Nominations for 2012 Board of Directors

[hobogato]

Attention MAAST Members,

We the BOD would like to announce the upcoming elections for the 2012 calendar year. We are looking for charter members who are willing to participate actively on the forum, in discussions and help in leading MAAST into a brighter future. We have a very busy schedule and would like to remind everyone that time and dedication play a very important role.

Members may nominate any charter member, themselves included that they feel worthy for the position. It is requested that the nominee submit a post that he/she accepts as well as submit a small bio explaining why they would like to join the BOD and what special qualities they have that can be beneficial to the club.

In addition to the above mentioned, we the BOD would also like to see the maximum participation from you, our club members. Now is your chance to make a difference and make things happen.

So with that being said, we currently have up to 7 Board of Director Positions Available depending on the outcome of the President/Vice President election.

6 Positions with 2 year terms
1 Position with 1 year term (one member who would have had another year resigned this year - pennies2cents)

current board members who have a year remaining on their terms:

Kristy Dean
Sherri Ancira
John Perry
Stephen Thompson
John Roescher

President & Vice President nominations will be in a separate thread.

Your Board of Director nominations are now welcome - nominations will close upon the opening of the polls on Dec. 1st

nomination list:

Christopher Bianco (cbianco) - declined
Chris Mata (big_pun) - declined
Lorraine Richards (bsjf) - declined
Kevin Kiel (kkiel02) - declined
Lucky (lsingh) - declined
justin (justahobby) - accepted
mike (texreefer) - declined
karin (europhyllia) - accepted (1 yr term)
alton (alton) - conditionally accepted
sherita (sherita) - accepted
james (scream311) - dclined
marcus (tigereyed_1) - accepted
cory (corydude) - accepted
ace (hobogato) - declined
Jarrod Pape (cowboy572) - accepted

[hobogato]

i would like to nominate the following people to another term on the board:

Christopher Bianco
Chris Mata (i know you said you were taking a break, but i still think you are a valuable board member)
Lorraine Richards
Kevin Kiel

these board members have worked well together to keep things running smoothly and i think with a little more time this group of board members would benefit maast

i would also like to nominate the following memebers:

Lucky (lsingh)
justin (justahobby)
mike (texreefer)
karin (europhyllia)
alton (alton)
sherita (sherita)

these members contribute constantly to the site and i think each of them would be an asset to the board.

[Texreefer]

Ace, ( And everyone else) I appreciate the nomination and would love to be a member of the Board again, However, I must respectfully decline. I have many other family obligations that would take away from my duties as a board member. I see many worthy names there and would support any one of them

[BSJF]

I need to decline as well.

[Mr Cob]

I think the current BOD has done a great job and of course they have my vote for a re-election and I definitely support the new candidates that haven't declined yet...

Lucky (lsingh)
justin (justahobby)
karin (europhyllia)
alton (alton)
sherita (sherita)

I hope you all seriously consider running. Each of you have a lot to offer MAAST.

MAAST would not survive without the continued volunteerism, and I think it's each of our responsibilities to do what we can, when we can, to keep MAAST moving forward. If now is not your time then it's not your time. But, if you have the capacity then please consider running (honestly, not sure anyone ever truly has the time).

I'm happy that I once served on the Board, granted I only stuck it out for a year. It was a cool new experience and at the end I felt great that I did my part in helping MAAST to thrive so we all have a place to come together and share.

Plus...when you become a BOD you get to see new areas of the forum...I felt like I unlocked a new level in a video game! LOL!

I second these nominations.

[LuckySingh]

I appreciate the nomination but I need to decline this aswell.... I am very bsy with my work schedule and home that it will be hard for me to completely pursue the required duties .....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mike]

I would like to nominate James (scream311) and Marcus (tigereyed_1) for BOD. Both are passionate for the hobby and I think they would be an asset to MAAST. Marcus is relatively new to San Antonio, but was very active on his local forum in Florida before moving.

[Europhyllia]

Thanks for considering me! I'll have to think about it and part of it depends on where we are going with TOTM. TOTM actually involves quite a bit of travel and time so I am not sure I can commit to both.

Speaking of TOTM I would like to nominate CoryDude

[alton]

I am going to leave it as this, if there is an opening I will accept, if if there is enough board members then I will decline. You could say I am insurance?

[justahobby]

I will accept my nomination and would love to see each of you accept that hasn't accepted yet. Great group of nominees!

My bio:

My love and passion for the hobby started as soon as I put the live rock in my first tank, a 55g. No fish, shrimp, snails, etc. Just the living organisms on the rocks peaked my interest. I spent roughly the next year trying to learn as much as I could without knowing MAAST, RC, or Advanced Aquarists. I didn't get very far! I can honestly say that I owe my success to MAAST.

Since becoming a member I have helped start the equipment library, served on the TOU and Bylaws committee, moderated, and volunteered in many other aspects. As a board member I would continue to give back to MAAST by continuing our efforts to raise the standard of educational offerings, increase membership, and improve our monthly meetings.

