Author Topic: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors  (Read 65563 times)

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Offline EcchiSpice

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2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« on: September 11, 2007, 08:28:11 pm »
The nominations for the membership-elected positions for 2008 are as follows:

President:
Mike Andrews: accept
Duncan Barth: decline
Rob "Waffles" Plusko: accept
Meg Uhde: decline
Bronwyn Williams: defer

Operations:
Jess Shelton: accept
Bronwyn Williams: decline
Brenda McFadden: accept
Rian Mueller: decline
Kenton Cook: accept
Jesse Cranston: decline
David McCarley: accept

Programming:
Jaki Hunt: accept
David McCarley: defer
Brenda McFadden: accept
Duncan Barth: decline
Guy Letoureau: accept
Vallie Allen: decline
Kristen Bartholomew: defer

Relations:
Ryan Stasel: decline
John Krall: accept
Eric Teitzel : decline
David McCarley: accept

Publicity:
Jeff Tyrrill: accept
Kristen Bartholomew: accept
Sarah Bartash: defer

Please post additional nominations in this thread.

Please posts general questions to all candidates here. Keep department specific questions to the correct department threads.
« Last Edit: September 03, 2008, 09:56:32 pm by staze »
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Offline EcchiSpice

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Questions
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2007, 08:30:51 pm »
These are some questions I would like the nominees for all positions to address. Tom and Rian and Ryan submitted several of these.

All nominees,

  • What do you feel was the worst thing to go wrong this year?
  • What would you do, if elected, to keep that from happening?
  • What was/is/will be your major in college?
  • What managers and ancillary staff do you plan on recruiting for your department?
  • Where do you stand on the issue of benefits for volunteers? Should volunteers be given the same benefits as staff? Should volunteers be given the same right to a vote that members of Altonimbus (staff) have, without necessarily becoming members?
  • How do you think non-performing directors should be held accountable? Should they be held accountable by the board? Should their performance be discussed by the staff during mid-year? What kind of failures do you think justifies forcing an elected director from office via a recall election?
  • To what standard would you expect your staff to perform? Do you expect them to work both at the convention and beforehand? At what point would you be willing to fire one of your staff for non-performance of their duties?
« Last Edit: September 20, 2007, 09:27:22 am by guspasho »
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Offline rictheron

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2007, 11:32:50 am »
Well I guess I will start this off then.
        Jess Shelton, Operations Nominee.
        I will post my credentials in my profile for those that are interested.

  Anyone who is interested should know that if they are curious about anything from me then feel free to ask me anything you like at anytime.  I've always been happy to answer questions. 
   As to the questions from Meg, Rian, Tom, et al:

What do you feel was the worst thing to go wrong this year?
   In my opinion, the only things that I could actually classify as having gone 'wrong' this past year were technical problems related to new equipment, which could not have been predicted, and for which backup systems were already in place, and personel problems from people not doing work or being understaffed in various areas. 

What would you do, if elected, to keep that from happening?
   Towards the former, I would encourage the no-power backup ideas that were utilized this past year and spread them into the rest of the department.  For the personel problems, turn out can not truly be helped without early campaigning for additional staff and volunteers, which I hope to under take with the publicity department.  As to the other problems, regular reporting and verification could assure that work is being done while the regular inclusion of assistants would provide a backup in case of something falling through with the primary.

What was/is/will be your major in college?
   I am a physics major with a focus on astronomy and quantum mechanics with the intent of moving into the education field and teach the stated topics in university.

What managers and ancillary staff do you plan on recruiting for your department?
   Currently I feel that the basic structure of the Operations department is an effective layout but a few small changes could make it all the more effecient.  A runner could be beneficial in confirming information, providing updates, and locating staff members as necessary.  Several ancilatory positions under the managers could also help in the effective running of the departments, preferably these would come from within the departments themselves so as to bring their experience with them.

Where do you stand on the issue of benefits for volunteers? Should volunteers be given the same benefits as staff? Should volunteers be given the same right to a vote that members of Altonimbus (staff) have, without necessarily becoming members?
   I feel that volunteers are necessary for the convention and should be treated as such.  They do tons of work for the convention, particularly when we don't have staff who can fill the role, provide an intermediate step between attendees and staff for the purposes of joining, and providing an intermediate step for the purposes of communication from attendees to staff.  Volunteers work anything from a couple hours to several days, or weeks worth of hours.  I feel a sliding scale of benefits and such things as voting rights might be in order.  As such, as a requirement, volunteer hours would have to be verifiable meaning they would have to check in.  Everything from a few benefits for those who turn in a few hours, to a full volunteer, to honored volunteer, to an honorary staff nomination provided during the convention which could allow access to some staff areas and a vote for those who demonstrate their determination to go above and beyond to a director.  This way we recognize those that start out volunteering but have the dedication to be a full staff member.

How do you think non-performing directors should be held accountable? Should they be held accountable by the board? Should their performance be discussed by the staff during mid-year? What kind of failures do you think justifies forcing an elected director from office via a recall election?
   I believe that directors should be cited by the temporary removal of administrative control of their department.  They would still be required to do their job but would have to report directly to the Vice Chair on a weekly basis as to what is going on.  They should also have their voting authority revoked for the next board decision.  If this behavior persists for three consecutive months or four total months they can be removed from their position and replaced.  I feel that, as is stated in the bylaws, these decisions should be made by the electing body, be it the board or the membership and presented at the opening of a meeting in case a punishment is to be taken.  Quarterly examination by the board of all branches and positions could also help the board as a whole understand the state of each department.   I believe that, since everyone has their own ways of administrating, the defining condition of conduct which invokes punishment should be a failure to do the job to which one is assigned in a timely fashion.  Towards this end, an expected time frame should be written up towards the beginning of the year by the Directors with the input of the previous years directors, with acceptable leeway time frames.  Failure to perform within this timeframe without acceptable explanation would be call for punishment.  Otherwise performing in such a way as to be counterproductive to the convention as a whole.

To what standard would you expect your staff to perform? Do you expect them to work both at the convention and beforehand? At what point would you be willing to fire one of your staff for non-performance of their duties?
   I expect staff to perform as though they are working at a job they love.  in the end, that is what they are doing because there is no pay involved.  I would like staff to work during the convention and before to varying degrees based upon their position.  Some I would like more work before hand with less during the convention, others who work through the entire convention I would offer less pre-convention work.  But all staff should be willing to work at least 80 hours throughout the year.  Preferably more, but the more they are dedicated the convention the more concession I can make for people and the harder I can work to give people time off and benefits.
     I will fire someone if they are endangering or working directly against the best interests of the attendees, staff, and/or convention, in that order.  Anything less typically I will sit down and try to find them a place where they fit in better or try to discuss alternatives with them.
Jess Shelton
2008 Operations Director
2007 Assist. Operations Manager/Yojimbo Manager
2006 Assist. Yojimbo Manager
2005 Yojimbo Manager
2003-2004 Security
Credentials: senior Physics Major at PSU,Edu minor, Store Manager, Instructor, Security

Offline TomtheFanboy

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2007, 05:05:55 pm »
I would like to know the favorite flavor of Pocky of each nominee.

