New Mexico Fair Vote Director Maria Perez
COMMUNITY News:
Director of New Mexico Fair Vote Maria Perez is the featured speaker at the Voices of Los Alamos meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m., July 23 at the Unitarian Church at 1738 N. Sage Loop.
Originally from Ecuador, Perez has a BS in Biology and an MS in Chinese Medicine. As a health care practitioner and advocate, Perez spent more than 10 years serving uninsured and underinsured populations. She also is a former health educator, having served in faculty and curriculum development roles for community health workers and Chinese medicine students. Perez spent several years deeply involved with Affordable Care Act outreach, education and enrollment, and legislative work in the state of New Mexico. She strongly pushed for the use of ranked choice vote in Santa Fe, which was used for the first time this past March to elect Mayor Alan Webber in Santa Fe.
FairVote is a nonpartisan champion of electoral reforms that gives voters greater choice, a stronger voice, and a representative democracy that works for all Americans. FairVote has a proven record since 1992 as a nonpartisan trailblazer that advances and wins electoral reforms at the local, state and national level through strategic research, communications and collaboration. Today they are the driving force behind advancing ranked choice voting and fair representation in multi-winner legislative districts that will open up our elections to better choices, fairer representation and more civil campaigns.
Other items on the agenda for the July 23 meeting include:
Laura Mullane, middle school parent who championed the need to update the LAPS dress code, will summarize her meeting with Superintendent Dr. Steinhaus.
Karyl Ann Armbruster, secretary of the NM PED Public Education Commission, will discuss pros and cons of school vouchers and charter schools.
Information will be provided regarding Los Alamos’ Zero Waste subcommittee, which partners with the high school echo club, the Pajarito Environmental Education Center and the Sierra Club. Anyone interested in attending a meeting of the Zero Waste subcommittee should email solidwaste@lacnm.us for more information.
