This page contains previous articles about JLM's nominating process that may be helpful to new members or those unfamiliar. Please keep in mind that dates, some committee names and other aspects have changed since these articles were written, but the philosophy and the process are the same.

The Mysteries of the JLM: How We Choose Leaders

By Barbie Alderman, Nominating Chair, 2000-01

The process of how the JLM selects its leaders may be a mystery to you. You may think it is all about political clout, campaigning or knowing all the right people. Absolutely not! It is as simple as filling out the Straw Ballot form.

The members of the Nominating committee are not mind readers. The only way we know that you want to be considered for a leadership position in the League is if you tell us so. The Straw Ballot is the tool to get this message out.

The process works this way. All members (active and provisional) may fill out a Straw Ballot form in November. Fill in the names of your peers who have demonstrated a desire for leadership and have what it takes to lead our organization. You may put as many names as you wish on the Straw Ballot but don't forget one very important name - Yours! We encourage our members to self-submit themselves for leadership positions. And most importantly, all information on the Straw Ballots is kept strictly confidential. The deadline to turn in a Straw Ballot is Thursday, November 30th.

So what happens after you turn in your Straw Ballot? The process is really not a mystery although it may sometimes appear so because the Nominating Committee is discreet and keeps all information regarding leadership selection confidential. The 10 member Nominating committee will begin meeting sometime after all of the Straw Ballots have been collected to determine the League leadership for the 2001-2002 League year. They meet often, sometimes several times a week for a few weeks to work out the best leadership combination for the upcoming year.

A lot of work goes into this process to get the high quality leaders that we have come to take for granted in the JLM. Discussions of candidates include such topics as: leadership skills, abilities in comparison to a "job description", positive reputation within the League and the Nominating Committee members' personal knowledge of and experiences with working with a candidate. We strive to choose people who best fit the positions. Other crucial considerations include group dynamics and balance within the slate of officers. Our discussions are kept focused to the candidate's qualifications, desire to serve and results with previous responsibilities within the JLM. Again, all discussions are confidential and the members of the Nominating Committee all take their jobs very seriously.

As selections are made the candidates are contacted. We ask them to keep this information to themselves until the complete slate of officers is announced to the entire membership in February. We are very sensitive that we may not always be able to slate a member when she wishes to serve. Again, we are very careful to keep all Nominating discussions confidential. We value every member in the JLM and appreciate all self-submissions. We hope our membership understands that we work hard to put the right leaders in at the right time.

After the Slate of officers is announced in February at the GMM we must wait until the March voting GMM to accept the slate as presented. The new officers will officially begin their new jobs in May but many begin preliminary planning before then.

Also keep in mind that the Nominating Committee only slates the following positions:

• President-Elect, VP's of Communications, Community, Development, Finance, Planning, Membership and Recording Secretary.
• Treasurer
• Planning Council Members at Larg
• Nominating Committee
• Membership Committee

Every other leadership position is selected by the incoming President (Julia Bianchi) and her Executive Committee at a later time. They use another form called "The Willingness to Serve Form" which also comes out at the same time as the Straw Ballot. Try not to get these forms mixed up. The "Willingness to Serve Form" is a separate form that asks all members to indicate their desire to chair or assistant chair a particular committee in the upcoming year. No doubt you will be reading and hearing much more regarding the "Willingness to Serve Form" from Julia in the near future.

I hope this article has cleared up any questions you may have concerning the JLM's Nominating Process. The members of the committee are available to answer any questions. Feel free to contact us, we would love to hear from you!

The 2000-01 Nominating Committee members are: Sarita Courtney-Baigorri, Katie Buckley, Carolina Freyre, Becky Guilford, Morgan Park, Galia Pennekamp, Vivianne Wicker, Sue Wynne and Chair-elect, Christy Falco and Chair, Barbie Alderman.

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Nominating Committee Nuts and Bolts
The Nominating committee is composed of ten members including the chair and chair-elect. These members represent the three age ranges of our membership (three from each age category 36 & up, 30-35, 29 & under, plus the chair).
The members also reflect varied years of JLM service and were slated for this position by last year's Nominating committee. The membership voted them in individually at the March meeting and the person with the highest number of votes became the Chair-elect.

The Nominating committee members serve for one year with the exception of the chair-elect who steps up the following year as chair. The Nominating Chair also serves on the JLM Board of Directors. While you are a Nominating committee member you cannot be considered for any of the slated positions.