MARK WAITE / PVT Bonnie Swadling, center, is flanked by Joyce Call at left and C.J. Ross at right during a meeting of the Nye County Democratic Party Central Committee Monday night. Advertisement

A new Nye County Democratic Party Central Committee was seated behind the table during a regular monthly meeting in Room B at the Bob Ruud Community Center Monday night.

Bonnie Swadling was elected the new chairman. She is a psychologist at High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs who was a member of Team Titus, the committee that worked on the successful 2008 campaign of U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev.

First Vice-Chairman David Bennett was absent with an illness. Bennett is a computer specialist at University Medical Center and has been a financial contributor to the local Democratic Party, enabling them to open an office in the Carlotta Plaza.

C.J. "Cynthia" Ross was elected second vice-chairman. She is an international, professional boxing judge licensed by the Nevada Athletic Commission, who wore an Obama shirt.

Joyce Call was elected secretary-treasurer. Call ran for Area 6 on the Nye County School Board in 2002 and narrowly missed advancing to the general election with 157 votes in the primary.

Swadling reported 34 Democrats were present to vote on the central committee at an April 4 meeting in Tonopah of which 32 were credentialed to vote.

The bylaws require Democrats to attend four meetings per year to be eligible to vote, a requirement that has been under fire from a dissident group led by Margery Behrens.

There was a feeling of change in the crowded room, however, with the election of a new board.

A bylaw committee will be named under Chairman Kathleen Bienenstein. Swadling asked that committee to finish its revisions by June for a vote at the July central committee meeting.

She urged those in attendance to be good Democratic Party members and understand what the central committee is trying to do.

Swadling also suggested scheduling a Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, a Democratic event similar to the annual Lincoln Day dinner held by the Republican Party.

"I'm real excited about this because it's something we can do. We've got an election year coming up," Swadling said. "Nothing is confirmed at this point, it's all in the talking stage."

She suggested inviting numerous Democratic political candidates in the 2010 election to appear at the dinner.

Ross suggested more public outreach, like a food drive next month.

Democratic Party member Jack Wood wanted to go a step further and form a communications committee to improve communications between the central committee and the 9,400 registered Democrats.

Central committee members talked about issuing a newsletter. Swadling said the central committee is thinking about developing a Web site.

"This is a new board, a new committee. I feel a little bit like Obama right now, I want to fix everything but I can't," Swadling said.

In another change, Swadling said the central committee won't object to coverage of the meeting by a newspaper reporter.