For a half century, Mädi Green worked in the trenches for the Arlington County Democratic Committee, serving in a roles as varied as precinct captain, consigliere to candidates . . . even a member of the Kitchen Crew that provides meals for special party occasions.
Green, who was lauded as “the embodiment of Arlington Democrats’ grass-roots efforts” by former Del. Bob Brink, was honored Sept. 23 with the party’s Distinguished Democrats award.
She joins a list of party stalwarts in earning what is, effectively, a lifetime-achievement award, typically presented to those whose behind-the-scenes activities helped the party gain and then maintain its local dominance.
Green “always has been good at connecting people and evangelizing for the Democratic cause,” said fellow Democratic stalwart Susan Prokop, one of the speakers who came to Crystal City on a rainy and windswept afternoon to sing her praises at the awards ceremony and fund-raiser for the party’s November efforts.
“Mädi is a pillar,” said Prokop. “I’m blessed by her presence in my life.”
“I love Mädi so much, I missed kickoff,” said Terron Sims, a party activist and United States Military Academy graduate, noting that day’s Army-Syracuse football showdown.
Praising Green’s grace, wit and intelligence, Sims called her “the living embodiment . . . of what it truly means to be a Democrat.”
While Green tacks to the leftward side of the Democratic political spectrum, she accentuates a big-tent philosophy, said Paul Ferguson, clerk of the Circuit Court and perhaps a shade more centrist than the honoree.
“No matter what, she’s always accepting of all of us, always ready to have a good conversation,” Ferguson said, describing Green’s persuasion technique as “quietly listening and slowly convincing” others.
“She knows you don’t have to shout to make your voice heard loud and clear,” added Brink, intimating that, in an environment that can attract show horses, Green was a sturdy and reliable workhorse. One that got the job done.
“She’s a person of strongly held beliefs – she puts those beliefs into action,” he said.
Green arrived in the Washington area in the early 1960s, a time when it often seemed Arlington was politically divided into two camps: Republicans and conservative Democrats. It was hardly her scene, but Green came to town knowing the sting of adversity before – she’s a lifelong fan of the Boston Red Sox.
Former state Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple got to know Green before either was a political household name, as they each were members of the local branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Years later, when Whipple’s campaign treasurer died unexpectedly, Green stepped in to seamlessly fill one of the most challenging roles in politics.
How would Whipple describe Green? “Kind, thoughtful, helpful, intelligent – and very liberal.”
Whipple also noted that, at political gatherings, Green comes attired in a T-shirt festooned with campaign buttons, all proclaiming her party and candidate loyalties.
“When you see Mädi, you first have to read her,” Whipple chuckled.
(The name “Mädi” with an umlaut over the “a” comes from her Austrian-German background and rhymes with “lady.”)
The honoree described herself “surprised, delighted and overwhelmed” by the honor, and pointed to mentors she had along her journey. She singled out Charlene Bickford and the late Ruth Kanter, who in years gone by headed precinct operations for Democrats in the Yorktown area, as well as the late Jean Marshall Crawford, another political dynamo.
“I was lucky to be groomed by the best,” Green said.
As in the circle of life, politically speaking, it is up to seasoned Democrats to pass the torch when the time comes, she said.
“Having folks willing, even eager, to mentor newcomers is critical,” Green said. “Put them to work.”
Married to her husband Duff from 1965 until his unexpected death in 1979, Green recently followed in the footsteps of a number of Arlington political legends by moving just slightly over the line into Fairfax County, becoming a resident of Goodwin House in Baileys Crossroads.
Previous recipients of the Distinguished Democrat Award have included such luminaries as Peg Hogan, Charley Conrad, Herschel Kanter, Joan McDermott, Charlene Bickford, Richard and Jean Barton, Sharon Davis, Tom and Mary Margaret Whipple, Cragg Hines and Marjorie Hobart.
Democratic chair Steve Baker, who lauded Green as a political superstar, said it was important for those moving up the ranks of party leadership to understand what came before.
“We really do stand on the shoulders of giants,” he said.