[Big_Pun]

I will accept if John(firewater) accepts for vp or prez!

[Sherita]

I will accept my nomination. I would love to work with MAAST as a member of the BOD.

I will post my bio tomorrow, I'm currently setting up my new laptop :)

[txav8r]

This is a great list of candidates!!
I like to thank the BOD members who are stepping down for their service.

[CoryDude]

Karin, I'll accept my nomination if you accept yours. We could be LED Girl and Halide Boy. I don't know if I'd have enough votes in the community to make it to the Board, but sure...I'll give it a go around.

Why I want to be on the BOD?
I'm a powerhungry sycophant. In all seriousness, this past year on the TOTM committe has let me witness first hand how much dedication and hard work that our BOD members put in each week. The work they do is often overlooked and under appreciated. It would be an honor to work with those that share the love and dedication I have to this club and our hobby.

What can I bring to the BOD?
My shiny bald head. As you can tell, I don't take myself too seriously. I work well with other and never let my ego get in the way of my decisions. I rarely go into a situation with my mind made up. I like to evaluate positions from all angles and then make my choices. I feel this club is headed in the right direction, and it would be an honor to serve it in any way I can.

[justahobby]

I'm glad you accepted Cory! Great bio

[Bill S]

Well, since Ace says he needs a break, I'm going to nominate hobogato for the Board. Before he declines, it is common practice for the outgoing President to remain on the Board - in order to provide advice and continuity to the Board. Ace, please accept the nomination.

[hobogato]

bill, i will be sticking around as an admin should the new board want the assistance, but i respectfully decline the nomination.

[Mr Cob]

Ace, thanks for your 2 years of service. You've done an excellent job, along with the rest of the BOD and committees!

[Europhyllia]

I am honored to be nominated and will gladly accept the nomination under the following conditions:
* Cory converts to LED (just kidding)
* I would like to finish somebody else's term -in other words commit to 1 year instead of 2
* Like Alton I consider myself a spare and don't want to compete for a seat with somebody who really, really wants one so I make myself available if we have fewer candidates than seats.


a small bio
I have had saltwater tanks for around 12 or 13 years now starting out with a 15 gallon Xenia and Cyano Wonderland and working my way up to my current 60g and 215g systems. I love to research all things marine aquarium related. I have worked on the MAAST Newsletter and am currently working with Cory and Lorraine on the TOTM Committee and also help with the POTM. Shoot I forgot about the POTM. Be right back...

explaining why they would like to join the BOD
I think large clubs are best represented when they have a wide variety of voices/people on the board. I am excited to see by the nominations that this will indeed be a group with lots of different views and experiences and I would love to be one of those voices.

what special qualities they have that can be beneficial to the club
I think I have a lot of enthusiasm for the hobby and this club, but am also not afraid to voice my concern or disagreement. I try to remain unbiased although I do usually have an opinion about things. (That being said I have no prejudice towards people based on their lighting preferences -you can light your tank with candles if you wish and that's totally fine with me! :) ) And much of my regular job is done online so I am usually very available online.

[Mr Cob]

haha Karin, great Bio...especially the lighting part. Got blue?

[Kristy]

Karin, FYI there are a certain number of one-year terms and two-year terms. It is perfectly fine to specify that you would only like to accept a one-year term (and it would not be finishing out someone else's term).

I am so excited to see all these acceptances... way to step up and give back guys!

Finally: don't you think that the candle wax would be bad for the tanks, Karin?

[Sherita]

As promised, my bio.

Being a long time diver, I have always been fascinated with life under the sea. Fish, corals, inverts...it really doesn't matter, I love it all. I finally decided to take the plunge and have my own little piece of the ocean at home, where I could look at it all the time. I made all the beginner mistakes. I rushed things, put the wrong things in (and took them out), put in animals that were too big (and took them out), and just generally made a mess of things. Then I found the reefing community. I was welcomed, mentored, helped and encouraged. The hobby bloomed from one little 12g AIO, to what it is now, at least one tank in every room in the house, over 750g of total water volume. I have now ventured into coral propagation. I believe that if we can learn to propagate all of our favorite corals and fish, we can take at least some small amount comfort in knowing that we are doing our part to preserve the ocean and the reefs. The advances that have been made in just the last few years are astounding, I can only dream of what is to come.

What I can bring to the BOD is my passion for this hobby, and the people and creatures within it. I have found that by and large, the reefing community is one of the most open and friendly that there is. I would love to do my part to further MAAST and the saltwater hobby. I enjoy interacting with others in the hobby, and take pride in offering help and advice where it is asked for. I believe that organizations like MAAST will last far into the future, and will welcome many new hobbyists in the coming years. I would like to do my part to advance MAAST in any way that I can.

[Europhyllia]

where is cbianco?

[Gseclipse02]

where is cbianco?

locking a thread jkjk lol


i like how well the team was the last 6 months a lot less arguing hopefully a lot of yall return .....

