About DPSFV - Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley

SERVING VALLEY DEMOCRATS SINCE 1978

The Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley (DPSFV) is the coordinating body for a coalition of Democratic Clubs that includes all Assembly Districts whose parts or whole lie within what is commonly known as the San Fernando Valley.

Members of DP/SFV are mostly members of the affiliated clubs. DP/SFV is chartered by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party Central Committee. The organization is run by its Executive Board through monthly meetings. The executive board consists of officers and members elected at a biennial General Assembly in odd-numbered years, plus one representative from each affiliated club and several Democratic Party officials as ex-officio members. The current board was elected in February 2023, and the next General Assembly will take place in early 2025.

OUR PURPOSE AND GOALS

It shall be the purpose of this organization in all of its endeavors to coordinate Democratic Party activity in the San Fernando Valley; to motivate party members; to develop leadership; to increase party responsibility; to contribute to the growth and influence of Democratic Clubs and the Democratic Party; to maintain and promote harmony within party ranks; to maintain a Democratic visibility in the San Fernando Valley and contiguous areas; and to encourage greater participation in the political process by all Democrats and to motivate non-Demcrats to join our party.

We must strengthen this grassroots coalition of progressive Democrats to support and conduct an effective, independent campaign for the Presidency and for Congress.

DPSFV meets the first Monday of every month unless a holiday conflicts with that meeting. The meetings are held at the Van Nuys State Office Building at 6150 Van Nuys Bl. in Van Nuys, CA. During the pandemic, we meet online via Zoom.

OFFICERS FOR 2023-2025 TERM

Chair: Sean Rivas
1st Vice Chair: Brian Gavidia
2nd Vice Chair: Stacy Fortner
Recording Secretary: Michael Colorge
Corresponding Secretary: Niki Mohr
Controller: Michael Menjivar
Parlimentarian: Mike Young

Chair Emeritus: Shanna Ingalsbee

In addition to elected board members by Assembly Districts and at large, each affiliated club has a representative on the board and several Democratic Party officials are ex-officio members.

The DPSFV Executive Board meets monthly, usually the first Monday, at 7:00 pm via Zoom. All Democrats are invited to come to our meetings however only board members can vote.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DPSFV

In 1976 a group of active Democrats in the San Fernando Valley formed a group called Democratic Clubs of the San Fernando Valley. Members of this group included Ted Gutman, Wayne Fisher, and Helen Greenberg. Wayne Fisher and Helen Greenberg served as chairs of this organization. The purpose was to provide a coordinating organization for grass-roots Democrats with the combined strength to open and run campaign headquarters.

A few years later, on October 14, 1978, members of Democratic Clubs and other Democrats met under an oak tree in front of the home of Dodo Meyer, a Deputy to Mayor Tom Bradley. This group formed the United Democratic Steering Committee (UDSC). Democratic Clubs was folded into the UDSC. At the time, Helen Greenberg was Chair of Democratic Clubs. The UDSC elected Frankye Schneider as its chair. Subsequent elections were held early in odd-numbered years. Some time during this period, the name was changed to Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley. The reason for the choice of the new name was to emphasize the role of UDSC or DPSFV as the principal umbrella and coordinating group for Democratic clubs in the San Fernando Valley. It was expected that similar organizations would come into existence to coordinate Democratic activities in other parts of Los Angeles County.

In recent years DPSFV has been recognized by the California Democratic Party as a model for other organizations statewide. DPSFV operates the largest independent campaign office in the entire state, bringing in hundreds of volunteers and making hundreds of thousands of phone calls each campaign cycle.

Chairs of UDSC and DPSFV from 1979 to the present are as follows:

1979-1983 Frankye Schneider
1983-1987 Wayne Fisher
1987-1990 Bud Knutsen
1991-1993 Ed Burke
1993-1996 Carol Blad
1996-1997 Wayne Fisher
1997-1999 Moreen Blum
1999-2001 Kimon Kotos
2001-2007 Jeff Daar
2007-2015 Agi Kessler
2015-2017 Chad Jones
2017-2021 Shanna Ingalsbee
2021-present Sean Rivas

DP/SFV BYLAWS
Click here to download our bylaws (as amended, Feb 5, 2011)