Staff Council 2015 Elections

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1 Staff Council 2015 Elections Below are the bios for candidates appearing on this year s election ballot. Please note that this year we have updated our ballots to ensure that, to the best of our ability, our 25 member Staff Council maintains approximately the same distribution between administrative, administrative support and service staffs as the general population. The service staff category is absent from the ballot this election cycle because no service staff accepted their nominations. The available service staff spots were redistributed proportionally between the other two categories. Administrative Candidates (Vote for up to 11) All candidates were asked to answer the question: Why do you want to serve on Staff Council? Beth Bone:.5 Department: Controller's Office I am coming to the end of my first term and am seeking reelection for a second term. I enjoy meeting together as a council to discuss staff issues and plan campus events. It is a privilege to represent the 900+ staff members of Smith and try to make a difference for those that serve such important roles for the college. Mary Lou Bouley: Years at Smith: 33 Department: Libraries Having served on Staff Council twice before, I know the importance of the Council and its role in community building. For me, it's a great opportunity to meet people from across the campus. I think the members of Staff Council are best at facilitating communication across the campus, publishing the Chronicle, presenting forums and sponsoring social events throughout the year. I don't know why more people don't run for Staff Council! Hannah Durrant: Years at Smith: 11 Department: Office of Residence Life In the work I do with students I talk about their responsibility as community members. To be involved and active with the community to positively impact theirs and other experiences. My Smith experience is a significant part of my life. I realize I need to listen to my own advice to students I need to be more involved and active within the larger community. I have been impressed with Staff Council s commitment to social justice issues and addressing the needs of Smith Staff and the larger Smith community. It is now time to do my part! Tim Enman: Years at Smith: 1.5 I look forward to getting to know other staff members from across the College and contributing to the Council's mission of creating a working environment where all staff feel like valued members of the College community. Saari Greylock: Years at Smith: 8 Department: Provost's Office Working with colleagues from all parts of campus on issues important to all staff, particularly those of equity, transparency, and communication, has been extremely rewarding for me the past two years. I would be honored to serve again. Eric Jensen: Years at Smith: 18 Department: Science Center Having worked at Smith for a while now, I've benefited many times over the years from the efforts of Staff Council. The field trips, on campus social events, and staff advocacy have helped make Smith a great place to work. It's time to give back.

2 Naomi Miller: Years at Smith: 6 months Department: Engineering Staff council seems like a great way to connect with Staff and engage the Smith community.in addition, I believe the council could benefit having new and creative solutions to increasing participation in events and solidarity among Staff members. Staff engagement is a crucial element to creating an environment that is welcoming and supportive to its members. Studies have shown that when employees have a personal connection to their work and each other there is a significant increase in productivity. I would like to be a part of the team building process among members of our community. Chris Niemiec: No bio provided Lisa Roberge: Department: Disability Services What a great opportunity this would be to get better acquainted with fellow staff members while planning fun activities for the Smith community. I would love to serve on the Staff Council! Stacey Steinbach: Department: Office of Residence Life I am excited to be a part of staff council to help increase the voice of staff on campus and to represent Residence Life and Student Affairs. I would like to help create more opportunities for staff to be involved and aware of what is happening on campus. If elected to staff council I also hope to be part of the Diversity Committee, working to provide opportunities for staff to engage in conversations around issues of social justice, equity and inclusion. Deborah Wijnhoven: No bio provided Sharyn Zuffelato: Years at Smith: 6.5 Department: School for Social Work As a former military wife, I have worked in several colleges and I have found that the staff here at Smith have created relationships, such a sense of community, unlike any I have experienced before. It is because of this that I want to join Staff Council. Though I have worked for SSW for 6 ½ years, I have not had the opportunity to meet with many staff outside of SSW and feel that joining Staff Council will allow me to do this. I want to become more involved in helping staff across the campus connect with one another, whether through trainings, meetings or other activities. 2

