Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - The Costa Banderas Chapter of Democrats Abroad will hold their Annual Meeting and Luncheon at Roberto's Restaurant, located at Basilio Badillo #283 on the south side of Puerto Vallarta, on Monday, March 14, 2016.

Lunch will be served from Noon to 1:00 pm. The menu selections will include your choice of Chicken Enchiladas -or- Chicken, Fish, or Vegetarian Fajitas. The cost per dish, including one drink (wine, beer, margarita, Iced Tea, Lemonade, soft drink) is 200 pesos. The Chapter will pay for 100 pesos of that, so each guest will pay only 100 pesos plus gratuity on the total cost of the meal. Seating is limited to 50 guests so RSVP is required. If you plan to attend, please send an email with your food selection to tricia(at)tricialyman.com.

Costa Banderas Chapter's Annual Meeting

Following lunch, the Costa Banderas Chapter's Annual Meeting will be held from 1:00-2:30 pm. We will be discussing our year in review and previewing primary voting still possible and the general election in November. We will also be electing a new board member to replace John Wilson-Bugbee.

Democrats Abroad Mexico Annual Meeting

For the first time ever, the Democrats Abroad Mexico Annual Meeting will be broadcast all over Mexico via Web-Ex, a popular Internet conferencing program and the program of choice of the Democratic Party Committee Abroad (DPCA) or DA International. The meeting will take place on Monday, March 14, from 2:30–4:30 pm Central Standard Time.

Agenda for the Democrats Abroad Mexico (DAM) Annual Meeting:

1. DAM Annual Business Meeting 2:30-4:30 (including speakers & Q/A, Secretary's Report, Treasurer's Report, DAM Chair's Report, Update on Global Primary/GOTV)

2. Speaker: Chair. Marc Rodriguez, part-time DPCA Program 3:15–3:30 pm. Marc, originally from Mexico City, now lives in Washington, D.C.

3. Speaker: Ana Maria Salazar 3:30–4:00 pm, Questions and Answers 4:00–4:30 pm

Ana Maria Salazar is a journalist and radio personality from Mexico City. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is widely recognized as an expert of international law and national security in Latin America. She holds a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and in the District of Columbia.

Between June 1998 and January 2001, Ms. Salazar served at the Pentagon as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Drug Enforcement Policy and Support. She oversaw and controlled a budget in excess of $1 billion dollars that supported the Department of Defense's counter drug programs in the United States and over 20 other countries.

Ms. Salazar played a key role in developing the $1.3 billion dollar support package for Colombia that was signed by President Clinton in June 2000. As a result of her efforts at the Pentagon, Ms. Salazar was recognized by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the 100 most influential Hispanic Americans in the United States.

Prior to joining the Pentagon, Ms. Salazar served at the White House as Policy Advisor for President Clinton's Special Envoy for the Americas in 1998. In that capacity, she formulated and coordinated policies designed to advance the President's agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean in areas such as justice and security, law enforcement, education, human rights, democracy and trade.

Ms. Salazar frequently appears on English and Spanish speaking television and radio news and talk shows, providing analysis and commentaries on politics and foreign affairs. She has also provided technical assistance, lectured and published in English and Spanish on the topics of criminal justice reforms, alternative dispute resolution, and training programs for military personnel, investigators, prosecutors and judges.

For more information about the annual meeting, please contact Costa Banderas Chapter member David Kamp at snowkamp1(at)yahoo.com.