Campaign Central

[Celeste Lindell]

This forum will serve as Campaign Central for the upcoming Social Media Club of Kansas City Board Elections. Campaigning will run June 1-17, 2012 and voting will be open June 18-25, 2012. Winners will be announced at the July breakfast meeting.

This will be the primary location for the Board nominees to share a little bit about themselves, their experience, and why they would like to serve on the SMCKC Board. We also encourage other SMCKC members to ask questions and/or provide supporting statements for their candidate(s) of choice.

Your nominees are as follows (in alphabetical order under each position):

President

• Aaron Deacon - @aarondeacon

Vice President

• Kris McDonald - @KrisMcDonald21
• Aaron Thacker - @yourdp
• Dave Winslow - @Buzzingmedia

Advocacy Chair

• Tonya Frank-Wadel - @tfwadel
• Jason Harper -  @jasonfharper
• Rebecca Roman - @BeccaRoman
• Alisha Templeton - @AlishaBethT

Technology Chair

• Carolyn Anderson - @hellocarolynj
• Tyler Hillsman - @thillsman
• Dee Sadler - @DeeSadler

Anyone who is an SMCKC member as of June 1, 2012 is allowed one vote during the election. Acceptance of new members will be suspended until the end of the voting period.

If you have any questions regarding the nomination and/or voting process please contact your President Joe Cox or Vice President Celeste Lindell.

Thank you for your support and participation during this very important process!

[Dee Sadler]

Why I feel I am qualified as Technology Chair:

• Non-profits aren't new to me: I was a VP of a non-profit for years, MacCore. Before I was a VP, I was the one who did the newsletter and the website.
• As Founder of KCCoreGroups (Adobe UG's) I created a brand, then used my connections within the community to build out the members. Being so engrained inside Adobe, I have made great connections all across the UI/UX/web/design/social media community around the world, and in KC. I am Julie from the old TV show Love Boat; I am the Cruise Director of the community.
• I've also created several Ning sites before, so updating, changing or finding another solution and hosting is no problem. I own 2 cameras that produce HD video, (was a professional photographer for awhile back in the 80's) so I AV issues aren't an problem.
• I have over 2100 twitter followers, and have almost 24,000 tweets, (twitter start date was June 2007) so it is safe to say I understand that aspect of helping out. It is part of what I do for Adobe now.
• In running my own conference I have created other types of social media and while I am, I am sure, not as savvy as some in the latest trends, I am always at the bleeding edge the latest technology and was even a mini tech for awhile when I worked at an Apple Specialist upgrading 2000 Macs at Hallmark to OSX.
• I don't dislike Ning, it certainly has its place, and has been a good home for smckc, but we should explore more mobile opportunities to reach a new audience and allow smckc members access everywhere.
• I am not shy, so I could easily help finding speakers and help the event chair coordinate events.

Thanks, Dee

[Rebecca Roman]

SMCKC members,

 

I’m Rebecca Roman (@BeccaRoman) and I’m writing to show my enthusiasm in running for SMCKC Advocacy Chair. In the time I’ve been a part of the Social Media Club of Kansas City I have found it to be an invaluable resource both professionally and personally. This is an experience I hope to extend to all future individuals and companies in the Kansas City area and beyond who are looking to grow in professional relationships and new media ventures.

 

After graduating with my M.A. in Interactive Media last May, I have endeavored to keep up with the changing technology that I had produced during school. Platforms such as multimedia writing, video/audio editing, web development and social media practices as a means to communicate with and educate other people.

 

This endeavor was made easier by being actively involved with SMCKC. As a young professional it can be daunting to find the correct outlet to share your talent, however the amount of legit opportunities, educational events (such as the Breakfasts), and the lack of red tape makes SMCKC a very viable organization to be a part of. I feel it is the duty of the next Advocacy Chairman to promote the Social Media Club of Kansas City in the community, allowing all those who may not be aware of SMCKC to become active members.

