Donald M. Green was an alternate delegate at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this year. He is a physician and Reading resident.

Green is a Democrat, and proud of his party because they "level the playing field" by making sure that one person has the same opportunity as the next, he said.

"I think that they want to give as many people economic and social opportunities in this country as possible, and I think that most of the members are very strong about that ideal," he said.  

How he became a delegate

Green has been a member of the Reading Democratic Town Committee for 10 years, he said. He decided to run for a delegate position after receiving an email about the opportunity. He went to Town Committee meetings to talk to people about it and sent out emails for support.

"You have to be at the Town Caucus and have someone to put your name in, and a second, and you have to win a majority vote of delegates there," he said.

He got 59 percent of the votes to be the alternate for the DNC.

What is an alternate?

Being an alternate means that you go to the DNC, and you can be in all the places that other delegates can, but you cannot vote unless somebody is unable make it, according to Green.

“So you're there to stand in if somebody cant vote," he said. “But you are part of the delegation.”

At the convention

Green's goal was to make an impact at the convention.

"I'm going to try my best," he said. "I am the only physician for my district. Health care issues are one of the things I pay attention to."

In Reading, he has been working with the Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse and is interested in bringing treatment to people with substance abuse issues and helping them turn their life around. He would like to see a treatment center in Reading. He did not think that he would have a chance to bring that up at the convention, but he planned to talk to fellow delegates about the issue. 

He was most looking forward to hearing other people speak, including the president, first lady and Elizabeth Warren, and learning things from others at the convention, he said.

“It’s a historic event, not everybody gets to do these things," he said. "I feel excited about going and being where people put their mark in history.”