Erik Wilson for RLC Chairman
Why Vote for Erik?
Get to know your fellow activist:
• Dues paid member since June 2012;
o Our Ron Paul for Pres chapter turned into a local chapter: Crystal Coast RLC
• Served as Southeast Regional Dir since ~2014 to Present.
o Working to find, recruit, vet, and train RLC leaders and members in the SE and around the country and territories.
• Served on many committees including:
o Candidate vetting committee since ~2014
o Helped update our candidate surveys
o Got Candidates to fill out and return our survey.
o Researched candidates and picked their brains.
o Chair of Finance Committee since 2019:
Helped take a more granular look at our spending and fundraising, particularly in a rough time due to the virus shutdown mess.
o Convention Committee since ~2015
o Policy Committee since 2021
o Learning multiple languages to spread the message to all.
• Elected Chair of North Carolina RLC and rebuilt the chapter, (Sept 2019 to Present) example:
o Rebuilding their funds after having a $ -22 Anedot (payment processor) balance.
o Recapturing important web domains lost and then some. Implemented social media strategy, creation, design.
o Rebuilding a website that was taken down, updating it regularly and making it a valuable tool for members complete with guides and templates.
o Opening a new bank account since they closed the old one, & building fund.
o Assisting the Treasurer to make sure we’re in compliance with state and federal rules. Planning successful fundraisers and ops so we are never in the red.
o Populating numerous committees to be task forces and decentralize power from the chair. Focused on creating a valuable product for our members.
o Put in Policies to protect the organization and hold our leadership accountable within. Standards to be clear. There’s always room for improvement.
o Has the Policy Committee working on NC’s Liberty Scorecard.
o Organized and hosted NC RLC’s 1st Hospitality suite at the NCGOP Convention
o Helped man and resourced the NC RLC’s booth at the NCGOP convention every year since 2013: often as chief organizer. (Except years BOD did not execute, and 2020 due to shutdown)
• Re-founded the Wake County (NC) RLC local chapter in 2015 and it’s still going strong.
o Helped the chapter set up a bank account as well; They’ve helped the state chapter numerous times with event costs.
• Current Education Director for Wake RLC:
o Constitutional Sheriff presentation next month by member who is running for Sheriff!
o Have taught Parliamentary Procedure classes every winter since 2015 and now get called on by various groups.
o Have organized and lead multiple educational events with experts, law-makers, etc.
• Have helped train Secretaries, Treasurers, and Chairs for state and local chapter service. I Love teaching and creating guides, how to manuals and now graphics and websites. Will focus more on educational videos, e-newsletters and tee-shirt design.
• Loves RLC Principles, Parliamentary Procedure, the Founding Fathers, The US Constitution, Austrian Economics as taught by Mises and co., Voluntaryism, etc.
• Was a Ron Paul NCGOP delegate in 2012 and a Rand Paul Organizer in 2016.
• Has served as fireman and EMT, will work to keep our members safe in every way.
• Longtime member of Young Americans for Liberty. College campus recruiting is key.
• Trained in campus activism and Media contact by Leadership Institute.
• Spoken at numerous important events:
Examples: YAL state convention, Libertarian Party of NC Convention, NC GOP convention, etc
• Successfully lead an effort to defeat an anti-medical/recreation cannabis/hemp resolution and educate all delegates at the 2018 NCGOP Convention.
• Served on NCGOP Executive Committee At-Lrg for 5yrs (2014-2019). Declined further service to focus on the RLC.
• Represented the People of NC on a trade license board to hold board accountable and learn from the inside; Can discuss the problems with licensure.
• Founded and re-elected to Chair Durham County Young Republicans.
• Won’t renew w/ GOA due to history of support for candidates running against Liberty RLC candidates.
• Served on non-profits for church, fire department, state agency, etc.
• Endorsed by the NC RLC for Chair of the RLC in our June 2021 meeting.
• Learning multiple languages to spread the message to all.
• I was encouraged to run by fellow RLC leaders, state chairs, and RLC members nationwide. I offer myself to serve as your chair. If the body decides I’ll serve in another capacity better, I’m good with that too. It’s an honored to serve with such high caliber patriots. Adiel’s love and support serving as our national Secretary is amazing, I really have the best wife!
