- May 19, 2015
NEJETAA Executive Officer Elections (5/19-5/27):
Online Voting is now open for the May 2015 NEJETAA Executive Officer Elections.
Please read the candidate platforms and instructions below. You can cast your vote on the Google Form HERE.
Voting Rules:
Each NEJETAA member is entitled to cast one ballot only.
You have to option to vote for a single candidate or abstain for each position
This poll will be open from its posting, until 11:59PM EDT on May 27nd.
To be an eligible NEJETAA member (required to vote), you must:
Be an alumnus/alumna of the JET Program
Currently reside in the New England region (CT, RI, VT, NH, ME, or MA)
Read the Candidate Platforms Below:
Dan Lowe for Vice President Hello everyone. My name is Dan Lowe (Chiba Prefecture, 2011 – 2013) and, after serving as Social Chair for the past year, I am now running for the office of Vice-President of NEJETAA.
My first goal as Vice President will be to support the board in its mission to generate member participation from all New England states. NEJETAA is often described as being “Boston-centric,” and, as I see it, the best way to expand our numbers will be a “We’ll come to you” approach. The activity I am proudest of organizing as Social Chair was a day trip to Portland, Maine, which was successful in attracting members both from the Boston area and Maine. It would be beneficial and feasible for NEJETAA to organize, over the next 12 months, at least four day trips to other parts of New England.
My second, more long-term goal, is to help establish one new New England subchapter that would ensure sustained participation from members outside of Boston. The New York chapter, rather than being seen as “Big Apple-centric”, has enjoyed great success by creating such regional sub-chapters. I see these “We’ll come to you” events as a necessary first step in that direction.
Rachel Pauplis for Treasurer Hello, my name is Rachel Pauplis and I would like to run for the position of Treasurer. I was an ALT in Yamaguchi-ken for 2 years and returned to the Boston area in August. Having the network of other JET alumni helped ease my transition back into life here, and I have been an active member of NEJETAA ever since. I also value the role NEJETAA plays in connecting people with similar experiences in Japan and maintaining our connection with the greater Japanese community.
I have already been acting as interim Treasurer since December and would like to continue in the coming term. As treasurer, I will do my best to handle all NEJETAA financial matters quickly and responsibly, help plan future events, and continue to be actively involved in the organization. Thank you for your consideration.
Caitlin Frost for Social Chair
Hi, my name is Caitlin Frost and I am running for Social Chair. I was an ALT in Tenri City in Nara Prefecture for 4 years, and returned last summer. I’ve participated in a few NEJETAA events, and most recently participated on the planning committee for Japan Festival Boston this year as a NEJETAA representative.
I’m running for Social Chair because I’d like to see NEJETAA become a more active chapter. I think it’s really important for us as JET alumni to not only have strong ties to the Japanese community in the area, but to have strong ties to each other. As so, I will do my best to increase the number of activities and participants in future events.
- May 10, 2015
Want to be more involved in NEJETAA? Want to strengthen your network in the Japanese community in New England?
We are asking for platforms of all interested candidates to be submitted for review by our membership. If you’re interested in joining the NEJETAA board, please submit a platform!
What we need:
*Less than 200 words *Self-introduction *What you want to accomplish in your time as an officer
Please don’t include any sensitive personal information (phone number, email, etc.), as your platform will be posted online for the membership to read. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just introduce yourself to everyone and tell us what you want to do! Check out platforms from last year’s elections here.
Members will be voting for Vice-President, Treasurer, and Social Chair. (Refer to officer duties listed below)
Positions are normally for a one year term, no term limits. Officers are expected to attend as many of the executive meetings (held as necessary) and general meetings per year as possible, with 50% attendance as a minimum.
Please send your platform to Tim at webmaster at nejetaa dot com BY Monday, May 18th. On Tuesday, May 19th, it will be published for the general membership to review and vote on by Wednesday. May 27th.
Any questions? Contact Tim (webmaster [at] nejetaa [dot] com)
Thanks, and we’re looking forward to hearing from you! The NEJETAA Officers
Position Descriptions:
1. Vice-President
The VP provides both leadership and follow-through on projects planned during meetings, and makes sure that we are fulfilling all our obligations as a JETAA chapter. In addition, the VP is the point person for any NEJETAA sub chapters in New England. Another important responsibility of the VP’s is to provide support to all the other officers. Specifically, this means: working with the membership/ marketing coordinator to increase and track membership; taking on the duties of the president when the president is unavailable; and balancing the powers of the treasurer by checking our bank account. Finally, the VP will prepare the agenda for all NEJETAA general and officer meetings.
2. Treasurer
The treasurer plans the annual budget in conjunction with all officers. The treasurer oversees any and all grant requests. The treasurer submits an initial grant request to MOFA in Februrary and to CLAIR in May, and follow up reports and receipt submissions to CLAIR in February and to MOFA quarterly. The treasurer maintains and balances the bank account; collects receipts and writes checks for any chapter expenses, and deposits any checks received within two weeks. The treasurer oversees the obtaining of price quotes and reminds officers of the budget for specific activities. The treasurer oversees any other account or platform (Paypal, etc.) which involves money changing hands. The treasurer informs the Vice President of all passwords, logins etc of any NEJETAA financial accounts. The treasurer also supports NEJETAA events as necessary.
3. Social Chair
The Social Chair oversees the logistical planning of NEJETAA events, such as General Meetings, Nihongo Dake’s, Shinnenkai’s, and Happy Hours. The Social Chair advertises upcoming events and works in coordination with other officers to recruit new members. He or she also collaborates with the Membership/Marketing Coordinator to develop activities to increase member participation after the annual membership survey. The Social Chair should attend at least half of all official NEJETAA events.