Meet the candidates running for WSCO's Board of Directors! Read on to hear from the four candidates who have applied. Additional candidates may be nominated (or nominate themselves) tonight, and may not be included in this list.
Voting will take place at WSCO's Annual Meeting on tonight, Tuesday November 9th from 6:00PM- 8:00PM. Register today here!
Questions? Check out our FAQ.
Returning candidates
Marcus Troy
Marcus is a long time West Sider who served as an alternate and then stepped up to our Board. The term he stepped into has concluded, and now he has the opportunity to run again for the Board of Directors. Check out some of the videos with Marcus at WSCO over the past year: speaking on rent stabilization, giving a speech recognizing Gilbert De La O at the West Side's first Juneteenth Celebration, and speaking about West Side Booster history.
New candidates
Sue Letourneau
Why do you want to serve as a board member of the West Side Community Organization (WSCO)? What excites you about our mission and work?
I strongly believe and support the WSCO mission of building power to advance justice and racial equity. I am excited to work with my neighbors who share a common goal. I would also look forward to supporting Monica and her staff in their work. I have observed their good work through participating in the Voices Forum and other community activities and am impressed with their skills and commitment. I love the West Side and want to become more involved.
Please tell us how your personal and community values would inform your decisions on WSCO's board.
I am committed to fighting racism as it is the root cause of health and economic inequities. Policies, systems and environmental changes are needed to advance equity. I believe communities know best about how to solve their own problems. I would approach decision making by asking questions such as: Is this something that is wanted and needed by our community members? Are community members involved in the decision making process? I value a consensus building approach and believe in open and honest communication.
What will you bring to the table as a board member?
A commitment to making our neighborhood a better place to live and work. I come from a very large family. Having nine siblings and over 100 people in my extended family has given me a great deal of experience in problem solving, conflict management and the ability to deal with lots of different personalities and points of view. I also draw upon my Grandmother's words, "Many hands make light work." I know how to dig in and get the work done. I spent my entire professional life working for and /or supporting projects focused on community led solutions. I recently retired from the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross where I managed Blue Cross funded community projects focused on food justice and increasing access to healthy food. Prior to that I was the health and nutrition state program director at the U of MN Extension and managed the SNAP Ed program.
What do you hope to gain from this experience? How can WSCO help you grow as a leader?
I hope to become more deeply involved in my neighborhood and develop stronger relationships with my neighbors. I have mostly been involved in food security and food justice efforts and may want to spread my wings into some new issue areas.
Myisha Holley
Why do you want to serve as a board member of the West Side Community Organization (WSCO)? What excites you about our mission and work?
I would like to serve as a member on the WSCO board as a representative and voice for the black renters, black mothers and women, community members-people that are also affected by issues and concerns of the westside-the community we live in. I believe in serving my community and have always done so. I am extremely excited about everything WSCO does and stands for, from Voices to the Equitable development scorecard. I believe in eliminating and eradicating social and racial injustices and equity for everyone. I believe WSCO stands for that, has values and groundwork that has already been laid for generations and generation to come. That's what excites me about WSCO's mission and work, their ability and integrity to include and lead the community but also be grounded within the community.
Please tell us how your personal and community values would inform your decisions on WSCO's board.
My personal and community values would assist in guiding my decisions made on the board. I practice self-awareness and can recognize my own biases, with that being said I believe there is only room for fairness, equality, equity, and accountability. I believe in being respectful, being selfless, and service. Every decision I that would make would only be for the good of and best intentions of WSCO and the westside community.
What will you bring to the table as a board member?
I hope to bring my thoughtfulness, experience as a board member, my experience to see the westside community from the perspective of a social work (empower and meet our community on their-terms and where they're at), my experience as a community member and renter-I know the issues and concerns that affect us westsiders.
What do you hope to gain from this experience? How can WSCO help you grow as a leader?
What I hope to gain from this experience is greater knowledge of the westside (the history, culture, environment), a greater connection with my community, the experience of being involve in my community on a mezzo level and hopefully the ability to resolve some of the issues and concerns that affect us westsiders. WSCO can help me grow as a leader by being supportive in areas that I am not strong in, offering advice and guidance when needed and/or at appropriate timing. WSCO can help me grow as a leader by offering trainings and workshops.
Mylazia McPipe
Why do you want to serve as a board member of the West Side Community Organization (WSCO)? What excites you about our mission and work?
I would like to be a voice for the youth of color in my community, I know the issues that affect us. And know how most of us feel about those issues.
Please tell us how your personal and community values would inform your decisions on WSCO's board.
I believe the community should be first, the decisions I make will be guided by putting the community first.
What will you bring to the table as a board member?
I will bring my perspective as a voice for the youth, my ability to think creatively and see things "outside-the-box".
What do you hope to gain from this experience? How can WSCO help you grow as a leader?
I hope to gain leadership experience in my westside community and to learn more about what it is I can do to help improve my community and make it great for everyone to live.
Bella Mendoza
Why do you want to serve as a board member of the West Side Community Organization (WSCO)? What excites you about our mission and work?
I have always been invested and connected to the work WSCO has done. Since I was in my early teen years I've continued to help WSCO in any way I can. What excites me most is that above all WSCO stands for the community. We help people use their voices for things that matter.
Please tell us how your personal and community values would inform your decisions on WSCO's board.
Being born and raised on the Westside is only part of it for me. I am someone known for my dedication to helping. Not only in our community but every community I am apart of. So when you ask how my values would help inform my decisions the answer is simple. They won't, the things I've learned from being invested in community will.
What will you bring to the table as a board member?
I believe I bring many different things to not only WSCO but every community I am a part of. As a bisexual, afrolatina, and a woman who is also bigger bodied I bring the perspective of someone who is often left out of conversations. I am also a 3rd generation activist, 2nd generation citizen, and a 1st generation racial and social justice advocate. With those I bring the perspective of someone who is not only a fighter but someone who is motivated by change and even inspired by it. Lastly I was raised in a multi generation home by a single mom, because of this I was raised to have my values deeply rooted in family. I have seen generations of strong women fight to have their voices heard and fight to be seen. So when you ask what I bring, the reality is I bring all of me.
What do you hope to gain from this experience? How can WSCO help you grow as a leader?
With any experience I hope to not only learn new things but also build on the skills I've already acquired throughout my life. I believe that being on the board could be a life-changing experience and I hope that if I am selected I can pass on the inspiraton and hope that WSCO has brought me and everyone else in the community. I know that a small pebble can create ripples that are endless, WSCO is that pebble.
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