National Federation of Democratic Women ends 2024 convention in Lorain on hopeful, positive notes

LORAIN — The National Federation of Democratic Women ended its two-day annual convention, the 53rd in the organization's history, on Saturday night at the Ariel Broadway Hotel with a promise to each other: to build a better world and respect each other's humanity. The theme of this year's gathering, which attendees and local officials said drew several hundred participants to the International City for four days, Wednesday through Saturday, was "Empowering Women From State to State." They called on their fellow attendees "to inspire each other and leave here with new plans to move forward" and "to learn, to share information and to create new friendships" said Audrey Dempsey of Nevada, the NFDW's western regional director. "It's up to each one of us to responsibly stand up for the issues that we believe in and not wait for others to lead. There is unity in our diversity and when we come together with one voice, we are powerful," she said. "When we are unified, anything is possible." Dempsey spoke also of dignity, humanism and hard work, and building a better world to women who came from New York, New Jersey, Mississippi and states beyond. The four-day event featured workshops, fellowship and meet-and-greet sessions with state Democratic women's leaders. It was capped off Saturday night by a speech from Alicia Cole, a Lorain County native and national advocate for patient safety who has served in two presidential administrations. A life-threatening infection she developed in the hospital in 2006 led Cole into patient advocacy and teaching others to have people to advocate for them when undergoing medical treatment. The graduate of Admiral King High School in Lorain later served on the California Department of Health's Hospital-Associated Infection Prevention Advisory Committee, advisory councils for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and others. President Barack Obama in 2015 appointed Cole to serve on the Presidential Advisory Council for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. Back in Lorain Saturday night, Cole received a proclamation in her honor from Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley that was presented to her by Inez James, president of the Lorain County Democratic Women's Club and vice president of the Federated Democratic Women of Ohio, and Charlesetta "Charlie" Brown, Lorain Precinct 2D committeewoman. "You can always come home," Brown told Cole, who wiped away tears as she received the proclamation. "There's no place like Lorain. It's wonderful because of wonderful people who take care of each other." Other speakers included Judge Terri Jamison of Ohio's 10th District Court of Appeals; Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Meredith Turner, D-9th District; and former Ohio state senator Nina Turner. Also in attendance during the week and on Saturday were Andre Washington, vice chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, and Genevieve Flieger of North Ridgeville, the Democratic candidate for the Ohio House District 52 in November against incumbent state Rep. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville. During Saturday night's dinner event, NFDW National President Barbara Faison told the group she enjoyed being in Lorain, and thanked local Democratic women for hosting their sisters from other states in 2024. She said many told her that it was "the best convention they've gone to in a long time," and members of the crowd applauded in agreement. Attendees from out of state praised downtown Lorain for being an easy to walk around and enjoy during the convention, and for the welcome they received from local and state Democratic leaders. Lorain won the honor of hosting the 2024 event over Puerto Rico. The convention was in New Orleans in 2023 and before that, the last in-person convention was in 2019 in Albany, New York. The last time the national convention was in Ohio was 2001 in Cleveland. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.