Karlee Coleman, a political science and women’s studies major, joined the UNO College Democrats in the Spring of 2005. Her energy immediately helped turn that semester into one for the ages. The following spring she was elected Campus Chair to help assist with organizing our group on the grounds of UNO. Whether it was helping sell our infamous buttons, planning parties, or recruiting members, Karlee showed an incredible amount of leadership for somebody who had only been in the group a short time.

She then ran unopposed the following spring for Campus Vice President, and the rest is history. While serving as Campus VP we held an intensive GOTV effort on campus, invited numerous guest speakers to campus, held protests/rallies throughout the year, and as always - we sold buttons! It became clear that the position of Vice President could not longer contain the ambition of Miss Coleman. The spring of ‘07 marked the two year anniversary of Karlee joining the UNO Dems, and her election as President of the UNO College Democrats. Karlee became the first person to work their way through the entire roster of positions - gaining more experience and respect with each step. She now sits atop the UNO Dems - and if the past has shown us anything, this year is going to be one to remember!

Nick Delman may be the newest member to the officer team, but he’s been around politics longer than anybody. He got involved in the Democratic Party very early in life, and has stuck with it. Through some creative recruitment techniques we were able to secure Nick as a UNO Dem during the Fall of ‘06. It was one of the best things we did that semester!

Though this is his first elected position with the UNO Dems, hopefully it won’t be his last. Some people play baseball, others do math - Nick Delman knows politics. He’s helped streamline and professionalize our operations in the past year, and has worked closely with the officers gaining their respect and their trust. It’s rare that somebody can join a group and be vaulted all the way to VP - but most people aren’t Nick Delman! He’s shown the desire and know-how to get it done. With Karlee stepping up from Campus VP to President, it was necessary to find a strong replacement. To say we accomplisehd that would be an understatement to what Nick has offered this group. Thanks for being part of the UNO Dems Nick - you’ll do a hell of a job!

Jared joined around the same time as Karlee - Spring of ‘05. We are a long way removed from just utilizing Jared’s height to help us with our intramural volleyball team! It wasn’t long before people realized that he had more to offer than hand-eye coordination - and though he didn’t initially hold a position, he was integral to the operations of the UNO Dems.

After his first full year of being a proud UNO Dem, Jared decided to throw his hat in the ring for Community Vice President. Turns out - it was a pretty good throw as he ended up winning the election. During his term we participated in several Habitat For Humanity events, adopted a family during Christmas time, and of course - we helped on campaigns. It turns out that he must have enjoyed spreading the UNO Dems vision throughout the community, because he ran for a second year-long term in the Spring of ‘07. Nobody likes to lose elections, which is likely why nobody challenged Jared for Community VP this time around. Look for more of the same from Jared this next year, it’s going to be fun!

Rachel was another amazing pickup in the Fall of ‘06. Though she did not immediately seek an elected office, she showed her dedication to the group constantly throughout the year. She was integral to our GOTV efforts in the fall, she helped staff countless button tables, and she was a driving force behind nearly everything we’ve accomplished in the past year.

Early in the second semester of the 06-07 school year, it was determined by the current officers that we needed to elect a historian. It was great to see Rachel get elected to this position - and she has served admirably since. She has taken the initiative to create the first every UNO Dems Yearbook, which will be available at the end of this semester. She has only held an elected office for a few months, but her leadership began the moment she joined. She was elected Secretary of the UNO Dems in our latest election, and she will surely take this position to the next level.

Laura joined us in the Fall of ‘06, and hasn’t looked back. I’m not sure what made her decide to attend her first meeting, but whatever it was, I’m glad we did it! Laura was immediately elected as our technology chair after being a UNO Dem for less than a month. Since then she has helped make sure our website is up to date and fully functional.

Aside from the internet, she has been a dedicated member across the board. She has always been willing to help another officer if there is something that needs to be done. After spending nearly a full academic year with the UNO Dems, she decided she wanted a bigger role. She was elected as our Treasurer in the spring of ‘07, and we look forward to another great year with Laura on board!