• Honored to have known and learned from past members like Steve Hurr, Todd Bennett, Dave Nalle, Bill Greene, Melissa Dawn, to name a few.
Leadership Focuses:
#1 Do the basics well first:
We must build on a good foundation.
#2 Establish an institutional culture.
Follow the bylaws, parliamentary procedure, Roberts Rules of Order, Laws, Codes of ethics, best practices, policies as well as develop and improve upon existing practices and policies to greater protect the organization. This prevents incompetence and corruption. A lack of institutional culture invites incompetence, cult-of-personalities, lack-of-trust, rule-of-men(vs rule of law), disempowerment, ineffectiveness, in-fighting, and corruption.
#3 Transparency.
Transparency is essential to an institutional culture, trust, & accountability. Board members at all levels should always disclose ties to orgs with probable competing interests and never abuse their position for financial gain or personal influence, particularly and especially to the RLC’s detriment.
#4 Empower our members!
We are an organization of the members, by the members, & for the members. Special interests, lobbying groups, and orgs with competing interests should not be allowed to co-opt our org. We are a bottom-up organization, and all are welcome, including folks that work in politics. Those in leadership must be held to higher standards. As leaders of the RLC, we represent the members. Whatever business is conducted should be in the body and mission’s best interest and will. I hope we can perfect this organization to be of ever increasing service to our members, movement and in turn posterity.
#5 Support State Chapters so they thrive instead of die.
Just as I work to create and support local chapters in NC, and state chapters in the SE and beyond, a national chair should work to find, train and support state chairs, etc and leaders all over. I will always be in touch with our state chairs so those chapters thrive.
#6 Division of Labor; Teamwork makes the dreamwork.
In addition to standing committees, we can and should create and populate numerous other specialized committees and task groups where our group can really leverage the talent we have within and give our members a chance to pitch in and feel ownership. These committees, like our state & local chapters, should meet regularly, receive encouragement, advice and resources such as virtual tools, meetings spaces, RLC email addresses, etc.
#7 Growing the membership.
This is our number one mission, for as Ronald Reagan said, “liberty isn’t passed down via the blood…” We must teach and promote the principles of liberty, particularly and especially the Principles established by this principled org. This is why I’m going on my tenth year of membership.
#8 Not allowing fundraising to take away from growing the chapters.
I hear from some members we have fundraising ads that are not up to our standards. This should never happen. Consider bringing fundraising messaging in-house. Our national Secretary should have a chance to Chair the PR committee and save us money on consulting firms. At the very least we should have strong vetting of third party messages. Many RLC members were proud we were 100% all volunteer; evaluate needs practically. Staff can be very helpful. Balance is key.
#9 Work to get all donors plugged into a state & local chapter
Last I heard we had over 56,000 unique donors that came in through third party donor services. What is that number now? Why don’t all state chapter chairs have these people as members? While fundraising is important it isn’t our #1 mission. The donations flow in when we show our value and needs; our people work.
#10 We are not a rubber stamp for Republicans weak on Liberty.
We are an independent group, not tied to the GOP. We aren’t republican cheerleaders or Republican Lite. I respect and love that most of us are also leaders in our own state and local GOP because it demonstrates the commitment, we have to organizing our committee for change. A big part of our mission is recruiting within the GOP and working to make sure the Liberty voice is heard and not snuffed out by neocons and theocrats. One way we attract like-minded people into being members is when we give a candidate our stamp of approval, they’re the real deal, as 100% Liberty and in line with our Principles as possible. When RLC state, local or national supports someone and liberty minded folk see that candidate conflict with our principles, it hurts our credibility. We did the right thing not endorsing Trump, all due respect.
Disclaimer
This is not an attack or accusation against anyone.
I appreciate the service of past Chairs, especially Matt Nye. Mr. Nye has helped the RLC reach new heights and for that I’m eternally grateful. He is also the Chair who helped bring me up through the ranks. His advice and assistance will always be welcome and desired.
Any use of the logo or name of RLC, it’s sub chapters, and other orgs is done purely for informational or decorational purposes and not a form of endorsement.
Paid for by Erik & Adiel Wilson
ewilson0223@gmail.com chair@ncrlc.org 919-800-9363(m) 919-694-7499(o)