Pocky Club needs to be prepared for the Election results and the subsequent festivities afterwards.
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Offline Mr_Phelps

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2007, 07:47:25 pm »
Mike Andrews
Convention Chair Nominee

   What do you feel was the worst thing to go wrong this year?
We needed more space in Main Events to hold all the people who wanted to see things like Cosplay and Opening Ceremonies.  This was not something we could work around unfortunately as the hotel was already too small for the number of folks we knew were coming.  We just had to work with the area we had.

•   What would you do, if elected, to keep that from happening?
We should work on getting a method to broadcast the key events that the attendees want to see into the other areas of the hotel, like the other ballrooms and viewing rooms or maybe get a CCTV feed that we could use.  There just isn’t any way to fit more than a small portion of the con goers into the main events space in the hotel this year.

•   What was/is/will be your major in college?
I was a Computer Hardware major.

•   What managers and ancillary staff do you plan on recruiting for your department?
Meg will be an invaluable assistant in helping me to approach her Awesome level of Con Chairness.  She has also already started the ball rolling on plans to have liaisons for things like the VIP guests.  I would also like to have a manager/staffer who works throughout the year to stay on top of the data we will need at the information booth.  This will also help keep everyone on the same page once the convention is underway.  (Nods at Dawn and Tom for work on documents and maps done already.)

•   Where do you stand on the issue of benefits for volunteers? Should volunteers be given the same benefits as staff? Should volunteers be given the same right to a vote that members of Altonimbus (staff) have, without necessarily becoming members?
I have to agree with Jess on this topic.  In several of his posts he spelled out a very fair approach to recognizing the work that some of our volunteers put in.  Honorary Staff have preformed at a level that has, I think, earned the right to vote.  Having a defined path to get the title “Honorary Staff” gives those who want it a measurable way of seeing their progress.
We should also work on tracking the work the staff does as well.  This allows us to hold the feet to the fire of some staffers who are just looking for a title without having to earn it.

•   How do you think non-performing directors should be held accountable? Should they be held accountable by the board? Should their performance be discussed by the staff during mid-year? What kind of failures do you think justifies forcing an elected director from office via a recall election?
Directors should most certainly be held accountable.  The convention has been running long enough now for most jobs to have a fairly defined set of goals to meet during the year.  We should also work on documenting/defining what those goals are for each director.  I know this is the dreaded “paperwork” part of things, but knowing what is expected of you going into the job would be a great relief. 
Having a set of defined goals lends itself to being able to measure them during the year.  It would also help in recognizing those areas that need more resources at different parts of the year.  Staff discussion should be encouraged at all the meetings, there may be something mistakenly overlooked or unintentionally forgotten that they see and others missed. 
We are accepting the trust of the staff and the board when we agree to take on our position.  Failing to perform at a level required by the scope of the convention is a betrayal of the trust that has been placed in us.  The members of the board will be the first to see this as the year progresses and should take action to address shortcomings accordingly.  (I need to look up whether or not the board can remove a director and call for elections to replace them.)

•   To what standard would you expect your staff to perform? Do you expect them to work both at the convention and beforehand? At what point would you be willing to fire one of your staff for non-performance of their duties?
Asking them to work as hard as I intend to would probably be overkill, but they at least need to try and keep up.
I would hope that any staff I have going into it knows that this is going to consume large amounts of time throughout the year to have the convention appear to go seamlessly to the attendee. 
When the failure of a staffer starts to affect the efforts of those around them or negatively impacts the convention that person needs to be removed.  Staff know going into this that they are agreeing to being held accountable.

Oops, almost for the important question!
My Pocky will be Man’s Pocky – Dark chocolate is way to con goodness!
« Last Edit: September 21, 2007, 05:44:12 am by Mr_Phelps »
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Offline MichaelEvans

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2007, 08:51:30 pm »
I found the list a little difficult to read, so I've resorted each section by status, otherwise leaving the names in the origional order, and added some formatting.

President:
  • Mike Andrews: accept
  • Rob "Waffles" Plusko: accept

  • Bronwyn Williams: defer

  • Duncan Barth: decline
  • Meg Uhde: decline

Operations:
  • Jess Shelton: accept
  • Brenda McFadden: accept
  • Kenton Cook: accept
  • David McCarley: accept

  • Bronwyn Williams: decline
  • Rian Mueller: decline
  • Jesse Cranston: decline

Programming:
  • Jaki Hunt: accept
  • Brenda McFadden: accept
  • Guy Letoureau: accept

  • David McCarley: defer
  • Kristen Bartholomew: defer

  • Duncan Barth: decline
  • Vallie Allen: decline

Relations:
  • John Krall: accept
  • David McCarley: accept

  • Ryan Stasel: decline
  • Eric Teitzel : decline

Publicity:
  • Jeff Tyrrill: accept
  • Kristen Bartholomew: accept

  • Sarah Bartash: defer
---
Staff 2007-2010
2010-2008: Website Development (So very very much in the last month before the convention at last; Good thing I'm looking for work x.x and have the spare time ~.~)
2007: Website Administration (Mascot Voting Input, Live Schedule)

Offline TomtheFanboy

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2007, 08:10:48 am »
Here's some more election data for you all.
Since you're here, actually reading the forums, you know how much these forums can be used to inform people and spread information. Here are the forum statistics for each of our candidates and their forum names and general profiles.

The statistics show you how much they post, where, and what time of day that person is posting.

President:


Operations:

Programming:

Publicity:

Relations:

All post counts measured as of the date of this posting and/or edit.
Why does everyone put Publicity Last? It's not even alphabetical! tut tut tut...
JeffT edit: Added Kri's account, Darkerlight, to Publicity
« Last Edit: September 21, 2007, 02:34:16 pm by JeffT »
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Offline MichaelEvans

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2007, 09:13:00 am »
Post count isn't necessarily indicative of any qualification for one of these positions.  In fact, post count may actually grow more slowly due to workload on the job and with Kumoricon taking up even more time.
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Offline guspasho

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2007, 09:18:36 am »
Post count isn't necessarily indicative of any qualification for one of these positions.  In fact, post count may actually grow more slowly due to workload on the job and with Kumoricon taking up even more time.

Indeed. Otherwise the implication is that Waffles is the most qualified candidate of any by far.
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Offline TomtheFanboy

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #9 on: September 21, 2007, 09:27:30 am »
Post count isn't necessarily indicative of any qualification for one of these positions.  In fact, post count may actually grow more slowly due to workload on the job and with Kumoricon taking up even more time.

Well I should hope that post count will grow with increased workload!

Post count (especially now that the spam forum has been excluded) is indicative of how much the person communicates via the convention forums. A very important tool for disseminating information among the staff and attendees. In the past this tool has gone unused by most board members. Many staff wish this to end and so the post count and the data on where those posts were made is quite important to some staffers as it shows how that nominee communicates.

Since I am on the defense apparently, one of the most telling pieces of data in the above links is the date when the nominee joined the forums. I try not to push that as a sign of seniority because it only shows membership starting on change-over day, 2004-12-19. There were two other forums before that and about half of our nominees were on but we have no way of proving their participation without finding logs from those old forums. That is far too much work since no-one is likely to use that data to argue for or against any one candidate.

Edit to answer guspasho's sarcasm;
The post total reflects their over all participation but the statistics show the time period in which those posts were made and in what section. While Waffles does indeed have the highest total post count it is easy to see that the majority of those posts were simply social while other nominees are only posting when concerned with convention business.

