Announcement: Board of Directors Election 2016

It’s time for our yearly board of directors election, this year we will be doing things slightly differently to help satisfy some legal requirements. This post will be broken up into a few sections, the first section will be a short rundown of how to how to vote online. If you don’t care about the minutia of the election process, you need only read that section. The second section will go over how what you need to do if you wish to run for election to the board. The third section will detail the specifics of the new system, as well as the motivation and reasoning.

How do I vote online?

Voting online is simple and will use our existing voting system. If you are already a voting member, your LDAP/AD account will let you access the voting system. If it won’t let you login and you wish to become a voting member (you must have been a member for at least 3 months), you’ll need to complete a few steps:

  1. Make sure your Active Directory (AD) account is enabled
  2. Create a helpdesk ticket requesting voting rights
  3. Try logging into the voting system again
  4. If that doesn’t work, submit a helpdesk ticket asking for assistance

Online voting will start on April 7th at 7pm and end on April 14th at 7pm.

As part of the new system, the way online voting is being handled, your vote will be considered granting me your proxy for the Annual Membership Meeting, held on April 14th at 8pm. I will vote on your behalf at the meeting, exactly as you have voted in the online voting system. That means that if you use the online voting system it will be exactly the same as if you were physically present and cast a vote at the Annual Membership Meeting. If you have questions about the specifics or why we are doing things this way, please read the rest of this post.

I’d like to be a board member, what should I do?

First, read through this entire post, especially the section detailing the new election system. As a board member you will be expected to understand these kinds of things, might as well get started now!

Next, post a Statement of Intent on the wiki, under the Statements of Intent Category. Feel free to use my SOI as an example. This must be done before March 31st at 7pm in you wish to be included on the ballet for online voting.

We will be scheduling a Meet The Candidates, it would likely be best to show up to that as well. :slight_smile:

Details on the new system

It’s been brought to our attention that the previous interpretation of the online voting system being our Annual Membership Meeting, may not be considered enough under Texas law. While online voting has worked for us in the past, and we would like to continue with that system going forward, we have decided to ensure we are complying with the letter of the law as best as we can.

For this election, the online voting system will be used for voting members to assign me as their proxy, and direct me as to how they wish to vote. That voting/proxy concludes 1 hour before the Annual Membership Meeting. At the meeting I will cast the proxy votes exactly as they were registered by each voting member. This allows us to meet the letter of the law (having an in-person meeting), while still giving our members the ability to vote online, using the system they have always used.

That said, voting members are still able to come to the meeting or assign their proxy to another person. Please note, if you wish to use another proxy, we will need the proxy to provide some kind of signed letter or documentation. Ideally the meeting will involve no in-person votes, allowing us to simply transcribe the votes directly from the online system. In actuality, there will likely be a handful of in-person votes, which we will then need to reconcile with the list of votes made online.

Since this is a membership meeting, additional agenda items may be discussed. I will abstain from voting for any agenda items other than the board of directors election on behalf of the members who have granted me their proxy. Any member who wishes to vote on additional items person at the meeting AND use the online voting system for the board election can simply vote online but not fill out a physical ballot at the meeting.

In order to accurately count and record the board of directors vote, we will require the use of physical ballots at the Annual Membership Meeting. Those ballots will then be reconciled with the online proxy vote and our list of voting members (to ensure only voting members have voted).

For notification, I’ll be sending an announcement e-mail to all currently active members in the billing system, directing them to this thread.

If there are any questions about the election process, please use this thread.

14 Likes

Here’s the list of voting members, as of 3:35 PM (CST) on 3/20/2016:

