[Gabs] NABS Elections, and Other Things

[Arielle Silverman]

Hello all,
I wanted to make a few announcements about this year's elections for
the National Association of Blind Students. This year, because we are
transitioning to the staggered board called for by our recent
constitutional amendment, the terms will be a little different. In
this year's election we will be electing the president, second
vice-president, and treasurer to a one-year term, and the first
vice-president, secretary, and board members 1 and 3 to a two-year
term. Board members 2 and 4 were elected to a two-year term last year,
so there will only be two board member positions up for election along
with all five officer positions.
Anyone who plans to be a student during the coming year, and who pays
their $5 membership dues before the meeting, is welcome to run for a
position. This year we will again be implementing card ballots to
ensure that only paid members can vote, that each member votes only
once in each contest, and that vote counting is exact and fair.

On a related topic, I would like to announce that I have decided not
to seek re-election to the presidency this year. As many of you know,
I am a doctoral student and approaching the infamous "dissertation
stage" of my program. I anticipate that in the next two years most of
my time and energy will be taken up by dissertation planning and
writing, and by preparing to find my first real job after graduation.
I would like to pass on the reins to someone who is able to give NABS
the attention and focus the organization deserves. Sean Whalen,
currently second vice-president of NABS, has agreed to step up and I
fully support his candidacy to become the next NABS president. Sean
has done a great deal of work both on the front lines and behind the
scenes to support the growth and development NABS has seen over the
past two years, and he plans to be a student during the next four
years. While I would recommend that he take the position, I am
committed to support whomever NABS chooses to elect to the presidency
and to the board.

As we approach the end of this leadership term, I would like to
express my appreciation to those who currently serve on the NABS
board, whose names I will list at the bottom of this message. I
believe NABS has made great strides forward in the past two years and
I can attribute the vast majority of our progress to the dedication
and hard work shown by our current board members. While we have grown
a lot during the past two years, there is still much more NABS can do
in the future to reach out to blind students, to improve educational
opportunities for the blind and to build stronger collaborations with
the National Federation of the Blind at large. I trust that those of
you who are elected to the next NABS board will accomplish this.
I have served on the NABS board now for six years, and I will say that
it is a great honor to be involved in leading the organization. But it
is more than a title-being on the NABS board is an act of service to
fellow blind students and to the blind students of the future. Along
with the honor of being elected to the NABS board comes
responsibility. If you are elected to the NABS board, you will be
placed in charge of NABS activities, fund-raisers, or communications,
and will serve as a national representative of the organization. NABS
will be counting on you to contribute your time and skills. If you
would like to run for the NABS board, I'd encourage you to get started
in your service to NABS by signing up to help us with staffing the
exhibit hall table at convention or working at Monte Carlo night.
(There should be a formal sign-up sheet circulated soon).

Finally, as we wrap upthis administration of NABS, I'd like to get
your feedback. What did we do well, and what could we have done
better? Are there new projects you would like to see NABS undertake?
Projects you'd be willing to help organize? If you'd like to send me
feedback, I can be sure it gets passed along to the next
administration, or you can give us your comments on-list.

I look forward to seeing you at the convention!

Arielle Silverman
President, National Association of Blind Students

NABS board members:
Karen Anderson, First Vice-President;
Sean Whalen, Second Vice-President;
Janice jeang, Secretary;
Nijat Worley, Treasurer;
Isaiah Wilcox, Board Member;
Meghan Whalen, Board Member;
Domonique Lawless, Board Member; and
Darian Smith, Board Member.