I wonder why you're both so quick to have people ignore the numbers?
« Last Edit: September 21, 2007, 09:30:50 am by TomtheFanboy »
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Offline guspasho

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2007, 09:40:37 am »
I wonder why you're both so quick to have people ignore the numbers?

Because the numbers are a terrible metric. You already point out that postcount reflects social activity more than anything else. Why do you need to wonder? Why must you twist everything into a conspiracy theory?
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Offline rictheron

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #11 on: September 21, 2007, 09:58:44 am »
I must agree that the stats, while informative, are far from a total picture of the communicative abilities of candidates.  Do not get me wrong, I think it can be good to have the stats  but then we should also include stats on hours spent working, hours spent in meetings, hours spent in phone conversation and email.  I, for instance, typically used the forums either for social or to post about meetings.  Most of my actual communication with staffers came via PM or direct conversation during my regular meetings.
   The Forums are quite useful but do not provide an actual measure of work put in.  Many forms of work can not be done over the forums.  Conversations of medical procedure, of AV setup, of guest negotiations for instance can not be done on the forums. Additionally, when the directors are too busy to deal with certain things they assign others to do work.  I personally have a 'Yojimbo Registration Manager' who handles many of the questions people would have, and our publicity on the forums while I examine changes in law and plan procedure.
    As such, while this is interesting and good info, I would like people reading this to recognize that forum stats are not a yardstick to measure dedication or work ethic from.
Jess Shelton
2008 Operations Director
2007 Assist. Operations Manager/Yojimbo Manager
2006 Assist. Yojimbo Manager
2005 Yojimbo Manager
2003-2004 Security
Credentials: senior Physics Major at PSU,Edu minor, Store Manager, Instructor, Security

Offline Waffles

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #12 on: September 21, 2007, 11:21:51 am »
GUS is just mad for I am the UBBER NOMINEE!!! anyways  yes most of my post our just social but it also shows that i have been with the con for a long time and on the forums where most people meet each other and talk about con related things.
    * What do you feel was the worst thing to go wrong this year?
I think that we need more communication between staffers and departments. I was told by a certain staff member that its wrong that yojimbo in a sense get single out more then other staff. I am a yojimbo and If I lose then I will go back to being a yojimbo. Lets make this staff a family let everyone know what is happening in each department why have groups who don't mingle with each other.
    * What would you do, if elected, to keep that from happening?
I am going to do what I can to know everyone of my staffers on a personal level If you want to know personal things about me ask, but I hope I can do the same thing for you guys also. [this is what I got now I will be editing this soon.]
    * What was/is/will be your major in college?
Right now I am studying to get my business degree in marketing. I enjoy business its fun to me but I understand the consequences that can happen if you dont run a business right. I am not saying that if elected I will take the heart out of the con, the heart iis everybody who comes to the con for the same reason we all do. personally  my main reason every year for coming is to enjoy the company of the attendees and if I can make your convention better then thats what I want to do. also I am going to minor in culinary!
    * What managers and ancillary staff do you plan on recruiting for your department?
I of course hope that meg will be able to give me a few pointers as does everybody. But I would Like my right hand man to be Jeremy Birtola (Mushoku or Mushoku 145 on the forums.) he is my closest friend and he in a sense is a yin to my yang or vice versa. I would also hope that all previous directors will be able to give me any pointers also, I wont lie I will need some help at first and as mike said before trying to reach the level that meg has put in front of both nominee's will be a hard and difficult path so please bare with either of us.
    * Where do you stand on the issue of benefits for volunteers? Should volunteers be given the same benefits as staff? Should volunteers be given the same right to a vote that members of Altonimbus (staff) have, without necessarily becoming members? I think this is a hard point to talk about, because everybody has a different and valid point except for the people who are like "VOTE!!!! FTW!!!!!!" I personally think that volunteers who have exceeded every expectation that has been put infront of them should be seen as honorary staff and possibly the right to vote. if this isn't plausible then I would like to see the volunteer Coordinator getting two  votes one for them selves and one vote that is for the volunteers. This vote will be an unanimous  vote amoung the volunteers who show up to the elections.
    * How do you think non-performing directors should be held accountable? Should they be held accountable by the board? Should their performance be discussed by the staff during mid-year? What kind of failures do you think justifies forcing an elected director from office via a recall election?
Well their not doing their job right? If a director is not doing his or her job then they should be replaced because if publicity ( this is an example) is not doing their job then how will people know about the con? As for the firing part I am not sure yet I will address that more during the elections.
    * To what standard would you expect your staff to perform? Do you expect them to work both at the convention and beforehand? At what point would you be willing to fire one of your staff for non-performance of their duties?
Personally I hope to never had to fire a staff it hurts to know a staff member is just in it for the cheaper prices and I hope that they realize who they are and possibly not join up next year. For performance wise I hope they put in more then the requirement. Your staff because you want the con to work, at least thats why I joined and I do hope thats the reason.

  Also for the hardest question here!
          TOM I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT POCKY FOR YOU TO BRING!!!!!! Please if your so generous to bring pocky just bring what everyone likes I pretty much like all of them. UNLESS THEY MAKE A WAFFLES POCKY THEN IT MUST BE MINE!

 they have a toffee pocky right?

 



Good, Bad,  i'm the guy with the gun.

Offline TomtheFanboy

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #13 on: September 21, 2007, 04:13:16 pm »
I don't twist things into conspiracy theories, it just happened that two of you disagreed with me. Quickly.

It's just endlessly amusing to me that I point out some data and make it slightly easier to get a bit of  information, without implying any context, and suddenly it is refuted. I would be glad to edit my past posts to remove any implications.

Lack of any interaction between the board members and the public (staff or attendees) has been a problem in the past. People who post on the forums are easier to communicate with because the forums are a accessible form of communication. Low stats on the forum mean that that person doesn't use the forums very much. Forum stats do not statistically reflect the ability of the person to reply to emails or phone calls, or to do any job put before them. They are only a measure of that person's use of one of the communication tools at their disposal.

People have plenty of other things to do in their lives other than browse the forums and "hang out" here. There are plenty of levels of communication in which this election is taking place, and the nominees are interacting with all of them. I only have access to my personal correspondences and the data on the forums, so that is all that I can see of the nominees in the election. A more complete gathering of data is not available since I can't see everyone's emails and phone records. If I could, to use Rob as an example once again, I doubt that Waffles would have much contact with the rest of the management and staff over the phone.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, "In my experience a person who never posts on the forums is harder to communicate with than a person who does not." I have emailed every candidate who has accepted a position and I have received timely (one or two days) responses from each of the candidates that has posted on the election forums. That is the simple fact of this case.

(Also, to be thorough, I have received one email from a nominee who has not posted here yet.)
(I have also personally seen two nominees on the forums since these questions were posted and neither have answered the questions posed to them.)

Waffles: There was a Caramel Pocky, I do not recall a toffee pocky, though we might have it someday.

