Kellen Russoniello
SSDP Board Application
The Basics
School: The George Washington University Law School/School of Public Health and Health Services
Email: krussoniello@gmail.com
Major(s) / Minor(s) / Areas of study: Pursuing Juris Doctor and Master's of Public Health
Current year in school: Third Year Graduate
Expected graduation year: December 2012
What are your tentative plans after college?:
Seek employment in a drug policy reform organization
Leadership Experience
Describe your advocacy skills and experience. Include work outside of SSDP.
I have been involved in several advocacy efforts within the past couples years. As a member of SSDP, I have participated in lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill to ask for congressional support on drug reform as well as other events like the Conservative Political Action Conference. Additionally, I worked with SSDP, NORML, and DPA to organize a candlelight vigil for victims of the war on drugs at the White House and acted as master of ceremonies for this event, which was attended by almost one hundred people. Another campaign that I worked on over this past summer was gathering signatures for support of retroactive application of the new sentencing guidelines for crack penalties, which resulting in the gathering of over one hundred signatures that were hand delivered to the US Sentencing Commission. Further, as an intern at the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation and NORML, I was able to attend coalition meetings that focused on passing the Fairness in Sentencing Act (crack/cocaine disparity bill) and drafting H.R. 2306, the federal marijuana legalization bill, sharpening my skills in advocacy and my knowledge of the legislative process. Currently, I am working with a coalition of DC activists to pass a Good Samaritan Law in the District, and have recently drafted a bill which we will soon present to the Council of the District of Columbia.
How do you plan on balancing a busy schedule as a student, an SSDP activist, and a board member?
As a third year student pursuing two graduate degrees and acting as president of an SSDP chapter, I believe I have struck a successful balance between all of the demands presented by these activities. Having a passion for drug law reform has actually made the coordination of these responsibilities easier for me, as I am able to find a way to tie this passion into all of the projects that I work on. I know that this is the type of work that I want to work on after I graduate, and I want to be as involved as possible while I am in school. However, I know that there are limits to the amount of activities that I can take on, so I plan to schedule my classes so as not to be overwhelmed by classwork. Additionally, as president of my chapter, I will make sure to include other officers of the organization in the planning of activities and delegate responsibilities to chapter members. These tactics will allow me to maximize my time as a student, chapter leader, and board member.
SSDP Chapter Experience
What formal positions have you held in your SSDP chapter? When?
I am the founder of the GW Law SSDP, which was established in April 2010 (under the name Student Association for Drug Law Reform) and formally recognized as SSDP in September of 2011. Since the founding, I have served as president, and currently retain that position.
Describe your leadership style, particularly within your chapter.
As president of my chapter, I find the best way to lead is to include the members as much as possible. Although we show up to general body meetings with ideas of what we would like to see the organization do throughout the year, we open the meeting to suggestions from the group on what they would like to see and do. Further, we allow anyone who wants to be an officer in the executive board of the chapter to join. This not only assures a diversity of input and ideas, but allows for delegation of tasks to different members, reducing the burden on other members and allowing those with an interest in a particular subject the chance to participate and/or lead. These tactics increase member interest in the organization because it creates a sense of ownership, but also strengthens the events and campaigns that we put on because it assures that those with a real interest in the subject are in charge. I also feel that it is important to build relationships with other organizations, so I spend a considerable amount of time reaching out for co-sponsorship of events and seeking allies.
Describe one project that you led or are leading. What was/is your role? What has this project accomplished?
Currently, our chapter is working with a coalition of DC drug policy reformers to pass Good Samaritan legislation for the District. I represent GW Law SSDP in this coalition, and have also drafted the first draft of the bill, which will eventually be presented to the Council of the District of Columbia. I have also been instrumental in coalition building for this effort, creating a connection between the Law School at GW and the School of Public Health and Health Services, where a group of motivated students (including myself) are now seeking recognition of their own SSDP chapter. As this project continues, I will be responsible for editing the bill, speaking with policymakers and other influential public figures, coalition building, and seeking public support. As mentioned, the project has already met success in the fact that a strong coalition has been formed and a bill has been drafted, but we have also been successful in getting endorsement from the Senior Policy Advisor for the Committee on Health for the Council of the District of Columbia and have created a strategy for reaching out to other influential people.
What fundraising or revenue building experience have you had in the past?
Our chapter raised over $500 with our fundraiser last year. We created shot glasses which were sold to GW Law students. As we sold them, we passed out materials on our chapter and recruited more members. Currently, we are waiting to hear if our grant proposal has been accepted for funding our Good Samaritan project. We have applied for almost $2,500 to complete the project through the GW Public Service Grant Commission.
The Board
Why do you want to serve on the SSDP board?
My experiences working with SSDP members and staff has inflamed my passion as an advocate for drug policy reform. I want to be as involved as possible in working for this amazing organization. I know that as a dual degree graduate student, I will be able to bring a unique perspective to the board. As I am in my last year of studies, I would appreciate the opportunity to serve on the board and assist SSDP in their mission.
What do you believe are the board's most important functions?
Although all of the functions of the board are important, the most important are crafting the strategy for the organization and representing students at the national level. Creating a strategy is of the utmost importance because without a clear outline of goals, it would be impossible to achieve much in the way of advocacy, regardless of how many dedicated advocates are helping out. The board is especially apt to create a strategy for the organization because of its unique makeup and ability to represent its main beneficiaries, students. This leads to the other most important function of the board: representing students at the national level. Although there are SSDP chapters all over the nation (and even internationally), it may be difficult for them to focus on national issues because they are so focused on university, local, and state issues. This is why it is so important that the board acts as the voice of students on national issues. Without a clear strategy and representation at the national level, SSDP could not have developed into the powerhouse that it is today, and certainly could not continue to be one of the main forces behind drug policy reform.
What are your goals for your board tenure (be as specific as possible)?
As a graduate student, I would like to assist the board in recruiting more graduate level chapters of SSDP. Within a year, I would strive to recruit at least five more graduate level chapters. Additionally, I would like to see at least one of these new chapters come from a school that SSDP does not traditionally see in its ranks. These may include schools of business, public health, international relations, or medicine, just to name a few (currently, I am working with fellow public health students at GW to get an SSDP chapter recognized there). Another goal that I have for my board tenure is to help organize and orchestrate a national or regional lobby day on Capitol Hill. Last year's was a great success, and I feel that a new effort could be even more successful, especially with the introduction of bills that we can firmly support or oppose. I would very much like to be involved with the brainstorming for strategy and administration of a lobby day like this.
If elected to the board, would you retain a leading role and/or formal position with your chapter?
If I am elected to the SSDP board, I will retain my position as president of the GW Law chapter. As explained above, I plan to balance my time between my various responsibilities to maximize effectiveness in each.
