Why I am a Democrat!
Hello and
thank you for being interested in the process of choosing the next FCDC chair.
My name is Cesar del Aguila and many know me from my work in
the FCDC, or from other organizations such as: Vice Chair of
the Dranesville Committee, The Brigades, The Dulles Area
Democrats or from my work on numerous Democratic elections over the years,
including the last Herndon Town Council election which brought us much needed
change.
My name
sometimes stops people short for a minute as they decide how to pronounce it.
There is no mistaking that it’s of Hispanic origin and I don’t run away
from that. I feel fortunate to be an American. My parents earned their way toward
citizenship and the right to vote in this country. My mother cast her
first vote for Bill Clinton. And when I asked her why she voted for
him, she explained that he is a Democrat, and Democrats “take care of people.”
I grew up
believing that Democrats are the party of the people – all people:
including those who have a small voice, no voice or a voice
that speaks in a language other than English. You don’t need a blood test
to be a Democrat. One of the core values of the Democratic Party is
our inclusiveness – we have a big tent and all that believe in our core values
are welcome here. I have not simply espoused that belief all my life, I
have lived it.
The Fairfax
County Democratic Committee is a powerhouse in Virginia and our ability to
fundraise, support candidates and influence opinion impacts the entire Commonwealth.
We have more Democratic candidates, incumbent legislators and voting
Democrats here than anywhere else in Virginia. That is an awesome and humbling
responsibility. The FCDC needs to take a greater leadership role as we
move our state from red to purple to blue.
In my humble
opinion, the primary objective of the FCDC is to identify, cultivate, include
and empower local Democrats – that means members, candidates and
voters. The larger we grow our organization, the more structure we
need to operate effectively and efficiently. We need the size, breadth,
depth and diversity of a major corporation without the attendant bureaucracy –
to which the majority of large organizations inevitably fall prey. I
think the key is recognizing the need to have leaders at many levels and to
collaborate in a productive way around common goals.
I believe the
role of a leader is to inspire, empower and motivate others to achieve specific
and measurable goals. This means being comfortable surrounding yourself
with people who are smarter than you are; recognizing that conflict is a
natural part of growth and doesn’t have to be destructive if handled in a
constructive manner; and that new ideas can come from anywhere – including from
among the newest members and sometimes the less experienced contributors and
not just the most experienced. I want the FCDC to be a place where
diversity means welcoming those who are new to our committee, to politics and
to being a Democrat. How else is it possible to grow wise experienced veteran
Democrats?
In the role of
FCDC chair, I will bring my professional skills in sales and
management to the task of creating measurable goals to
strengthen the initiatives that the FCDC already has in place. I want to share
new ideas and test new approaches to how we do things at the FCDC. I want
us to stretch ourselves as an organization and embrace innovation and new
technology. I want to foster a collaborative approach to problem
solving and agenda-setting so everyone’s voices are heard – those of the
experienced and those whose ideas come from a new perspective unburdened by
tradition and cynicism.
I want to
create a deep bench of leadership talent at every level in the FCDC so we know
that next year and the year after we will have up and coming leaders who are
passionately committed to our values and goals.
In addition to
our support of Democratic candidates, I want FCDC to be a voice for
activism and advocacy in Fairfax County and in Virginia for the issues that
matter to Democrats. And finally, I want your support. I humbly ask for
your support as I put myself out here for consideration as the new Chair of the
Fairfax County Democratic Committee. Together we can achieve the things
that keep us investing our time, energy – and money – in an organization that
is the backbone of Democratic politics in Northern Virginia.
See you at the reorganization meeting January 3rd @ 7:30,
Falls Church High School
7521 Jaguar Trail
Falls Church, Va. 22042
Click here for a MAP
Thank you!
Cesar del
Aguila
www.cesardel.com
cesarforfcdc@gmail.com | 
FCDC Members