  • Adam Oas
  • Alex Rhodes
  • Allen Wan
  • Alyssa Pipe
  • Andrew Falgout
  • Andrew LeCody
  • ANDREW MACHA
  • Andrew Spencer
  • Art Givens
  • Ashley Newland
  • Benjamin Groves
  • Brandon Green
  • Brian Davis
  • Brooks Scharff
  • Bryan Gangwere
  • Bryan Martin
  • Cairenn Day
  • Campbell Cairns
  • Charles Graf
  • Chris Marlow
  • Chris Morgan
  • Chris Seifert
  • Christopher Carson
  • Christopher Wischkowsky
  • Colin McGinn
  • Daniel Jackson
  • Darden McGlothlin
  • David Ackley
  • David Egger
  • David Fenyes
  • David Guill
  • David Kessinger
  • David Mandala
  • David Ratcliff
  • David Smart
  • Doug Emes
  • Doug Paradis
  • Edward Kim
  • Eric Chaney
  • Eric Kelso
  • Erik Smith
  • Erin Robertson
  • Francisco Lima
  • Greg Needel
  • Gus Reiter
  • Haley Moore
  • Harold Asbridge
  • James Haltom
  • Jason Henriksen
  • Jay Johnson Jr
  • Jay Phelps
  • Jayson Woods
  • Joel Gray
  • Joel Smith
  • john a. gorman
  • John Haskins
  • John Haynes
  • John Kuhlenschmidt
  • Jose Sainz
  • Julio Nieto
  • Karen Doore
  • Karim Virani
  • Katie Luper
  • Ken Purcell
  • Kenneth Schmitt
  • Kent Bowling
  • Kristina Heishman
  • Kyle Crothers
  • Lance Preston
  • Lisa Selk
  • Luke Olson
  • Mathew Busby
  • Michael Lass
  • Mitch Cerroni
  • Nicholas Schell
  • Nicole Franczvai
  • Oguz Yetkin
  • Paul Brown
  • Paul Ruelas
  • Paul Stafford
  • Paul Wilson
  • Pearce Dunlap
  • Peter Smith
  • Richard Bauman
  • Richard Lowe
  • Robert Davidson
  • Romeo Espana
  • Ross Dusenbury
  • Sarah Scott
  • Shawn Christian
  • Stan Simmons
  • Stephen Wylie
  • Stephenie Webb
  • Steve Blanchard
  • Steve Rainwater
  • Steven Reeves
  • Terry Sikes
  • thomas tansey
  • Timothy Nielsen
  • Todd Stone
  • tom cook
  • Walter Anderson
  • Wendy Marsden
  • Will Stewart
  • William Gee
  • William Petefish
  • Zach Metzinger
5 Likes

As Andrew states above, the process to be a voting member is easy.

https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Rules_and_Policies#Voting_Rights
Voting Rights

  1. All members start off as Supporting Members, with no voting rights.[6]
  2. A Supporting Member may submit an application to become a Regular Member only after 90 days of membership.
  3. A member’s application to change from Supporting Member to Regular Member will be approved automatically upon processing via the ticketing system.[7]
  4. Members added via the Family rate will not be allowed voting rights.

No longer want to vote? Being active in the discourse helps everyone. But if you are inactive (because of work, life, whatever), you can request to temporarily give up your voting rights. You can have them restored when you wish.

Why is this important? We look at the number of voting members to determine quorum. Many policy changes to forward our MakerSpace require quorum for a vote.

https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Bylaws#Section_4.6.4_Quorum_for_Meetings

3 Likes

I just want to set the expectation for this… This is meant to imply that you will not be denied voting rights as long as you meet the criteria. This does NOT mean that you just open a ticket and you automatically have access to the voting system. I’ve set myself a 48-hour SLA for voting rights modifications (since the change has to be made on the backend to let you into the voting system). Please keep that in mind and “Be Excellent” by giving me enough time to process the request.

10 Likes

I have added an event to March 31st at 8 PM in the interactive room. This will be a meet and greet for the candidates. Each candidate will be given 3-5 minutes to speak. Then after all candidates have spoken, there will be time for questions. The order will be random (numbers in a hat or something like that).

2 Likes

List of candidates (2 so far)

Wow… only two people running?

In my experience, everyone waits until the last minute. I know one more is coming for sure, but he hasn’t done it yet.

Can any of the board members give an idea of what their typical time commitment has been on a weekly basis?

Thanks!

Roughly 15-25 hrs per week if you’re a decent board member. There are lots of emails.

Your decisions are always second guessed and you have to do the jobs no one else wants to do…ie; plasma ventilation, looking for a lawyer, dealing with random sleepers, poster wars, personal complaints and other random stuff.

4 Likes

In other words, be careful what you ask for, it’s way more than just a title and the power level isn’t what it seems.

2 Likes

What is a “random sleeper”?

A random (person) that is sleeping in the space, I imagine (bases on past events).

That or a deep cover KGB agent awaiting activation by their handler.

6 Likes

Board members seem very popular at the Space in the sense that every random in the building seeks them out for every possible question, complaint, suggestion, etc. This popularity seems largely unwanted.

there are also positives to running for office.

  • Being instrumental in building the Space, building the community.
  • It is one of the best ways to Excel.
  • Your contributions will never be recognized at the level you merit, but you will know you truly helped make it a better Space for us all.
8 Likes

Agreed.

So if you run for the board.

You have to be a people person.
Really like attention.
Answer lots of questions.
Spend a majority of your free time at the space.
Deal with political BS.
Not everyone is going to like you, and you could possibly end up being public enemy #1. The you become part of the BOOT game.
Attend the quarterly scream sessions.
Regardless that you have volunteered your time, folks will still try to have you booted off the board if you’re not living up to their standards.

