2019 Founding Convention Recap!

Our Founding Convention in San Luis Obispo was a great success! The CPA would like to thank the SLO Guild Hall for hosting us and everyone who came out to help make this such a momentous occasion! With over 250 people in attendance from ALL over the state we showed that progressives are ready to come together around shared values to create a better California for all!

All photos by Karen Preuss, unless otherwise noted.

Special thanks to:

– Violet Sage Walker, co-chair and representing the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, who conducted the First Nations opening ceremony at the convention.
– Our guest speakers: SLO Mayor Heidi Harmon; former Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, former SFBOS President Matt Gonzalez, Chair of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and President of the Amah Mutsun Land TrustValentin Lopez, Lakota People’s Law Project Dakotas Counsel Chase Iron Eyes; Lakota People’s Law Project Chief Counsel Danny Sheehan.
– DJ Shahid Buttar and folk artist Patrick O’Malley

Our Founding Convention featured two incredible panels:

Panel 1: Organizing Effectively to Implement a Green New Deal in Our Communities
This panel brought together activists from a variety of local Green New Deal related campaigns that have been or are currently being launched throughout the state in order to discuss strategies and lessons learned that will help progressive activists organize effectively on the local level. Moderated by Creative Greenius Joe Galliani, panelists included: Benjamin Eichert, Director of Greenpower, Jessica Guadalupe Tovar, Organizer for the Local Clean Energy Alliance and Coordinator of the East Bay Clean Power Alliance, Aura Vasquez, Commissioner, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power andMelvin Willis, Richmond City Councilmember and RPA Steering Committee member. PLUS a short video from 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben talking directly to CPA Convention participants.

Panel 2: Envisioning and Creating a Better California For All
This panel brought together activists working on statewide issues of Medicare for All, public banking, education reform and campaign finance reform to discuss and explore a broad and ambitious vision for a Better California For All. how can progressives throughout the state come together as a united front to transform our state, and what would that California look like? Moderated by “Robust Opposition” host Lauren Steiner, panelists include David Jette, Legislative Director of Public Bank Los Angeles, Cynthia Liu, Founder, K12 News Network and ReformCharterSchools.org, Paul Song, President of PNHP CA and Board Member of PNHP National and Healthcare NOW and Michele Sutter, Director and Co-Founder MOVI (Money Out Voters In).

Presentation of Proposals

At our Founding Convention members heard from a variety of presenters who had submitted Proposals to be voted upon by membership at large. All of the Proposals passed! The final amended and ratified Proposals will be posted on this website shortly!

Local Progressive Alliances

We also heard from several local Progressive Alliances that have already formed across the state. Local Progressive Alliances are just some of the many Ally organizations that make up the statewide California Progressive Alliance. Click here to see a full list of all our current official Allies!

Election of Steering Committee

And last but not least, we elected the new Steering Committee, which will serve until the next CPA convening in 2020. Any member of the CPA is eligible to run for the Steering Committee, either as an officer or as an at-large Steering Committee member.

  • Gayle McLaughlin, Chair
  • Socrates Cruz, Vice Chair
  • Paul Kilkenny, Treasurer
  • Kate Harrison, At Large
  • Maria Estrada, At-Large
  • Whitney Leigh, At Large
  • Zach Denney, At-Large
  • Ken Warfield, At-Large
  • Octavia Tuohey, At-Large

Convention Videos

Below you can find videos from the featured speakers and both panels in full.Tremendous thanks to Mansoor Sabbagh, director of Global Voices for Justice, for shooting and editing these videos together for us!

First Nations Opening Ceremony by Violet Sage Walker
Welcome Remarks by Mayor Heidi Harmon
Opening Remarks from CPA Founder and Chair: Gayle McLaughlin
Saturday Morning Keynote: Matt Gonzalez
Panel 1: Organizing Effectively to Implement a Green New Deal in Our Communities (part 1 of 3)
Panel 1: Organizing Effectively to Implement a Green New Deal in Our Communities (part 2 of 3)
Panel 1: Organizing Effectively to Implement a Green New Deal in Our Communities (part 3 of 3)
Panel 2: Envisioning and Creating a Better California For All (part 1 of 3)
Panel 2: Envisioning and Creating a Better California For All (part 2 of 3)
Panel 2: Envisioning and Creating a Better California For All (part 3 of 3)
Presentation of Proposals (Part 1/4)
Presentation of Proposals (Part 2/4)
Presentation of Proposals (Part 3/4)
Presentation of Proposals (Part 4/4)
Sunday Keynote: Danny Sheehan & Chase Iron Eyes (Part 1/2)
Sunday Keynote: Danny Sheehan & Chase Iron Eyes (Part 2/2)
Sunday Keynote: Danny Sheehan & Chase Iron Eyes (Q&A)

Thanks once again to all the speakers, panelists, moderators, volunteers, and attendees who made the 2019 Founding Convention such a success! We are beginning plans for the 2020 Convention and will be announcing details in the weeks and months ahead… Stay tuned!