The Green Party US Steering Committee (SC), along with the party’s staff, oversees and helps execute the day-to-day administration and operations of the party. The SC is made up of seven members plus the party’s Treasurer and Secretary, for a total of nine members. Steering Committee members must be National Committee delegates, alternate delegates, or former delegates/alternates from their state parties. They are elected by the National Committee for two-year terms, with a two-term limit.
Ahmed Eltouny, Co-Chair
New Jersey
Ahmed has been with the Green Party since 2005. An Egyptian immigrant, Ahmed currently resides in New Jersey where he served as the state co-chair in 2016 and 2017. Ahmed is a longtime activist who has fought diligently for many leftist issues including racial justice, gender equity, anti-imperialism, and the redistribution of wealth. A former co-chair of the Diversity Committee, Ahmed has held various workshops and webinars on these issues as an anti-oppression trainer.
Ahmed is also a longtime member of the International Committee, which he co-chaired from 2017 – 2019. He serves as the party’s point-person on international issues, and has represented GPUS at several international conferences. He spearheaded the party’s membership with the Sao Paulo Forum, and has led the charge in working with leftist and revolutionary organizations across the world.
With a passion for liberating the world’s most vulnerable communities, you can often find Ahmed overseas in solidarity with people in the struggle.
Ahmed is dedicating his term on the steering committee to his dear friend and mentor, the late Bruce Dixon.
Christopher Stella, Co-Chair
Louisiana
Garret Wassermann, Co-Chair
Pennsylvania
Garret Wassermann (he/him) is a mathematician and physicist with an M.S. in both, an educator and author, and is currently working as a computer scientist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he has lived since 2011. Garret previously taught mathematics and physics courses at several Pittsburgh-region post-secondary institutions, and co-authored several educational manuals on introductory physics laboratory. Originally from New Orleans, Garret lived in the city & attended college as the city rebuilt from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005; that experience helped make clear how climate change, poverty, and racism are interconnected and must be addressed together if cities like New Orleans, maybe even humanity itself, are to survive this century.
Garret has been an active member of the Green Party since 2016, serving as media coordinator in 2017 and then vice chair of the Pittsburgh-area Green Party of Allegheny County from 2018–2020, as well as a ballot access coordinator with the Green Party of Pennsylvania’s Green Wave team from 2017–2020. During that time, Garret helped start new Green Wave initiatives to welcome new members, educate members about the Green Party’s key values and party history, and provide ballot access training to potential new candidates for elected office and their campaign volunteers and staff. Garret was elected a national committee alternate delegate in 2019 and a delegate in 2020, joining the Green Pages Editorial Board and working on several personal educational projects since early 2021.
Garret and his spouse Amanda live with six adopted cats, two ducks, and a chicken. When not working on Green politics, they enjoy working in their garden and watching wildlife, volunteering for mutual aid projects, reading about various topics, and playing video games to unwind.
Margaret Elisabeth, Co-Chair
Washington
I was born in Knoxville, TN and was put up for adoption when I was 2. I was adopted by a couple who worked for Esso (Exxon) and we moved to Libya when I was 6. I was raised there until I moved back to the United States during the summer I turned 16. I am grateful for that experience in more ways than I can possibly count yet it was trying and very difficult as well. I grew up without access to television, print media or radio, with only the school library available as any form of diversion and, as boredom will do, I ended up reading every book in the library including the dictionary, twice. Some topics of education were not permissible such as astronomy and human biology and it was against the law to have a telescope so I read a book, took apart a microscope and built my own so I could study the moon for myself. Because of that experience growing up, as an adult I highly value science and the scientific method for acquiring useful knowledge about our world and the universe we find ourselves drifting through.
I've been involved in Green activism for the last 25 years with specific focus upon Leave-No-Trace camping/festivals and non-monetary barter based economies with community policing. My friends and I created an event called Playa del Fuego (Beach of Fire) based off the Burning Man ethos in 1998 and it's been going ever since. I've voted Green ever since Nader ran and I formally joined the National Party in 2016 to help run the 'Washington State for Jill Stein' and 'Jill Stein Dank Meme Stash' pages on Facebook. I've been honored and grateful to receive the support and trust of my peers in the Lavender Caucus, initially representing the Caucus as a National Delegate and, currently, as a Co-Chair and Media Spokesperson. I believe that the Green Party is the best chance we have of making real, substantial change in the United States and I'm proud to be a part of it.
I'm grateful to have been given a chance to earn the honor and trust of my colleagues and comrades and I hope to prove worthy of their faith.
Rei Stone-Grover, Co-Chair
Michigan
Regina "Rei" Stone-Grover is an Author, poet, and activist. She is a former Staff Psychologist of North Carolina Department of Public Safety and was a key executive of the Women's March on Charlotte. Rei joined M4M4All in Detroit, MI as a speaker and Published her book "Commit to Healing Vol. 1."
She has worked to advocate for social justice throughout Michigan and in Charlotte and Raleigh, NC.
Born in Detroit, MI she obtained her Bachelors degree from Central Michigan University (CMU) and Masters degree from Western Michigan University (WMU).
In her grassroots work, she:
- Trained at Women's Aid Service
- Directed and Produced the V-Day campaign
- Organized Take Back the Night.
- Assessed crises at Catholic Charities of West Michigan's Ark program
- Coordinated Kalamazoo's Urban Empowerment Multicultural Literacy program
- Educated about political issues affecting citizens of color and the homeless, organizing Kalamazoo 4 Justice.
Within the scope of her education, Rei was:
- Customized an Independent study Mentoring youth at Vista Maria Social Services Organization.