Edit: I just realized something that I wanted to apologize for. This section is designated as the Nominations thread, which implies to me that posts here should focus on making new nominations. I posted my information here because I did not wish to create a new post in each of the threads. If this is a problem perhaps we can have a general thread for the elections as a whole that would allow a more generalized posting of questions and information.
« Last Edit: September 21, 2007, 04:54:42 pm by TomtheFanboy »
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Offline MichaelEvans

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #14 on: September 21, 2007, 08:29:24 pm »
What we're trying to say is that the forums are a generally poor indication of Anything.  For example if you've just moved in to the area, but were big with the conventions near where you used to live, your forum post count would be low as you would not have been looking here.  As another example, if you just found out about Kumoricon recently your lack of prior involvement only means exactly that.  It shows nothing about any potential you have for involvement.  A final example has already been stated...

I must agree that the stats, while informative, are far from a total picture of the communicative abilities of candidates.  Do not get me wrong, I think it can be good to have the stats  but then we should also include stats on hours spent working, hours spent in meetings, hours spent in phone conversation and email.  I, for instance, typically used the forums either for social or to post about meetings.  Most of my actual communication with staffers came via PM or direct conversation during my regular meetings.
   The Forums are quite useful but do not provide an actual measure of work put in.  Many forms of work can not be done over the forums.  Conversations of medical procedure, of AV setup, of guest negotiations for instance can not be done on the forums. Additionally, when the directors are too busy to deal with certain things they assign others to do work.  I personally have a 'Yojimbo Registration Manager' who handles many of the questions people would have, and our publicity on the forums while I examine changes in law and plan procedure.
    As such, while this is interesting and good info, I would like people reading this to recognize that forum stats are not a yardstick to measure dedication or work ethic from.

Which is why the Number of prior posts is a very poor indication of anything useful in this case.

However, something that would be useful, the Quality and Content of what posts have been made, especially more recently.
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2010-2008: Website Development (So very very much in the last month before the convention at last; Good thing I'm looking for work x.x and have the spare time ~.~)
2007: Website Administration (Mascot Voting Input, Live Schedule)

Offline Jamiche

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #15 on: September 21, 2007, 09:27:36 pm »
Jaki Hunt
Programming Nominee

What do you feel was the worst thing to go wrong this year?
    That we underestimated the popularity of some of the events/panels we offered this year.  We were completely unprepared for the turnout/interest, and that resulted in long lines, running out of supplies, and attendees being turned away at the doors.

What would you do, if elected, to keep that from happening?
    Where we can, we need to be conservative on our estimtates, and plan for more.  If we think a workshop panel will only have 30 people, if it's in our budget, plan for 50.  If it's not, and we can only allow a specific number, that needs to be stated up front.  We are constrained by the amount of space we have to work with... we may find that we will need to ticket more events next year.

What was/is/will be your major in college?
    I have a B.S. in civil engineering.

What managers and ancillary staff do you plan on recruiting for your department?
    I plan on recruiting as many managers and staff from last year as possible.  Despite the problems we had, everyone involved with running their individual departments worked their butts off, and they did a great job.

Where do you stand on the issue of benefits for volunteers? Should volunteers be given the same benefits as staff? Should volunteers be given the same right to a vote that members of Altonimbus (staff) have, without necessarily becoming members?
    I'm all for a sliding scale for volunteers. They do alot to help with the convention, and without their help we wouldn't be able to do as much as we can.  There are some that do as much if not more than some staff members, and those that do and become "honorary staff" (whatever that is decided on) should be able to vote.

How do you think non-performing directors should be held accountable? Should they be held accountable by the board? Should their performance be discussed by the staff during mid-year? What kind of failures do you think justifies forcing an elected director from office via a recall election?
    If a director isn't doing their job, they shouldn't be a director.  They should be held accountable by the board, and their performance evaluated by those they most affect (their department, other directors).  If they miss key deadlines, or disappear off the grid, then their postion as director should be re-evaluated.

To what standard would you expect your staff to perform? Do you expect them to work both at the convention and beforehand? At what point would you be willing to fire one of your staff for non-performance of their duties?
    I don't ask staffers to work any harder than I do, either before or during the convention, but I expect them to cover what is needed, whether it be setting up/running panels, or sitting outside viewing rooms.  Not everyone will have work to do beforehand, but I expect them to put the time in at the convention.  If staffers are unwilling to put in the time required, they will be removed.


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Offline TomtheFanboy

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #16 on: September 22, 2007, 12:26:14 pm »
What we're trying to say is that the forums are a generally poor indication of Anything.
...................
Which is why the Number of prior posts is a very poor indication of anything useful in this case.

However, something that would be useful, the Quality and Content of what posts have been made, especially more recently.

The forums are generally a poor indication of anything? Anything? Activity on the forum reflects how friendly you are with our attendees in an online setting. It shows what lengths you'll go to speak with people and have your views seen. It also shows how willing you are to use a public means of doing business rather than private communications. This last one is exactly the reason I am so insistent.

Quality and content?
Should i go get the quotes where guspasho explains that he removed the spam forum posts from the post count specifically so that post count would reflect something more useful about that member of the forum? Content is sorted easily, but quality? Quality of posts is way more subjective.

Recent posts? OK. I can provide the content of the most recent posts of our nominees.

Mike Andrews AKA Mr_Phelps, only 6 of his posts have been social (though you can make arguments about staff retreat and convention rpgs no being strictly business). 10 of his posts were in staff only forums.

Rob Plusko AKA Waffles, he has made almost 75 posts since the convention. 15 of those post were con business and the rest were social. 8 posts were made in staff only forums.

Jess Shelton AKA rictheron, 5 of his last 30 posts were made in Staff only forums. 26 of those posts were con business.

Brenda McFadden AKA Nyco27, 7 social posts out of the 60 in the last year. about half were made in staff only forums.

Kenton Cook AKA  PhantmK, No posts made since joining in January 19, 2007, 04:01:40 PM.

David McCarley AKA kalira, he has made 8 posts in the last year. 3 of those posts were in public forums and only one post that could be argued as being "socializing".

Jaki Hunt AKA jamiche, 2 social posts out of her last 40 posts, the rest were con business. 3 of those convention business posts were in staff only forums.

Guy Letoureau AKA Prinz_Eugen, about half of her posts are con business, half socializing. Guy's last account "Geirr" had the following posts, which were actually more social. Guy's statistics are misleading because before the new forum setup locked out that feature, he would post anonymously to avoid electronic cookies.

Jeff Tyrrill AKA JeffT, he has made 17 posts since the last time he posted in a staff only forum (which was part of his mod work), all in the last month. Also, I couldn't find any posts by Jeff that weren't convention business!

Kristen Bartholomew AKA Darkerlight, about half of her posts are con business, half socializing. 4 posts out of the last 30 were in staff only forums.
(Thanks to Jeff for linking her new account, the staff page did not have it linked)

John Krall AKA Cpl. Slicks, 1 post in a staff-only forum , last post was in May of 2007.


So how else are you guys enabling the electoral process. I recall people saying that this years election needs to have actual competition between nominees. People trying to prove they are best for the job rather than the nominees and board members making deals with each other to orchestrate the mockery that was last years election.

