Dana D. Deree was in Springdale, Arkansas for Constitution Day talking with and registering voters. Deree is running for Washington County Judge, the county’s chief executive office, in this year’s election. He has also endorsed Faith Laukon who is running for Justice of the Peace.

Deree’s personal and professional experiences shape his campaign in one of Arkansas’s most diverse counties. He is the son of an immigrant mother from Panama and a Spanish speaker. He has also lived in Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and worked as a U.S. diplomat in the Pacific on issues in both Samoa and the Marshall Islands.

His Marshallese-language campaign page says that while working with the U.S. Department of State, he helped achieve an agreement to prevent overfishing in the Marshall Islands. The campaign also says he supported legal efforts connected to the investigation of Paul Petersen, whose illegal adoption scheme involved Marshallese women and babies in Arkansas.

Deree grew up in foster care and aged out of the system when he joined the Marines. He served in the Gulf War as a Marine Corps combat veteran and later served as a Navy officer.

Before working as a US diplomat, Deree worked as a public school teacher. Later, he founded Arkansas Global Connect, a business focused on legal seasonal employment pathways for workers and employers.

Deree has criticized the current county court as divisive and says he wants to represent every corner of Washington County. His campaign is focused on growth, affordable housing, infrastructure, green spaces, and bringing people together.

Correction: Dana Deree worked as a public school teacher before serving as a U.S. diplomat. The video mistates the sequence. Kommool tata for your understanding.