Michelle Lee and Yvonne Leow have been nominated for the positions of AAJA Secretary and AAJA Vice President for Print, respectively. AAJA is holding its national election to fill the two-year terms on its governing board.
Duties of Each Office
NATIONAL SECRETARY
The secretary shall keep, or cause to be kept, a book of minutes at the principal office or such other place as the board of directors may order, of all meetings of the directors and membership. Minutes shall include time and place of the meeting; whether regular or special, and if special, how authorized; the type of notice given; the name of those present at the directors’ meetings; the number of members present; and the proceedings of the meeting.
NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT FOR PRINT
In the absence or disability of the president, the vice presidents in order of their rank, if any, as fixed by the Governing Board, shall perform all the duties of the president, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of, and be subject to, all the restrictions upon, the president. The vice presidents shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as from time to time may be prescribed for them respectively by the Governing Board under the bylaws. The holder of this office shall be a member of the corporation’s Governing Board. The Vice President for Print shall represent the interests of the general members employed within the newspaper and magazine industries.
National Secretary Candidate: Michelle Lee
About Michelle Lee
Michelle Lee is a reporter at the Arizona Republic. She covers government and politics of Maricopa County, the fourth-largest county in the U.S., with a focus on watchdog and public money accountability. She has played a key role in some of the newspaper’s breaking-news national stories, including the paper’s Pulitzer-Prize finalist coverage of the 2011 Tucson shooting involving former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and the recent Jodi Arias murder trial. Lee is the recipient of the 2013 Investigative Reporters and Editors Minority Development Fellowship and the 2012 Gannett Award of Excellence: Breaking news reporting.
An excerpt from Lee’s candidate statement:
We are the strongest champions of each other, who want to see more AAPI presence in media and in the community. Underlying that is professional development – making sure that our members are best positioned in their newsrooms to affect change and promote diversity within the office and in their communities. I want to make sure that AAJA is best serving its members by providing tools and connections that improve their skills and careers in the face of quickly-evolving changes in journalism.
National VP for Print Candidate: Yvonne Leow
About Yvonne Leow
Yvonne Leow is the video editor for Digital First Media’s Project Thunderdome, an initiative aimed to support local newspapers across 21st-Century Media and MediaNews Group. Leow was the recipient of the Ford Foundation’s NewU Fellowship Program in 2011 and serves as a member of AAJA’s National Governing Board. To learn more about Yvonne, please visit: yvonneleow.tumblr.com.
An excerpt from Leow’s candidate statement:
As journalists, we are living reminders that our craft is undergoing an incredible transformation. It is not always easy, but change is an opportunity for reinvention. It is a chance to defy expectations. And I am running for Vice President for Print because I believe it is time for AAJA to do the same.
Read the full 2013 candidate statements.
VOTER ELIGIBILITY AND VOTING INSTRUCTIONS
ELIGIBILITY. Only full and student AAJA members are eligible to vote in AAJA elections. If you have questions regarding your membership, please contact the AAJA National Office: Support@aaja.org or 415-346-2051, ext. 105. If renewing your membership for eligibility, please allow 10 business days for processing.
INSTRUCTIONS. Electronic ballots will be submitted through the online service Balloteer.com. Ballots will be accepted from 8:00 A.M. PST, August 1, 2013 to 12:00 P.M. PST, August 23, 2013. Eligible voters will receive an email notice with secure credentials to cast their electronic ballot.
ELECTION RESULTS. Election results will be announced during the AAJA Gala & Scholarship Awards Banquet on August 24, 2013, at the 2013 AAJA National Convention in New York City.
ELECTION TIMELINE
All deadlines are set at Pacific Standard Time unless otherwise noted.
JUNE 3, 5:00 P.M.
Nomination period begins
JUNE 17, 5:00 P.M.
Nomination period ends
JUNE 21, 5:00 P.M.
Second nomination period begins
JUNE 21, 5:00 P.M.
Announcement of official VP for Print candidates
JULY 10, 5:00 P.M.
Second nomination period ends
JULY 12, 5:00 P.M.
Announcement of official Secretary candidates
AUGUST 1, 8:00 A.M.
Voting period begins
AUGUST 22, 12:00 P.M.
Voter eligibility deadline
AUGUST 23, 12:00 P.M. EST
Voting period ends, votes tallied, results certified
AUGUST 23, 7:00 P.M. EST
Announcement of Officers-elect at the Convention Gala and Awards Banquet in New York
Questions or concerns? Please contact AAJA National Secretary Theodore Kim, this year’s elections officer.