- Awarded Graduate Assistantships with the department of Integrative Holistic Health and Wellness and the school of Interdisciplinary Health Programs
- Counseled youth at Washington Writers Academy and Kalamazoo County Juvenile Home.
Her writing and processing workshop with Kalamazoo County created the opportunity for her to arrange for youth to execute an ensemble performance for Martin Luther King Jr Day."
Tamar Yager, Co-Chair
Virginia
My professional work background is in development, meeting planning and non-profit marketing/administration. I’ve had some great jobs over the past 30 years – I was a community organizer for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. I worked for many years at Actors Theatre in the marketing department. I was a federal grants writer for the Louisville Metro Government and most recently I was the Community Manager for my housing cooperative until it was bought out by a developer
My work, volunteer and political experience is broad. I was chosen by our town council to serve on the Board of Zoning Appeals, which is a constitutional office.
I also serve on the board of our local United Way. I have served in roles on various candidate and issue campaigns since I joined the party in 2006. I feel I can bring a balanced view to the Steering Committee and as a liaison to other committees at GPUS.
Some have said I am a voice of reason because I listen to all sides and try to reach compromise. I try to find common ground on issues while still maintaining the letter and spirit of our rules
Tony Ndege. Co-Chair
North Carolina
Tony Ndege (the ending of his last name sounds a lot like reggae), presently also serves as Co-chair of North Carolina Green Party. For over two decades, Tony has organized from the local to international level for social justice, labor justice, the rights of immigrants and the undocumented, against war and military intervention, against the US embargo on Cuba, and against water contamination from coal ash and pollution. He has worked as a lead organizer for a wide range of major movements and events locally and nationally: from organizing #BlackLivesMatter actions events to Occupy Wall Street, from co-organizing the largest-ever protests against Duke Energy (one of the largest polluters in the nation), to uplifting the demand to make energy publicly owned, and from organizing protests and events standing up to Bank of America and Wells Fargo's criminal malfeasance to the largest statewide and national actions against the second Iraq War.
Tony has led or co-organized several hundred events including rallies, marches, teach-ins, debates, films, concerts, speaker tours, campaigns, immigration defense, political theater, etc. Just a few organizations he has collaborated with include FLOC (Farm Labor Organizing Committee), NC Against Corporate Power, Industrial Workers of the World, NCWARN, NC NAACP, Rainforest Action Network, Campus Antiwar Network, Black Alliance for Peace, Healthcare for All NC, UE150, and Southern Workers Assembly among others. Professionally and artistically, Tony has organized, assisted with, and performed in hundreds of events including auditions, interviews, concerts, plays, short films, operas, etc.
Tony's experience with the Green Party US began as an Occupy Wall Street activist and co-organizer of the DNC protests in Charlotte in 2012, where he first met 2012 Presidential candidate Jill Stein. Subsequently, he participated in Global Climate Convergence as a lead co-organizer for two events in his state. In fall 2015, in cooperation with Bruce Dixon and the North Carolina GP leadership, he co-organized a four-city cross-state tour for Dr. Jill Stein. Tony eventually became the North Carolina Ballot Access Coordinator and later the State Volunteer Coordinator for the Stein/Baraka campaign. Later, he had the honor to serve as Mid-Atlantic regional coordinator for the Stein/Baraka campaign, where he had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with thousands of Greens and supporters across the region. Subsequently in 2016, Tony was elected co-chair of the NC Green Party. Tony also serves on the GPUS Ballot Access Committee as the Southeast Regional coordinator, and he is a member of the Green Party Black Caucus and Lavender Caucus.
When serving as North Carolina Volunteer Coordinator for Jill 2016, NC Greens achieves historic election results for Stein/Baraka as write-in candidates, including the highest number of write-in votes for a Presidential candidate in North Carolina history. They accomplished this success via meetings with supporters in every major city in NC, and thanks to fantastic volunteer organization and personal motivation of so many NC supporters! This write-in campaign results were a major factor in passing legislation in fall 2017 that dramatically lowered our ballot access signature requirements from over 94,000 to about 12,000 signatures. As a result of these new laws, the North Carolina Green Party was able to achieve ballot access for the first time ever. It has become the first progressive or left party to achieve North Carolina ballot access in over 37 years! In less than three months after winning ballot access, NCGP interviewed several prospects and successfully recruited 4 strong candidates for the 2018 Elections ranging from US Congress to Soil and Water Supervisor and intends to build upon this success next year.
During Tony's tenure as state co-chair, NCGP has grown from one functioning local to five region-wide locals, with plans to add more over the next year. NCGP has successfully restructured the state party into a dues-paying organization while significantly increasing membership. NCGP has co-organized several events, such as helping coordinate a statewide tour of Dr. Margaret Flowers and a presentation by Ajamu Baraka for its 2017 Spring Gathering. As a founding member of his new regional local, Triad Area Greens, Tony worked on its first electoral campaign, (CJ Brinson for Greensboro City Council), where he served as a fundraiser and assistant campaign coordinator
Tony presently resides in Winston-Salem NC, works in the public school system and will be heading back into the IT field. He also has experience in music, film production, and directing. Tony holds degrees and diplomas from UNC Greensboro and North Carolina School of the Arts conservatory.
Tony is extremely humbled to serve on the GP US Steering Committee where he hopes to increase the party's profile to new communities, improve workflow and volunteer participation, improve state ballot access retention, and foster radical political education for the public.
Brian Cooke, Secretary
South Carolina
Diana C. Brown, Treasurer
California