If you love the space that much and can deal with the nonsense that comes with it by all means run. My keyword is LOVE the space, if you have your own agenda, and thats your main reason for running. That will get sniffed out in a second and the brute squad will ensure you have a hell of a time accomplishing it.

From what i’ve heard its more of a headache than a priveledge. Too many of these folks running around to merit any enjoyment out of it. Watch the crab in the video, defending yourself at all times is a part of the job.

1 Like

And we wonder why there are only two candidates so far? It sounds so fun.

Thank you so very much for all the hard work and “hits for the team” each
current board member has taken- some of you for multiple years. You have
made a functioning space possible.

-Sarah

··· On Mar 24, 2016 8:19 AM, "Rodney Black" wrote:

rablack97
http://mandrillapp.com/track/click/30332197/talk.dallasmakerspace.org?p=eyJzIjoiMk4tWnI0dG1NdVpTTHNRSHk0REptbjB3VHNJIiwidiI6MSwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDMzMjE5NyxcInZcIjoxLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwOlxcXC9cXFwvdGFsay5kYWxsYXNtYWtlcnNwYWNlLm9yZ1xcXC91c2Vyc1xcXC9yYWJsYWNrOTdcIixcImlkXCI6XCI2ZDBkNzg4NGQ5NzU0MTk2YWRiNWMzOTExNzZiZmQ2N1wiLFwidXJsX2lkc1wiOltcIjUwZDk0M2RiNjA3NDhhZjY3NTU3ZTY3ODg4ZTRmZDI0MGJjMTJmMDBcIl19In0
March 24

Agreed.

So if you run for the board.

You have to be a people person.
Really like attention.
Answer lots of questions.
Spend a majority of your free time at the space.
Deal with political BS.
Not everyone is going to like you, and you could possibly end up being
public enemy #1. The you become part of the BOOT game.
Attend the quarterly scream sessions.
Regardless that you have volunteered your time, folks will still try to
have you booted off the board if you’re not living up to their standards.

If you love the space that much and can deal with the nonsense that comes
with it by all means run. My keyword is LOVE the space, if you have your
own agenda, and thats your main reason for running. That will get sniffed
out in a second and the brute squad will ensure you have a hell of a time
accomplishing it.

From what i’ve heard its more of a headache than a priveledge. Too many of
these folks running around to merit any enjoyment out of it. Watch the crab
in the video, defending yourself at all times is a part of the job.

http://mandrillapp.com/track/click/30332197/talk.dallasmakerspace.org?p=eyJzIjoiMTZjRHpEWTdZdWNVNy1HM3hpY21FZ0NMZUF3IiwidiI6MSwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDMzMjE5NyxcInZcIjoxLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwOlxcXC9cXFwvdGFsay5kYWxsYXNtYWtlcnNwYWNlLm9yZ1xcXC91cGxvYWRzXFxcL2RlZmF1bHRcXFwvb3JpZ2luYWxcXFwvMlhcXFwvNFxcXC80NGNlMjJkNjQ2MjE5ZmJmOTM1ZDZjZmM3NTA0Zjg4MGU1M2JiZWI3LnBuZ1wiLFwiaWRcIjpcIjZkMGQ3ODg0ZDk3NTQxOTZhZGI1YzM5MTE3NmJmZDY3XCIsXCJ1cmxfaWRzXCI6W1wiNjE4OWJiMDUyMDcyOTI1NzU0YjI1NDg2Yjk3MzUxMTliNGZmMjkzOVwiXX0ifQ

https://www.youtube.com/embed/p-3e0EkvIEM
http://mandrillapp.com/track/click/30332197/www.youtube.com?p=eyJzIjoiQ3VXWWt6dFo3REJNOFJqYmkzek9xdGNHblA0IiwidiI6MSwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDMzMjE5NyxcInZcIjoxLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL3d3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbVxcXC9lbWJlZFxcXC9wLTNlMEVrdklFTT9hdXRvcGxheT0xJmZlYXR1cmU9b2VtYmVkJndtb2RlPW9wYXF1ZVwiLFwiaWRcIjpcIjZkMGQ3ODg0ZDk3NTQxOTZhZGI1YzM5MTE3NmJmZDY3XCIsXCJ1cmxfaWRzXCI6W1wiOGM4YTQyMmMwY2U5N2YzY2RkZmU2ZmIxM2YyOTI1N2QzYzVmODFmOFwiXX0ifQ

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In Reply To
ESmith
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Chairperson
March 24
Board members seem very popular at the Space in the sense that every
random in the building seeks them out for every possible question,
complaint, suggestion, etc. This popularity seems largely unwanted.

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