers “to at least think about the policies and actions of a governing body and to participate in the debate on important issues.”

Steve is particularly interested in political action on “environmental issues and social issues, such as reproductive choice and gay rights.”  He’s excited that his OCDP internship will help him to build his political organizing skills so that he can run large-scale campaigns around these issues.  Steve says, “I am thrilled to be learning and participating in the behind-the-scenes things that help a political party operate at a county level, and I cannot wait for the election season and all of the volunteer coordinating opportunities it will present.”  Steve recently moved to Holland with his girlfriend, Pip, and currently works at the Wuskowahn Players Club on the Greens Staff.