If a nominee was "new to the area" like in your example then that would be clear by the date when they joined the forum. The statistics that accompany the post count show you the percentages.
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Offline superjaz

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #17 on: September 22, 2007, 12:43:30 pm »
What we're trying to say is that the forums are a generally poor indication of Anything.  For example if you've just moved in to the area, but were big with the conventions near where you used to live,

?????
the forum is a great tool!!!, look at last weekend it was used thru a threat to plan when and who was going to be at the kumoricon  booth during the japanese fest, which help increase con atendance and spread the word of the con,

as for person out of town who just moved to the area? it a great way for them to make friends with simular intersts look at leashy that how i met her

one other thing tom did that helped, is he matched the people who are runnings real names with their forum names which not every one knows, it helps putting what we know about one with what we know of the other
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Offline RoamingGnome

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #18 on: September 22, 2007, 12:43:53 pm »
Gentlemen gentlemen I think we really need to drop this.  We are taking focus away from what this thread was for and now arguing amongst each other.  Lets let the directors running post about themselves and if people have question for them they will ask and hopefully be answered.

Offline rictheron

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #19 on: September 22, 2007, 01:52:49 pm »
Indeed, this debate is distracting from the actual objective of this thread which is to nominate candidates and to ask questions of these candidates.  I would request of the Admins to transfer the entries on this subject to a new thread.  Please do not delete or close it, it is a valid point of debate after all.

   Tom, if you re-read my post you would note that I stated it was a good idea but it is not telling in many areas, and can be misleading as a measurement.  However reading the entries, seeing where people post can be informative.  People just need to be aware when looking at the stats that you posted, why they don't necessarily tell the whole story, and of the factors which might affect the perception of those statistics.  With those in mind, it is a good thing to have available. 
   Oh, and as a personal note, there is a reason I don't have many social posts listed.  I have a second ID on here which I use for the purpose of social conversations. 
Jess Shelton
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Offline Kimiski

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #20 on: September 23, 2007, 01:51:51 am »
I have a question for the current con chair (Meg): Why have you decided to step down from a Nomini for Kumoricon 2008?

I really liked you as the con-chair Meg and thought you did a terrific job by the way!

My mouth dropped when I saw that. I would like to know why also, you just keep making the con better and better.


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Offline Hawkeye

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #21 on: September 23, 2007, 04:53:17 pm »
A question I have is how do each of the candidates plan on helping make sure their budgets get approved in a more timely fashion?  I know there has been problems in the past.  Also, several of you have spoken of removing people when necessary and wanting to force the directors to be accountable to the point of having them removed, but if push comes to shove, what will you do to guarantee follow-through on that?  There have been instances in the past where directors have failed to do their job as stated in the job description and nothing happened to them.  What do each of you plan to do to improve inter-departmental communication?  How do you plan to make sure department heads do not step on each others' toes as far as decision making goes?
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Offline Cpl. Slicks

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #22 on: September 24, 2007, 10:12:59 pm »
I would like to know the favorite flavor of Pocky of each nominee.

Pocky Club needs to be prepared for the Election results and the subsequent festivities afterwards.

Blueberry Aero (good luck finding it.)

Offline TomtheFanboy

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #23 on: September 24, 2007, 10:49:22 pm »

Blueberry Aero (good luck finding it.)

Yeah, the last time Fran offered that flavor was in 2005. I can do the Mousse though!
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Offline leashy

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #24 on: September 25, 2007, 07:36:17 am »
So how else are you guys enabling the electoral process. I recall people saying that this years election needs to have actual competition between nominees. People trying to prove they are best for the job rather than the nominees and board members making deals with each other to orchestrate the mockery that was last years election.

I would definitely like to see some campaigning, especially for the position of Con Chair.  I really feel that with Meg not running I need to see where people stand on certain issues such as the matter of staff vs volunteers and what positions will continue as staff, or how they plan to help the con grow, AS WELL AS who they are planning to elect as Vice Chair that is of GREAT importance in my eyes ^^


In terms of the importance of the forums, it really is the way most people (or regulars of the boards) are going to see you, especially if you never met them in an outside setting. Like Jaz said, that is how we met, it is actually how I met almost all of my friends outside of work in this area. I moved here from Massachusetts and I don't know what I would have done without the K-con forums.  I feel that the forums and how candidates are being percieved on it is going to make a HUGE impact on the vote this year; especially for those people running who maybe just found out about the forums or don't post much or who don't think it matters to post much.  I feel it may be being a bit underestimated by some candidates and if they don't kick it up a notch on the forums then they better have a hell of a speech com election day!  ;)

[Please note I am not referring to post count. Post count may seem somewhat irrelevant at times when I can make a two word post 200 times and then start to look like a "notable person".. which is why we got rid of Spam for the most part.  What I am saying is, there are alot of people who go to the forums and not everyone knows eachother.  I want to see what the candidates are going to do and say to the general population of the forums OUTSIDE of the elections topic.  It just helps to know how are person is and how they act in a friendly setting, before wanting them to run a part of the convention we all hold dear.]
« Last Edit: September 25, 2007, 08:07:10 am by leashy »

Offline melchizedek

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #25 on: September 25, 2007, 01:14:09 pm »
Um, where are all the nominees from?
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Offline gemineye42

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #26 on: September 25, 2007, 01:55:54 pm »
I'd like to ask the nominees a question -

What are your ideas for new content for Kumoricon 2008? Panels, sponsors, groups, anything?
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Offline MichaelEvans

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #27 on: September 25, 2007, 08:04:16 pm »
I would definitely like to see some campaigning, especially for the position of Con Chair.  I really feel that with Meg not running I need to see where people stand on certain issues such as the matter of staff vs volunteers and what positions will continue as staff, or how they plan to help the con grow, AS WELL AS who they are planning to elect as Vice Chair that is of GREAT importance in my eyes ^^

This actually reminded me of a question that really should be asked of all positions on the Board.  If you (the candidate) were elected and had the opportunity to restructure the organization, what major changes would you make? That is, new/removed/changed departments, and/or moving major functions from one department to another.
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Offline Mr_Phelps

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #28 on: September 26, 2007, 05:51:42 am »
This is just a placeholder, as I can't visit the forums from work.  I've emailed the questions to myself and will answer them later today and drop them in here.

"Please be patient while the webpage loads....."   ;D

And life happens...   Sorry, been uber-busy at work and I'm just now getting to answering the questions.  So I'll make a new post and get things answered there.
« Last Edit: September 29, 2007, 06:05:23 pm by Mr_Phelps »
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Offline rictheron

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #29 on: September 26, 2007, 10:29:51 am »
Well, we have a number of new questions now ready to be answered so here we go.  If I accidentally miss your question, I apologize.  PM me and I will edit it into my answer sheet.  I wouldn't want to leave anyone out. :)

So the first question, Hawkeye asked how candidates plan on having budgets approved in a more timely fashion?
       Quite a good question as it effects the ability to run our departments.  I plan to examine the budget, the expenditures and the receipts from the past few years, accounting for the spending in the department, what was necessary, what is subjectively important, what is already accounted for, what isn't, and growth trends over the past few years.  Running a calculation based upon expected growth I would then, before the general meetings have started, submit a planned Operations budget, preferably to coincide with the previously mentioned progress schedule, so that expenditures are excepted well ahead of time.  This way, hopefully with the assistance for the Treasurer, funds can be processed in a timely fashion, as much of the accounting and paperwork will already be taken care of well before the funds are actually needed.