3 Administrative Support Candidate Bios (Vote for up to 3) All candidates were asked to answer the question: Why do you want to serve on Staff Council? Jennifer Blackburn: Years at Smith: 3 Department: Poetry Center I hope I'd bring a unique perspective to Staff Council. Since my position is split among an academic department and concentration as well as a center, I regularly come into contact with a wide network of staff and faculty across the college. During my time at Smith, I've met wonderful people through Staff Council events and initiatives. For the past 3 years, I've organized a poetry reading series to bring staff and faculty together to share our creative work. I'd like to continue supporting and organizing events that contribute to the life of the college and bring our community together. Jerine Blissette: Department: Mail Services I'd like to be on Staff Council to learn more about the needs of Smith's Staff and contribute to Staff Council's efforts to reach its goals. Danielle Brown: I want to serve on Staff Council to meet colleagues from all over campus and to help connect employees with each other. One of my initiatives in the last year was to organize quarterly Staff Schmooze events, where staff can come together to mingle and learn about the many Smith resources available to them (such as use of the libraries, gym, and sporting equipment). I also enjoy working on the Chronicle, Smith s staff newsletter. I look forward to serving the staff members of Smith for another term! Christina Duquette: Years at Smith: 1 Department: Office of Student Engagement Because I am fairly new to Smith College, I would like the opportunity to reach out and work with other people outside of my office. I have also enjoyed the events that Staff Council has put on in the past and would like to become more involved with the planning process. Laura Fountian Cincotta: Years at Smith: Less than 1 year Department: Psychology Laura has been at Smith since October 2014 as the Administrative Assistant for Psychology, and loves it! She grew up in Westhampton, MA, is an avid photographer, and since the age of 12 has been working, riding, and training horses. She and her husband, Jamie, recently bought a log cabin nestled in the woods next to the Westfield River. They share their home with Ashley (horse), Olivia (Jack Russell pup), Jack and Georgie (the goats). Danny Hescock: Years at Smith: 5 Department: Libraries Staff Council is a great group of people coming together for the collective goal of solving issues and supporting Staff throughout the Campus. I appreciate the opportunity to be involved! Lisabeth Jasniewicz: I d be thrilled to be a part of a team that helps coordinate communication throughout all levels of the college and works to bring a greater sense of engagement and joy to our workplace. I just celebrated my two year anniversary at Smith, 3

4 and look forward to the opportunity to get to know more of my colleagues across campus, in the spirit of service. I truly enjoy clear communication, learning from a variety of perspectives and ideas, and mediation. Sara Kirk: Department: Center for the Environment, Ecological Design, and Sustainability (CEEDS) I am running for a second term on Staff Council because I want to continue the momentum of this past term. I served as co vice chair of the Council and the chair of the Activities committee during my first term. I want to continue to work to make staff voices heard, institutionalize policies for staff involvement on College issues, and find ways to strengthen our community. Christina Kuralt: Years at Smith: 10 Department: Class Deans Office I recognize the value of staff council as an important way to communicate and reach out to people across campus. Being a part of staff council is an opportunity for me to help do that. Anne Marie LaFosse: 9 I served on Staff Council in the 1990's, and I'd welcome the opportunity to serve again. It's a great way to make connections. Staff Council provides meaningful engagement among staff through communications, activities, and important campus issues. Staff Council provides a voice for staff and is about bringing people together and creating a positive work environment for all staff. Patricia Mailler: No bio provided Phoebe McKinnell:.5 Department: Religion, REEES, Buddhist Studies and South Asia Studies I feel very privileged to be able to work as an administrative assistant at Smith. My sense of working as part of a larger community of Smith staff is very valuable to me in my everyday work. Service on Staff CounciI would give me the opportunity to give back to that community, and to the College. Through Staff Council, I'd like to work to help staff feel and become involved in our workplace by continuing to improve communication from Staff Council. Karissa Pastyrnak: Department: School for Social Work I want to serve on Staff Council to better connect with different departments and people across campus. This this past year I served on the Staff Council Activities Committee. Through the Committee I have met so many wonderful people across Smith s Campus. Because I work within the School for Social Work, I find that I do not have many opportunities to interact with different offices. I love that the Staff Council can give me the opportunity to branch outside of our school within Smith. Additionally, I want to serve on Staff Council to represent the concerns, wants, and needs of Staff across campus. I feel that working on Staff Council would allow me to aid in bettering Smith College for the staff, the faculty, the students, and the Northampton community. Erin Smith: No bio provided Xinh Spangler: Years at Smith: 15 Department: Facilities Management I have been at Smith 15 years and this is my second time running for staff council. Being part of Staff Council has allowed me to meet many nice people from other departments on Campus and it allows me to connect with folks from over the campus which helps strengthen my sense of community. 4

5 Elena Volpe: Years at Smith: 7 Department: Counseling Services Being part of this group devoted to expanding the ways in which we experience life on campus would be a honor. It would be fun to develop programs in a collaborative setting for a change! I have a bunch of ideas and want an arena where they can have a chance of becoming a part of something for the greater good. Heather Zottoli: Years at Smith: 5 I have served on Staff Council for the past two years, which has given me the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from other departments. I would like to build upon my participation from the last two years so we can continue to make improvements within our community at Smith and lend a voice to staff. 5