[justahobby]

Great bio Sherita. You have my vote! This has definitely been a much smoother year and I very much believe the current officers have laid a great foundation for the future.

[Scream311]

I would like to nominate James (scream311) and Marcus (tigereyed_1) for BOD. Both are passionate for the hobby and I think they would be an asset to MAAST. Marcus is relatively new to San Antonio, but was very active on his local forum in Florida before moving.

Hey Mike, ive seen this Thread from the Start and have been doin a ton of thinking regarding your Nomination to Consider Me as a Future Member of the BOD, and id Like to RESPECTFULLY DECLINE, i Spend all of time browsing through Active Threads throughout the Day which is Kind of an Addicition and Try to Participate and Add as much of My Input as Possible but do to Certain Circumstances, My Life just has to much goin on adn i would not be able to Dedicate My self to the BOD

[hobogato]

one more day for nominations, poll opens tomorrow!

[Europhyllia]

Can people nominate themselves?
I think some people may feel more comfortable interacting in person. Would be a shame to leave somebody out just because we haven't thought of them

[hobogato]

absolutely!


Can people nominate themselves?

[tiger_eyed1]

I accept my nomination.

Bio

I have been in the aquarium hobby since I was 12 when my parents purchased me my first 29 gallon aquarium kit and two Oscars. Fast forward to 2000 when I purchased a used 135 gallon tank that had been dry for three years. After two years of frustration and wasted money, with several other hobbyists, I became one of the founding members of Razorback Reef Marine Aquarium Society (http://www.razorbackreef.com/). In 2004 I served as treasurer, then in 2005 as Vice president. Before leaving Arkansas, I was granted a lifetime membership. In 2006 I accepted a position in Miami FL and joined the Florida Marine Aquarium Society. (http://www.fmas1955.org/)
In Florida I expanded my knowledge and involvement from just being a hobbyist to actual propagation and culturing various phytoplankton and corals. During my tenure in Florida, I led a phytoplankton culturing and homemade reef food workshop. The highlight of my Floridian life was obtaining my Open Water dive certification and participating in beach and reef restoration projects.
When moving here to San Antonio in July 2010, I brought along my current tanks (livestock and all) 220g, 75g, 30g, 20g. I have since restart my coral propagation and clownfish fish breading. I am always open to sharing my knowledge and equipment when needed. WPS!


Marcus
Tiger_Eyed1

[allan]

Glad you accepted your nomination, Marcus. :)

[Big_Pun]

i decline my nomination

Thank you

[kkiel02]

I too must decline my nomination. I really enjoyed working with everyone on the BOD but time seems to be a scarce resource nowadays and I just feel there are people out there that could better fill this postion. I appreciate the nomination and will still be active on MAAST. Plus, with the nominees this far I know next years board will be another good one!

[Europhyllia]

Looks like Christopher missed his chance to decline and has therefore accepted by default. :D

[kitcat72]

I choose to nominate Jarrod Pape (cowboy572) for the board. He has been a member for the last five years and he truly enjoys the hobby. He rarely misses a meeting or a swap and I think someone who has seen the club go through good times and bad has a perspective on what the club needs to build a stronger foundation. As a member, I want to see people who are people persons. I don't think nominations should have to be based on what someone posts or how someone posts online. After reading many of the posts there are not many of substance. People are getting numbers on short posts that might include "yes I agree" and they are getting their numbers. Although a member should be active online, to me a person should be out there meeting people and drawing people into the club. When you see people in the stores, acknowledge people and ask them what their interests are in the hobby and see if they would like to join. I see this in Jarrod. As an educator myself, without learning or teaching...no one learns. The reason I joined is to learn and meet people who share the same interests. I hope members will take the time to consider Jarrod for a board position. I think he can bring some new ideas and people into the club and bring about a positive change.

[hobogato]

nice second post!

[cowboy572]

Well, I accept my nomination for the board.

[cbianco]

I respectfully decline.

My move to Kindergarten has been very time consuming. EVERYDAY, I arrive at work ~6:15 and don't leave until ~5:00. These long days have left me tired, at a lack of time to spend with my wife and unable to fulfill my duties 100% here on MAAST.

HOWEVER, I am willing to help the BOD in anyway I can for events and meetings.

Christopher :)


i would like to nominate the following people to another term on the board:

Christopher Bianco
Chris Mata (i know you said you were taking a break, but i still think you are a valuable board member)
Lorraine Richards
Kevin Kiel

these board members have worked well together to keep things running smoothly and i think with a little more time this group of board members would benefit maast

i would also like to nominate the following memebers:

Lucky (lsingh)
justin (justahobby)
mike (texreefer)
karin (europhyllia)
alton (alton)
sherita (sherita)

these members contribute constantly to the site and i think each of them would be an asset to the board.


where is cbianco?


Looks like Christopher missed his chance to decline and has therefore accepted by default. :D

[hobogato]

the nominations are now closed. please see the following thread to vote: http://www.maast.org/showthread.php?68652-Vote-MAAST-2012-Board-of-Directors