The second question is about how we plan to guarantee that non-producing or counter productive directors would be held accountable?
   My hope on this is to press the idea that all directors should have assistants, if they fail to choose one themselves then the board does so, who can assist them during the convention and learn the ropes in case of emergencies or illness prevents a director from being able to do their job.  This would also provide a step in should a director have to be removed from his position.  This backup should provide the board with the necessary incentive to remove someone who is damaging the convention without worrying about leaving a void.  In the end, though, the only true guarantee that can be giving is in the morality and scruples of those making the decision.  Will someone be honest and do what should be done even if it is not easy?  I like to think that all the candidates would answer yes to this.

The third question, taken in two parts here, how do we plan to improve inter-department communication and prevents conflict and excess redundancy between departments?
   As to the communication, the forums provide a good starting point for communication on top of which we have email, phones, and meetings (both general and executive) during which directors can directly communicate.  The use of the assistants would provide a backup for communication in case the director themselves can not be reached while a list of managers for each department would allow for quick reference of any information needed from another, though this should ideally go through the director, unless they are incommunicado.    Regular updates on the status of the department should include the information about what is currently being worked on by each of the managers, this should prevent 'stepping on each others' toes' as any areas where this would occur should be clearly obvious.  In such cases where both departments need to have a say a liaison can be appointed between the two managers.

The fourth question is where are all the candidates from?
     I am from Oregon.  I was born in Portland, and with the exception of 6 months in my first year, lived in Salem until the age of 23.  At that point I moved to Southern California to work for about 9 months then returned to Oregon where I spent the next three years living and schooling in Portland.

The fifth question, what are your ideas for new content for Kumoricon 2008? Panels, sponsors, groups, anything?
   I saw a discussion in the forums recently regarding video content of the convention.  I rather liked the idea and would like to see the convention board back a recording group to operate at Mini-con, Kumoricon, and several other pre-convention occasions performing interviews and video editing towards the production and release of a Kumoricon commerative DVD showing many of the major events, interviewing some of the more notable people at the convention, and the like. 
   I would also like to see the creation of a Kumoricon improv cosplay group who would volunteer with us during the lead up to events.  Both by being a form of mascot for the convention but also providing entertainment during long lines by performing improv shows along such lines.
     An introduction to Eastern Martial Arts panel seems like it would be popular and could provide a good contact point between people interested in martial arts, and the martial arts schools in the area to help our attendees and staff to get in contact with a popular form of exercise.  Additionally a panel on oriental cultures (Chinese, Korean and such as well as Japanese) could provide information about local groups that run cultural events, holidays, temples, and the like.

The sixth question follows if you (the candidate) were elected and had the opportunity to restructure the organization, what major changes would you make? That is, new/removed/changed departments, and/or moving major functions from one department to another.
   At this point I feel that the convention has found what works so far as the departments, directors, and managers.  The only actual changes I would make to this would be in supplementary positions such as the liaison position mentioned earlier, a community manager working for publicity or relations to talk with community groups, arrange community outreach and publicity events. As previously mentioned I would like to change the setup of the A/V so that Ops cares for equipment between uses, while Programming cares for it during setup and use. 
And the last, but certainly not the least question, what flavor of pocky do we like?
   Strawberry with crumbles.  Mmmmm mmmm fruity goodness.




My hope is that the directors of the previous year will be willing to stay on in an advisory role for the next few months, until the general meetings start to provide insight and suggestion to their successors.  This could be a massive advantage as it would help people to fit into their role and provide a transitional period for all of the staff.

Jess Shelton
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2007 Assist. Operations Manager/Yojimbo Manager
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Offline RemSaverem

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #30 on: September 28, 2007, 01:44:19 pm »
A few quick thoughts:

I wonder if nominees would be comfortable to outline for readers who might not know, their background, if any, in attending, volunteering for, being panelists for, staffing, and/or being management for other conventions; what positions, if any, they will hold for other conventions in 2008; what differences they have noted between their other convention(s) and KC; and what they can personally promise that they will do to retain what makes KC unique (and perhaps what they think does make KC unique).

Also:
Particularly as multiple people have either accepted for multiple directorships and/or appointed positions, or have accepted some & deferred some, or have deferred multiple; it becomes very important to know

THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS OF THE ELECTIONS.

For example, say someone is up for relations and ops. Which of those is elected first might make a difference?

Or are all slots voted on at once, and then if the person wins in both, they get to select which to keep?

Are votes done anonymously on pieces of paper? (I think I remember that from 2006?) or???

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Offline TomtheFanboy

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #31 on: September 28, 2007, 01:57:48 pm »
I've heard that votes will be private this year. We had some show of hand votes at the 2007 election but that was a frickin' joke.
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Offline Hawkeye

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #32 on: September 28, 2007, 02:10:28 pm »
I honestly think votes should be on paper/private like they were after '05, it allows people to have their own opinions and not necessarily have them made public if they don't wish it to be that way.  That is an interesting question if one person gets elected for two positions.
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Offline JeffT

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #33 on: September 28, 2007, 09:33:46 pm »
Also:
Particularly as multiple people have either accepted for multiple directorships and/or appointed positions, or have accepted some & deferred some, or have deferred multiple; it becomes very important to know

THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS OF THE ELECTIONS.

For example, say someone is up for relations and ops. Which of those is elected first might make a difference?

Or are all slots voted on at once, and then if the person wins in both, they get to select which to keep?

Are votes done anonymously on pieces of paper? (I think I remember that from 2006?) or???

The bylaws currently do not disallow holding multiple board positions. Therefore, a person could actually win more than one director position. Of course, voters would be wise to consider this when voting, if it actually looked like this could happen. However, most likely, a candidate won't actually attempt to win and hold multiple positions. It's not even clear that any of the current candidates is seriously running for multiple positions (many of the current "defers" will likely decline before elections).

The bylaws do not specify the order or exact elections procedure for this situation. That means, that, like all other things not specified by the bylaws or superior documents (articles of incorporation, and then, law), it is up to the decision of the board, and if the board does not specify, then the person presiding over the elections.

Perhaps it would be a good idea for a future amended version of the bylaws to specify the procedure for people running in multiple positions, but only intending to win and hold one.

(There's an "optimal way" to solve this, but it's very complex, and isn't compatible with the current bylaws: Vote on them all simultaneously. For all interrelated races, draw up a list of every permutation of all the winners. The voters rank all the "outcomes" and the ballots are counted using the Schulze method (a.k.a. Schwartz Sequential Dropping) (what we used for the mascot and cover contest voting).)

I've heard that votes will be private this year. We had some show of hand votes at the 2007 election but that was a frickin' joke.

This is not unusual when there is not apparent controversy. I've been at 3 meetings belonging to 2 organizations (neither of them Kumoricon) where an entire slate of officers was elected, each position having a single candidate, by either a show of hands, or just by acclamation (short period of silence to allow for somebody to object, and if nobody does, then unanimous assent is presumed).

At the elections for 2007 officers, even though 4 of the 5 positions were unopposed, each candidate gave a speech, answered questions, and left the room allowing others to comment, so I would not characterize this election as a "joke". We could have done private votes to allow people to abstain in private, but we don't announce the counts of private votes anyway. It would only be for the benefit of the case in which enough voting members in attendance might abstain such that a majority vote is not attained, and to allow them the opportunity to (not) cast their vote privately.

For the one contested position, if I recall correctly, the voting was done in private.