 

I have had the enlightening opportunity to work with SMCKC members in community projects, Aaron Deaconhas been a supportive and reliable leader with the Give Us a Gig efforts in relation to the Google Fiber efforts. It is because of this I became involved as a Google Liaison in Oak Grove, Kan. speaking to community members and leaders from Strugglers Hill, Turtle Hill, and more about the benefits of Google fiber in their community and SMCKC’s involvement in the process. I’ve also had the great opportunity to work with Katy Ryan Schamberger through my SMCKC blogging efforts.

 

As Advocacy Chair I plan to get SMCKC involved in the community in the following ways:

 

• Explore additional online platforms smckc.com can be present. I currently work as a web developer on the Kansas side with a company using a CMS to host their website. If there’s interest in this I will explore content management systems such as WordPress, Ektron (for the .Net fans), Kentico and more.  I know other social media clubs have used CMS, like SMC-St.Louis uses Wordpress. CMS can allow for more brand recognition through customization as well as making the backend easier to update, allowing new chairmen in the future to manage smckc.com without a lot of trouble.  
• Get the #smckc hashtag more involved with new members of the community, probably through print materials like posters, stickers, etc. I’ve mentioned to Sarah Wood before like how people get phone books when they move to a new area, a leaflet/flyer explaining #smckc included in a new comer’s welcome package can allow people who aren’t online to become more involved.
• SMCKC could become more present in the community through hosting a wide range of RL events. Personally I’ve been a fan of TED Talks for a couple of years, SMCKC could serve as a supporter of a TED Talk conference in Kansas City or host another TEDX event in the area. Also hosting collab. events with other organizations like KC IT Professionals  -I had a great time at Hack the Midwest- would be beneficial.
• More volunteer opportunities, Aaron Deacon was also great in getting SMCKC members involved in the Kansas City Film Fest this past April covering the events through tweeting with the #smckc hashtag. I hope to have more events like this in the future.

These are just a few ideas I have for how the Advocacy Chairman can get SMCKC more involved in the community while uphold our current values of exploring innovate social media practices.

 

To end, I really have to quote Alisha’s statement where she wrote:

 

“All candidates for the Advocacy Chair […] are not only quality candidates for this position, but also amazing people whom I call friends. In my book, any vote for Advocacy Chair is a win.”

 

SMCKC if full of great people and has the potential to gain more, please visit your local Twitter account and vote for me for SMCKC Advocacy Chair today!

[Carolyn Anderson]

Hello SMCKC! Thanks in advance for your time and consideration in voting for me for SMCKC Technology Chair.

I joined SMCKC last year and couldn’t believe what I had been missing by not getting involved sooner! I’m excited for what the club has done so far and what we have planned for the coming years. This group is playing a huge role in pushing KC’s Social Media presence forward and I want to help take the club to the next level.  Here are a few of the ways I plant to do that!

-          Increase online interaction and engagement with members throughout other city chapters through hosting social media forums and Twitter chats and yes, even Google+ hangouts!

-          Audit our current SMCKC web presence/channels to review which areas need improvement and what changes need to be made to meet the goals of the club as a whole

-          Bring universal phone chargers to all SMCKC events so no one misses an opportunity to check in, Tweet, post photos and hashtag the heck out of our goings-on!

-          Continue to read, follow, learn, absorb and discuss emerging apps and technologies in which social media is impacted and evaluate how our chapter can leverage these

-          Work with other elected SMCKC board members and relevant organizations in Kansas City to increase SMCKC member opportunities, particularly as Google Fiber comes closer to reality

-          Arrive at all breakfasts early to ensure all presentations, slide shows and microphones are in working order so presenters can relax and enjoy their bacon instead of fretting over a misbehaving projector.

If elected, I can tell you now I will be working with any of you who are interested in sharing ideas in how your particular industry or passion can elevate the KC Chapter of the Social Media Club.  I appreciate your vote and welcome any questions you have for me!

Cheers,

Carolyn

@hellocarolynj

[Celeste Lindell]

Voting is now open for your new President, Vice President, Advocacy Chair and Technology chair here. We urge every SMCKC member to vote and have a say in the future of the club! Voting will close at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 25, 2012.

Please take a few minutes to cast a vote and voice your opinion. All comments will be shared among the board, evaluated and applied as appropriate. Be heard.

