Beth Kimbriel made a brief speech before introducing the President.

Only in America can one go from working the polls at Community High School on a rainy election day to having a casual chat with the President of the United States in less than 10 months. That’s exactly how it worked for Chester Organize for America (OFA) volunteer Elizabeth “Beth” Kimbriel.

Ms. Kimbriel not only met the President; she had a brief conversation and then introduced him during a national live video conference last week at OFA headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Village News caught with Kimbriel and asked her about her brush with political fame.

Village News: How were you chosen to introduce President Obama?

Beth Kimbriel:  I am not sure how I was chosen to introduce the President. I do know that the work that we have done in the Chester area, including teams working very hard in Petersburg and Hopewell, has attracted the attention of the national headquarters. The real credit goes to our Presidential campaign local field director, Wilson Paine, and the Chester residents who worked so hard during the campaign. My involvement began late in the campaign. I became much more involved after the election.

VN: It seems like it would be difficult to continue a campaign effort after the election. How did that happen?

BK: OFA Virginia staff began arriving in the state the second week of June. Before that time, several lead volunteers like me across the state kept the fire from the campaign burning while awaiting OFA’s  official launch. Now that staff is here, we have all of the tools we need to restart the engine from the campaign. The restart is gaining momentum here in the Greater Richmond area as volunteers from the campaign rejoin the effort. The forum in D.C. [last week] has created even more enthusiasm as the President reminded us that winning the election only gave us the chance to make positive changes we seek. Now we must roll up our sleeves and work together to implement the policy changes we need.

VN: Did you get a chance to talk with the President before introducing him?

BK:  I was told a short time before the event began that I would have a few minutes backstage with President Obama before introducing him to the crowd and online viewers. This was my first personal encounter with Barack Obama, and as soon as I met him, any nervousness I had vanished. We chatted briefly, very naturally, as I would chat with anyone. He does not exude the typical glad-handing presence a person might expect from a politician. Rather, he is relaxed and seems completely genuine.

VN: Why did you decide to get involved with OFA and the health care reform issue?

BK:  The work toward health insurance reform is deeply personal for me. My family and I have experienced the down side of our current system as I and one of my children have been deemed “uninsurable.” Our insurance is tied to employment, and if we lose that employment and have to pay the full cost of each medical exam and procedure, we could face bankruptcy. This is one of the reasons we need the option to join a national public insurance plan. In our current system I have endured long waits to get appointments with specialists. In the past I had to make choices between paying for my child’s prescriptions or buying groceries due to the high cost of medicine.

VN: What would you say to folks who are concerned about some of the changes in health care that are being talked about?

BK:  I know that people are frightened of changes because they believe that their own care is in jeopardy if we alter the current system, or they fear that the cost of change will be too high. The ludicrous misinformation circulating through email and the internet and repeated on television does not help the discussion. Those tactics work very well to whip up fear and anger, but do little to help our country work together to solve problems. We need a civil discussion because the cost of keeping the status quo is too high. The legislative system is a system of representation. It is our responsibility to communicate, in a productive manner, with our representatives. Elections are the vehicles for changing direction in our country. Barack Obama won the election. It is time to take a new direction.

VN:   How can someone get involved with Organizing for America?

BK:  People can contact me at bethkimbriel@comcast.net.

© Copyright by Village Publishing

Top of Page                                              Comment on This Article

The Village News office is located at 4607 West Hundred Road Chester
Mailing address is PO Box 2397 Chester, VA 23831
Phone: 751-0421  Fax: 751-9155
Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday call ahead for other hours.
Statement of Journalistic Ethics