We have our slate of candidates for officers of the Equine History Collective for the term 2020-2022. The EHC Bylaws state that, “The Officers…shall be elected by the Board at the annual meeting of the Corporation for a term of two years, and each shall serve at the discretion of the Board until his or her successor shall be elected, or his or her earlier resignation or removal. Officers may be elected for two consecutive terms of the same office.” Thank you to these individuals for agreeing to stand for election!
Voting will begin February 1 and close February 15. The official ballot will be sent via email on February 1 to members, researchers, and followers of the EHC. (If you would like to make sure you are included in the email to vote, please fill out the EHC Contact Form before February 1.)
Candidates For President
Nominees: Erica Munkwitz, Chelsea Shields-Más, Carolyn Willekes
Chelsea Shields-Más, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History & Philosophy, SUNY Old Westbury, NY
As president of the Equine History Collective, I would be honored to represent and lead the organization. In this capacity, I would work to continue EHC’s growth in building its membership base, seeking funding opportunities and developing existing and new ideas for engaging its membership as well as the wider academic and equine communities. I believe that I would be suited for this role as I am not only a lifelong horse lover (who seeks any opportunity to bring horses into my academic life), but I am also hosting the 2020 EHC conference at my institution, and as such will be closely involved with the organization over the course of the next year. Thank you for your time and consideration!
Candidates For Treasurer
Nominees: Amber Roberts Graham, Christian Kreuger, Carolyn Willekes
Carolyn Willekes, Ph.D. Professor of History, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
I believe strongly in the purpose behind the EHC and the need we have for an organization that strives to bring together researchers, scholars, and general equid enthusiasts from around the world. It is amazing to see the growing interest in animal studies across various disciplines (including my own and I feel that the EHC has a significant role to play in promoting the history of culture of equids. I think one of the key features of the EHC is its cross-disciplinary and inclusive nature, something not often found in academic/research groups. As an officer in the organization I would have two main priorities:
- Ensuring the financial stability and growth of the EHC
- Broadening the reach and scope of the EHC to draw in new members, and hopefully research, funding, outreach, and academic opportunities as well.
Christian Krueger, M.A. (Ms.) Doctoral Student, President of the History Graduate Student Organization, Department of History, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
I have served on executive boards since a very early age, including several terms as the president, secretary, treasurer, etc. of my local 4-H club and the larger county 4-H Horse & Pony Project. As adult, I have taken on greater responsibilities that further combine my love of horses with my passion for history and education— for the past four years, I have overseen and managed the barns and horse show at the Winnebago County Fair as its Horse Superintendent. During the current academic year, I became the president of Marquette University’s History Graduate Student Organization. In both of these positions, I strive to foster environments that promote growth and development not only in the broader community, but also in the invested individuals.
Were I elected the treasurer of the Equine History Collective, I would continue to work for the betterment of the group and its members as I managed the organization’s funds. I would furthermore seek out innovative, mission-oriented ways to generate income in order to maximize the EHC’s accessibility and impact. As a horsewoman and an academic, I have access to wide networks of people and would use those to the Collective’s advantage. In short, my executive experience in combination with practical horse knowledge and academic awareness makes me an ideal candidate for this position. Thank you for your consideration.
Candidates For Secretary
Nominees: Janice Gunther Martin
Janice Gunther Martin, MA History, MS Chemistry, Doctoral Candidate University of Notre Dame, Secretary of the EHC
I am a co-founder of the Equine History Collective, and am excited about all we have accomplished in a short amount of time: two successful conferences, relationships with important institutions, and an active online community. To help ensure the long-term success of the EHC in a second term as secretary, I would apply insights from my experiences both with the EHC and in other administrative posts, which include managing an undergraduate research program at the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study, and serving as an assistant in the Executive Office of the History of Science Society. These latter roles exposed me to the organization and planning required behind the scenes to ensure successful programming and to build institutions. My specific goals include: establish regular communication with members and those interested in the EHC; update our email management system to help facilitate this communication; and continue to establish best-practices for documenting and archiving our records to ensure smooth operations. Thank you for your time and consideration!
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