[Aaron Thacker]

My name is Aaron Thacker and I am running for SMCKC Vice President. Because this is the internet, I want to speak to you on real internet terms which is of course video. If you had any doubts about voting for me, these videos will change your mind. Enjoy!

VP Promo 1: https://vimeo.com/43795114 (featuring @staubio)

VP Promo 2: https://vimeo.com/43896010 (featuring @shaneadams)

VP Promo 3: https://vimeo.com/43896010 (featuring @justinTPA)

VP Promo 4: https://vimeo.com/43795112 (featuring @schneby & @jjshore)

VP Promo 5: https://vimeo.com/44082598 (featuring @lwatkins84)

VP Promo 6: https://vimeo.com/44195179 (featuring @mikegelphman & dlfluegge)

[Tonya Frank-Wadel]

Hi Everybody,
I was nominated for the Advocacy Chair and you can stalk me here: @tfwadel.

What I love about our organization is that we freely share our knowledge. Because of this, I have been actively telling people to join our community ever since I started over a year ago. I don't miss many events because I have come to think of our group as another set of friends that only want the best for each other.

I would love to be the advocacy chair person because I want to help promote our organization within Kamsas City. We do so many great things together that I want to help our town to know more about us. We are already pretty impressive in the eyes of The National Social Media Club, but I think we can bring a lot more attention to our organization locally.

An idea I have is to choose one (1) non-profit each month to take under our wings to help with their social media efforts. We could teach the tools to help them grow and thus bring more exposure to our club.

Finally, I love planning/organizing events. A few I have helped with are weddings, baby showers, the launch of The Freelancers University, and programs within the AAF-KC (formerly the Ad Club.). Because a lot of advocacy involves arranging and coordinating with companies/people this skill should be taken into account.

I don't think you could go wrong with any one of the nominees, I'd just like you to vote for me.

[Jason Harper]

What would you change about KC to make it a better place to live? #1changekc

I’m currently running for the Advocacy Chair of the Social Media Club of Kansas City, and as I was brainstorming ideas for what I would do if elected, I came up with an idea. To get YOUR ideas.

So, I wanna ask you something: What’s one thing you would change about Kansas City to make it a better place to live?

Think about it. Then tweet your one thing with the hashtag #1changekc by June 25.

If I’m elected, I’ll take your ideas and present them to the board as we plan advocacy opportunities to the year ahead. And if I’m not elected, we’ll still generate a great list of ideas for how to make KC a better place to live — and that’s what I think we should be all about anyway.

So get creative, and be sure to go to http://bit.ly/smckcelect2012 to read about all the candidates and vote!

Here's a video of me spellin' it out: http://youtu.be/lRPjtx_njH4

[Aundre Gray]

SMDH! Thanks Aaron, I think you cleared everything up with your videos!

Aaron Thacker said:

My name is Aaron Thacker and I am running for SMCKC Vice President. Because this is the internet, I want to speak to you on real internet terms which is of course video. If you had any doubts about voting for me, these videos will change your mind. Enjoy!

VP Promo 1: https://vimeo.com/43795114 (featuring @staubio)

VP Promo 2: https://vimeo.com/43896010 (featuring @shaneadams)

VP Promo 3: https://vimeo.com/43896010 (featuring @justinTPA)

VP Promo 4: https://vimeo.com/43795112 (featuring @schneby & @jjshore)

VP Promo 5: https://vimeo.com/44082598 (featuring @lwatkins84)

VP Promo 6: https://vimeo.com/44195179 (featuring @mikegelphman & dlfluegge)

[Aundre Gray]

Hey Celeste,

Please explain why we are forced to pick a candidate when there is only 1 person running for president? What if I don't wanna vote? I cannot leave it blank?

Celeste Lindell said:

Voting is now open for your new President, Vice President, Advocacy Chair and Technology chair here. We urge every SMCKC member to vote and have a say in the future of the club! Voting will close at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 25, 2012.

Please take a few minutes to cast a vote and voice your opinion. All comments will be shared among the board, evaluated and applied as appropriate. Be heard.