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Struthers auditor likely to lead Dem group
STRUTHERS
Struthers Auditor Tina Morell is expected to be chosen president of the Federated Democratic Women of Ohio during the political organization’s annual fall convention Saturday.
Because of the 2012 presidential campaign, Morell, the organization’s first vice president for the past two years, said this is a “very good time” to head the Federated Democratic Women, which has about 400 clubs throughout the state.
“I’ll be involved in the President [Barack] Obama campaign and will be an executive-committee member of both the state and the federal Democratic parties,” Morell said.
The Federated Democratic Women’s convention is Thursday through Saturday at the Holiday Inn in Boardman.
The original plan was to have the event in Columbus, its typical location, but Morell said Mahoning County Democrats “fought very hard” to have the convention in the Mahoning Valley. The three-day event also celebrates the group’s 80th anniversary.
The election of officers is to take place Saturday morning.
Morell, Struthers auditor for nearly eight years, is likely to be unopposed for the president’s position as it is tradition for the first vice president to be selected president after that person’s two-year term is up.
A nominating committee of the group’s members is recommending Morell, who served two years as second vice president before spending the last two years as first vice president.
After the election, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown will swear in the group’s new officers. The justice also is the event’s keynote speaker.
“The federation promotes Democratic ideals and values,” Morell said. “We organize and unite Democratic women and promote the causes of the Democratic Party.”
Joyce Kale-Pesta, deputy director of the Mahoning County Board of Elections, is a past president of the federation.
The three-day conference will include sessions on campaigning and marketing candidates as well as a panel discussion at 10:30 a.m. Friday on Senate Bill 5. The bill, which reduces the collective-bargaining rights of public employees, is subject to a repeal on the Nov. 8 election ballot as Issue 2.