John B. Anderson, our board member and board chair from 1995 2008, turned 87 last Saturday, February 15. John's independent bid for president in 1980 continues to spark excited comment from people I talk to, and his leadership with us and in the country (his multiple hats include being a law professor at Nova Southeastern in Florida) is an ongoing inspiration.

Here on the staff, we're bidding our fond farewells to David Moon, who for nearly five years has been a stalwart member of our team, including the last three years as program director. David has constantly pushed us to reach new heights while building community among staff and interns. He''ll be missed, but will be an ongoing presence here through membership on the board of FairVote Action.

We also welcome Erik Connell as our latest Democracy Fellow, focused in in particular on instant runoff voting. Erik first volunteered for the issue as a student in Pierce County, when it voted in instant runoff voting in 2006, and has been volunteering for us for several weeks. See one of his many contributions with this report on the merits of using instant runoff voting in vacancy elections.