But I've also been at an organization where such a vote was done via show of hands, but only with the candidates out of the room.

I agree that if any position is contested, the vote should be private. I also think it's a good idea to have each candidate speak, allow a period for questions, and allow a period for comments with the candidate out of the room, even for unopposed positions. It's best if all votes are private, but just be aware that a show of hands vote for an unopposed position is not unusual.
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Offline Mr_Phelps

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #34 on: September 29, 2007, 08:03:26 pm »
A question I have is how do each of the candidates plan on helping make sure their budgets get approved in a more timely fashion?  I know there has been problems in the past. 
We now have several years of history that we can dig into.  This should provide the directors with a fair idea of what to expect from each department.  I hope we will be able to use that as a framework for the next year and tweak the budgets as we go.

Also, several of you have spoken of removing people when necessary and wanting to force the directors to be accountable to the point of having them removed, but if push comes to shove, what will you do to guarantee follow-through on that?  There have been instances in the past where directors have failed to do their job as stated in the job description and nothing happened to them. 
Meg has suggested, and I agree, that we need vice-director positions that can support the directors and be ready to step up if something happens that prevents the director from doing their job.  The responsibility of recognizing that a director is not doing the job they signed on for rests on the shoulders of the con chair and the chair would work to resolve the issue before it impacts the convention as a whole or even the department affected.

What do each of you plan to do to improve inter-departmental communication?  How do you plan to make sure department heads do not step on each others' toes as far as decision making goes?
Organizing task forces to tackle areas where more than one department are involved will help on that.  Also, recognizing that we have many opportunities to help each other across department boundaries should help get more dialog flowing.
As for “stepping on toes”, we need to work on examining the current director and department definitions and see where changes have occurred.  This will help us work out better descriptions that help prevent any hurt toes. 

I would definitely like to see some campaigning, especially for the position of Con Chair.  I really feel that with Meg not running I need to see where people stand on certain issues such as the matter of staff vs volunteers and what positions will continue as staff, or how they plan to help the con grow, AS WELL AS who they are planning to elect as Vice Chair that is of GREAT importance in my eyes ^^
I have already stated my view on staff/volunteer issues.  Jess has a well thought out plan that I hope we can work with in the coming year.
I have asked Dawn Hewitt to my vice-chair.  We were co-managers for registration this past year and she did an awesome job with all the last minute (and more than last minute) problems that came up to give the impression of a seamless operation to the attendees.  I look forward to working with her again this coming year.
Meg has agreed to be “assistant to the chair” and I deeply appreciate the knowledge and experience that she will be able to provide.

In terms of the importance of the forums, it really is the way most people (or regulars of the boards) are going to see you, especially if you never met them in an outside setting. Like Jaz said, that is how we met, it is actually how I met almost all of my friends outside of work in this area. I moved here from Massachusetts and I don't know what I would have done without the K-con forums.  I feel that the forums and how candidates are being perceived on it is going to make a HUGE impact on the vote this year; especially for those people running who maybe just found out about the forums or don't post much or who don't think it matters to post much.  I feel it may be being a bit underestimated by some candidates and if they don't kick it up a notch on the forums then they better have a hell of a speech com election day!   
I have “lurked” on the forums since I found out about K-con in early 2005.  Last year while I was sitting in line for registration (for a LONG time) several others and myself decided that we would volunteer after the con to help with reg.  I went to the first meeting and moved from volunteer to staff to registration manager as the year progressed.  It was tons of fun, lots of work, and totally paid off at the con with the best registration yet.  The volunteers were awesome and we had a great time.  This years registration will be even better with Dawn taking over.


[Please note I am not referring to post count. Post count may seem somewhat irrelevant at times when I can make a two word post 200 times and then start to look like a "notable person".. which is why we got rid of Spam for the most part.  What I am saying is, there are alot of people who go to the forums and not everyone knows each other.  I want to see what the candidates are going to do and say to the general population of the forums OUTSIDE of the elections topic.  It just helps to know how are person is and how they act in a friendly setting, before wanting them to run a part of the convention we all hold dear.]
Please understand that I cannot surf these forums at work and have limited time outside work to spend making posts.  I try to hit the forums at least once a day and surf through the new posts and pitch in where I have something to add.  Mostly I focus on areas that I am directly involved, which is why most of the posts I have made are registration related.  Socializing is something that will probably happen as I get to know more of the people involved in the running of the convention.


Um, where are all the nominees from?
I am originally from Florida, though I’ve been in the Northwest since ’87.  Currently I live in Wilsonville and really like being able to skip the rush hour commute.


What are your ideas for new content for Kumoricon 2008? Panels, sponsors, groups, anything?
I really think that what makes Kumoricon a great con is the focus on the attendees.  So that is where I am hoping we can remain committed.  It’s a little early for saying who we are going to have, and I don’t want to get hopes up before the relations folks have done their job. 

This actually reminded me of a question that really should be asked of all positions on the Board.  If you (the candidate) were elected and had the opportunity to restructure the organization, what major changes would you make? That is, new/removed/changed departments, and/or moving major functions from one department to another.
The only change that I am looking for at the start is making registration its own entity.  Registration has tasks that need to happen all year to be able to run smoothly at the con.  Having a group that is only focused on this and not having to worry about anything else will make a big difference.  (Also, streamlining the registration process will make it easier to pitch to other conventions like Sakuracon.  ;P)

I wonder if nominees would be comfortable to outline for readers who might not know, their background, if any, in attending, volunteering for, being panelists for, staffing, and/or being management for other conventions; what positions, if any, they will hold for other conventions in 2008; what differences they have noted between their other convention(s) and KC; and what they can personally promise that they will do to retain what makes KC unique (and perhaps what they think does make KC unique).
I started going to conventions in the Bay Area many years ago, mostly gaming and sci-fi/fantasy stuff.  The gaming conventions were always as a game master, its just lots of fun to run pick up games with new people.

The first K-con I attended was at the DoubleTree – Lloyd Center.  I ran a BESM game that was tons of fun.  The next year I spend pretty much the entire con going to panels and really enjoyed it.  This year I was the “at door” registration desk and pretty much spent the entire con doing registration, though I did do a stint of door watching for the Gaming Room.  (Hey, check your bags…  again, and again, and again…  ;p)
I will be entirely focused on K-con, even helping run the K-con booth at Sakuracon this coming year.  You will also probably see me heading to various destinations during the year to support events outside the Portland area.

Hopefully I didn’t miss any of the questions, if I did, just ask again and I’ll do my best to answer them in a timely fashion. 

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Offline Washougal_Otaku

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #35 on: October 01, 2007, 04:33:06 pm »
I suppose that this is a question for anyone who knows.

I wasn't at last year's elections, and therefore am uncertain how the election process is actually carried out.  My question is, once everyone has had a chance to address those present, how is the voting process done?  Do we have "ballots" that are counted?
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Offline TomtheFanboy

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #36 on: October 02, 2007, 07:10:15 am »
There are ballots that are taken out and counted. They've specified that this year will be a silent election. However I believe that we will still do one election at a time, starting with chair and moving down the list. No one has specified the protocol this year so I'm judging by chatter and past election experience.

