The first political campaign was in 1964. The combination of the campaign and my activism, the call for social justice, and so much more in 1965, took me, as a registered nurse, to the U.S. Peace Corps in Brazil. But I would come back to the U.S. even firmer in my advocacy of a lot of important issues, and my dedication to social change.

In the 1970s I worked on Congressional, gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. I was not one of the staff members who got to attend the 1972 Democratic convention which nominated George McGovern, but I worked on the Million Dollar Member Club and eventually gravitated to Sargent Shriver’s staff. In 1976, I became a Deputy Campaign Manager for Sarge’s Presidential bid. As such, I was invited to attend the 1976 Democratic Convention that nominated Jimmy Carter. In 1977 I would be appointed to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

There would be other campaigns, but I mostly settled into Get Out The Vote operations in the D.C. area during Presidential election years. After moving to Colorado, a failed Congressional bid would led me to the Weld County Democratic Executive Committee. From there I was elected to chair the Colorado Democratic Party from 2005-2011.

Being chair of the Colorado delegation at the convention in Denver that nominated Barack Obama was a greatest pleasure. With the exception of a few years working for the State of Colorado, I have continued to be involved in local, county and state politics. My greatest pleasure is mentoring candidates, particularly women, as we change the shape of the culture.

So this year, at age 77, I am once more a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. It is a far different convention than we have ever had, and I suspect it will be my last convention, although not my last campaign. I am using this space to report out my perspective on the convention, this challenging campaign season, and what I hope we are all learning about the changes that are going on in the world.