As yard signs pop up around Arbor Hills and TV is dominated by political ads, there's no doubt that election season is in full swing. It's also time for elections to the Arbor Hills Neighborhood Association Board - which should come with far less debate and vitriol than what is playing out on the national stage!
Some board members’ two-year terms are coming to a close at the end of 2020, leaving five open positions. Any resident of Arbor Hills is encouraged to run. New board
members will join an experienced team of people who have been representing our neighborhood for years. If you're interested in learning more about running for a board position, please contact Ashley Gibson (akgibson17@gmail.com) or any current board member (contacts listed under "Board Members" here on the website).
Here are the positions that will be open for election:
1. President: This year our fearless leader Jim Cortada will be retiring from his role as board president, leaving big shoes to fill! This role requires strong leadership and communication skills, knowledge of issues facing Arbor Hills, an openness to connecting with residents, and an ability to build and maintain relationships with leaders across Madison.
2. Recording Secretary: Responsible for keeping a record of all proceedings of the Association (e.g. taking minutes at our monthly board meetings). The role requires strong note taking abilities and basic computer skills. The time commitment is ~2 hours a month, so this is a great position for someone who is just getting started with the board.
3. Corresponding Secretary: Sends out correspondence to the neighborhood through our mass email platform and social media accounts. There's a big opportunity here to grow our online presence to make information easily accessible to everyone in Arbor Hills! This person should be savvy on social media and have some basic writing skills.This is also a great option for someone interested in getting started with the board.
4. Newsletter Editor: Responsible for creating the quarterly Arbor Hills newsletter. This includes reaching out to neighbors to contribute content, writing articles, editing, and keeping a pulse on what's going on in the neighborhood. It requires strong organizational skills and editing abilities (but not graphic design - thankfully we have a wonderfully talented neighbor who takes that on!). Again - a great way to get started on the board.
5. Block Captain Coordinator: Leads the team of block captains and coordinates the physical distribution of newsletters. The Block Captain Coordinator should be someone who has a strong desire to get to know neighbors, is enthusiastic about leading the team that welcomes new neighbors to Arbor Hills and more, and can collate the 400+ newsletters quarterly for distribution. There's a theme here... this is another way to get started on the board!
There are also openings for at-large roles on the board. Members-at-large attend monthly meetings, vote on issues brought forth, and help with ad-hoc projects as needed.
Elections will take place at our virtual annual meeting on Tuesday, October 20th at 6:30 pm (more info to come!). All AHNA members are invited to attend the meeting and vote for the positions listed above.