I'm curious about how informal the debates before the meeting will be but I think that if we wish to discuss it more we should post in the thread for the meeting rather than here.
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Offline Washougal_Otaku

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #37 on: October 02, 2007, 05:57:51 pm »
Okay, her's another one.  I noticed on the schedule that the general meeting/elections begin at 2:30.  I assume that this means we'll have a regular meeting, then go into the election process.  What if we are there, but have to leave before the elections take place?
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Offline RemSaverem

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #38 on: October 04, 2007, 11:31:56 am »
I was also wondering what is available in the way of online participation in the elections for staff unable to attend? I'll be there, but I'm sure there are others who won't be able to be........

Jeff and Mike, thanks for such attention to detail and such thorough and swift replies.
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Offline TomtheFanboy

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #39 on: October 04, 2007, 02:31:24 pm »
I was also wondering what is available in the way of online participation in the elections for staff unable to attend? I'll be there, but I'm sure there are others who won't be able to be........

Jeff and Mike, thanks for such attention to detail and such thorough and swift replies.

There are no plans for absentee votes. Everyone who has spoken about the election in the current board has been adamantly against the idea because it complicates things.

They may have changed this policy in their latest version of the bylaws but we won't be able to see/ratify the next bylaw draft until the election on Sunday, so who knows.

I've always been for absentee votes, but it's incredibly tricky to organize. It would certainly require a more strict system of who qualifies for votes. >_>
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Offline guspasho

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #40 on: October 05, 2007, 09:10:55 am »
The main reason people don't like absentee voting is because those votes are immune to debate. Candidates should have an opportunity to sway the opinion of the voting public - that's the whole point of debate and parliamentary process - and they don't have that opportunity with absentee voting.

When you set the time and date and place of elections you have to select something, and obviously we can't satify everybody. The best anyone can do is aim for what they think will satisfy the most people. And our primary venue for debate and for candidates to sell themselves is at the elections meeting, and as long as that is the case I don't think it's a good idea to allow absentee votes, even if the absentee has a very good reason for not being present.
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Offline RemSaverem

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #41 on: October 05, 2007, 02:03:26 pm »
I imagine everyone has a different take on it. Me, I had a 50/50 chance of being able to attend.....Had the meeting been on a Saturday, I'd've been at work. I have a personal ethic of trying to avoid any semblance of financial burden requirement for participation. I would consider these online threads as an opportunity for the same kind of debating as will transpire at the meeting itself, and would have been in favor of absentee voting, such as is allowed within Anime Evolution. However, I say that as someone who (other than typing) has no computer skills and zero knowledge of how complex that would have been to set up mechanically or tally afterwards. I'm fine with how things are at present, just expressing an opinion.
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Offline TomtheFanboy

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #42 on: October 06, 2007, 09:40:29 am »
Idon't feeli like making individual posts the day before the election, but I promised I'd publicize my choices.

I have spoken with Pocky Club members and gotten feedback that matches my personal opinions almost exactly, So I am confident in saying that these candidates are not just supported by myself, but Pocky Club as well.

Con Chair- Mike Andrews
Dir. of Operations- Jess Shelton
Dir. of Programming- Jaki Hunt
Dir. of Publicity- Kri Bartholomew
Dir. of Relation- David McCarley

The only one where some Pocky Club members may change their minds on was Publicity. You really impressed the Club with your detailed rundown of your plan for '08, Jeff! Also, despite rumors and factual likelyhood of David declining every position at the last minute, he still has our support.

I personally will vote No Confidence if he does not run.
(edit: I was convinced by Krall's speech at the elections that many of my concerns were unnecessary so I withdrew my vote)


There you go. I'm always telling people (bugging them really) to show their hand and I've shown mine. PM me if you want to know more. I'll get back to you on that.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2007, 10:35:56 am by TomtheFanboy »
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Offline RemSaverem

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #43 on: October 06, 2007, 01:27:39 pm »
Please forgive me for not understanding the process and not remembering enough to have to ask this again. Let's say David accepts a nomination for and gets elected for a position that is alphabetically before and therefore chronologically voted on before relations. Then does he get put on the spot right then and made to say whether he wants to take the position, or is basically put in the position, and therefore taken off the ballot for relations? If relations is voted on last simply because it's alphabetically last, is there the chance of it being the case that even if he is elected for a position before that, that he could still be in the running for relations, and if he wins both positions, choose among them? again please forgive me that i haven't understood this so far......i usually only have about 5 minutes at at time to be actively using the forums while at work

Also I only just this minute read that Sarah is still running for Secretary, is she also still running for Relations?

Also I guess I didn't know there was a no confidence vote? Is that different than an abstention?
« Last Edit: October 07, 2007, 12:43:05 am by RemSaverem »
Ellen. 2003: Fanfic panelist & contest judge.
2004: Beta Station Coord. 2005: Fan Creation Station Coord.;pre-event assistant to the con chair.2006: Fanfic Mgr/C.S. Coord.
2007, 8, 9, 10: Fan Creation Manager. 2011: Writing & Editing Coord (Publicity).

Offline MichaelEvans

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #44 on: October 08, 2007, 08:00:58 am »
Since no one has done so yet, to the best of my notes, these were the options we were able to vote for, and who won.

President:
  • Mike Andrews: accept - Winner
  • Bronwyn Williams: accept

  • Duncan Barth: decline
  • Meg Uhde: decline
  • Rob "Waffles" Plusko: decline/no-show

Operations:
  • Jess Shelton: accept - Winner
  • Brenda McFadden: accept

  • Bronwyn Williams: decline
  • Rian Mueller: decline
  • Jesse Cranston: decline
  • Kenton Cook: decline
  • David McCarley: decline

Programming:
  • Jaki Hunt: accept - Winner
  • Brenda McFadden: accept
  • Guy Letoureau: accept

  • Duncan Barth: decline
  • Vallie Allen: decline
  • David McCarley: decline
  • Kristen Bartholomew: decline

Relations:
  • John Krall: accept - Winner (passed non-confidence)

  • Ryan Stasel: decline
  • Eric Teitzel : decline
  • David McCarley: decline

Publicity:
  • Jeff Tyrrill: accept - Winner
  • Kristen Bartholomew: accept

  • Sarah Bartash: decline

EDIT - replaced Michael's question marks. They were all ultimately declines since they all actually showed up, except for Rob, who I noted. - Guspasho
« Last Edit: October 08, 2007, 09:44:15 am by guspasho »
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2010-2008: Website Development (So very very much in the last month before the convention at last; Good thing I'm looking for work x.x and have the spare time ~.~)
2007: Website Administration (Mascot Voting Input, Live Schedule)

Offline Washougal_Otaku

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #45 on: October 08, 2007, 09:16:18 am »
Congrats to all of our new Directors!!!

 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
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Offline guspasho

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #46 on: October 08, 2007, 09:51:04 am »
Congratulations to the winners. You are now "The Man".
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Offline kylite

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #47 on: October 08, 2007, 10:09:25 am »
indeed, congrats
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Offline Mr_Phelps

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #48 on: October 08, 2007, 11:35:30 am »
"rolls up sleeves" 
Now "We" have some work to get done!!!

Huzzah for K-con 2008!
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Offline melchizedek

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Re: 2008 Nominations for Elected Directors
« Reply #49 on: October 08, 2007, 11:39:25 am »
time to start calling you boss phelps
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