Hi! My name is Grace Aaron. I may be familiar to you as I served on the KPFK Local Station Board for 6 years, from 2003 to 2009. I was also on the Pacifica National Board in 2008 and 2009. The Pacifica Foundation is the parent nonprofit that owns KPFK and 4 other stations. I was the Chair of the National Board and the Executive Director of the Pacifica Foundation in 2009. Needless to say, I know a lot about KPFK and Pacifica! I hope to use that experience and knowledge to guide newer board members and to improve KPFK.

I believe in and have written and implemented policies to:

*Ensure Rigorous compliance with labor laws and the Americans With Disabilities Act. This would go a long way to protect us from lawsuits.
*Institute professional financial standards that are as transparent as the law allows. This will instill confidence and make fund raising easier.
*Improve our signal quality and reach. Our message of strength through peace, justice and equality has the potential to reach millions more. That will generate greater contributions, which will keep the cycle of outreach expanding. To do that we need a Board that makes it a priority.
*Improve programming by raising production values and adherence to the Pacifica Mission Statement.
*Upgrade to Digital broadcasting and expand into multimedia.
*Outreach more and respond to Community needs. Strengthen our Internship program.
*Use more mediation and conflict resolution.

My Background:

*I have a BA in English.

*I served as KPFK Secretary in 2005, and Chair in 2006.

*I am Treasurer of the Los Angeles Branch of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (over 10 years).

*I am the Vice President of the Social Uplift Foundation (www.SocialUplift.org). This Foundation web casts videos covering issues such as campus military recruitment, nuclear weapons, global warming, social justice, prison reform, Israel/Palestine, Colombia, the Balkans, Nigeria, Haiti, Ethiopia, college tuition funding, civil liberties, non-violence, etc.

*I served for 10 years (1984-1994) as Chair and unpaid coordinator of 13 chapters of Peace Action of Southern California (20,000 members).

*I was Co-Founder and Co-chair of the Peace Action Network of Southern California in the early ’90s. This coalition consisted of 32 groups opposed to the first Gulf War and later gun violence and other issues. It included the local Unitarian Church, Peace Action, the Presbyterian Synod, Pax Christi, New Jewish Agenda, UN Association, Islamic Center, Southern Calif. Federation of Scientists, etc.

*I also participated in the Lincoln Heights Preservation Association, the Nuclear Free Asia Pacific Committee, Visual Artists Guild, etc.

Just as a body needs a brain but also a heart, I cherish our music, literature and arts as well as our political programming.

I try to practice my principles and if elected I promise to be honest and do my best. Please vote for me and my well qualified colleagues listed on www.CandidateSlate.org