NCECA

Call for Nominations - Board of Directors Elected Positions 

The NCECA BOARD OF DIRECTORS has both appointed and elected positions; in 2010 there will be three open Board positions: Secretary/Treasurer, Director at Large, and Student Director at Large. 
Scroll down to meet the 2010 Candidates!!!  

The Board endorses a candidate for each position as the 'Board Nominee' to present at the conference.  Additional nominations by any NCECA member may be made at the conference from the floor at the Thursday Member's meeting and a final vote is taken at the Saturday Member’s meeting.  

The Board of Directors carries broad areas of responsibility: policy, and organizational development; hiring and evaluation of the NCECA Director, serving on committees and specific project management, fundraising and support development, as well as a personal commitment of one's time and consideration, and an annual financial contribution to the organization. All board members must attend the two annual Board meetings, the annual conference, and regularly communicate and participate in NCECA Board activities.  NCECA supports the out-of-pocket board member's expenses.

Secretary/Treasurer is an elected three-year position and may be extended to another 3 year term.  The S/T is responsible for reviewing, maintaining, and tracking minutes from Board and Executive Committee meetings.  The S/T serves as the Chair of the Budget / Finance Committee and works closely with the Council Bookkeeper, Finance Advisor and CPA to oversee the disbursement of NCECA monies, the annual audit, and to protect the long term financial health of the Council.  The S/T serves on the NCECA Executive Committee, so knowledge and commitment to the organization is very important. S/T must be bonded.

Director at Large is an elected three-year position. DAL's hold varied responsibilities including aspects of conference and program planning, as well as committee and Board responsibilities.  DAL's oversee many projects such as scholarship programs, emerging artists, breakout sessions, residency programs, fundraising projects, and new initiatives.

The Student Director at Large position will be available again this year at the NCECA conference. This two year position has been held by Jessica Orlowski since 2008. The Student Director at Large is a two year elected position, open to either Graduate or Undergraduate students. The student must be 21 years old, and a full-time student for at least one full year of her/his term, March 2010 to March 2012, and committed to a degree in ceramics.   This is one of the highest honors for a student dedicated to a career in ceramics. SDAL duties:

• Helps to coordinate all aspects of the National Student Juried Exhibition, including juror selection, contracting, artist support, etc.
• Serves on the jurying committee for student fellowships and scholarships
• Serves on the NCECA membership committee
• Runs the Annual Student Design Competition
• Coordinates the Student Critique Room
• Attends 2 in person board meetings, the conference, and NCECA conference calls
• Supports student initiatives and acts on the concerns of the student constituency
• Creates opportunities and programming for NCECA’s student membership
• Has the opportunity to create initiatives of their own!
  

If interested, please read the following:

• On Thursday, nomination for the SDAL position will be held at the first NCECA business meeting at the NCECA conference in Philly. Nomination from the floor must be done by and for NCECA members. 
•   On Saturday, at the 2nd Membership Meeting, each of the nominees presents a 3-minute talk to the membership and a final vote is taken.  The new Board members must be at the Saturday Members meeting and attend both the Open Board Meeting and the Closed Board Meeting, which follow the closing ceremonies. (Please plan travel accordingly)

For more information or with questions regarding this opportunity please contact: Jessica Orlowski at 518-429-6244 or seraphim205@yahoo.com

PLEASE NOTE: Potential candidates are encouraged to contact via e-mail the President, Skeff Thomas thomass@rowan.edu ,  and Nominations Committee Chair, Robert Harrison granitwood@aol.com , in advance of the conference to discuss the details of the position. 
Robert Harrison, Nominations Committee Chair

Meet the 2010 Board Candidates

The NCECA Board of Directors provides oversight of NCECA operations and guidance to the Executive Director. The Board sets policy on a broad range of issues and, through strategic planning, sets long-range goals for the organization. Board positions may be elected or appointed, as spelled out in the bylaws. The NCECA bylaws mandate both a Nominating Committee to review and recommend candidates for elected Board positions, as well as provide for nominations from the floor. This dual process helps assure qualified candidates in every election. For information about nominating or running from the floor, please see below.

Glenda Taylor, candidate for Secretary Treasurer 2010
Glenda is a Ceramics Professor and Chair of the Art Department at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, where she has worked since 1987, after earning her MFA in Ceramics from Kansas State University in 1985. She first joined NCECA and began attending conferences over 30 years ago.  Glenda has enjoyed volunteering in various capacities at NCECA conferences, including photographing and writing for the Journal, leading “Topical Discussion” groups, and assisting with a benefit auction. She served NCECA as Director at Large from 2005-2008. While on the NCECA Board, some of the projects Glenda most enjoyed working on was developing the Artist in Residency program and working with member volunteers on “Topical Discussions” and “Connections” breakout groups.  Glenda’s experience on the Board has provided valuable knowledge of NCECA’s recent activities and future challenges to assist in effectively serving the membership in this leadership position.  Her role as administrator of a University department provides a solid background in communication and fiscal management for the position of Secretary Treasurer.

Terry deBardelaben, candidate for Director at Large
Terry deBardelaben has exhibited widely in group shows throughout the United States. As a life long learner, her travels to Italy, Spain and China (within the last five years) reflect her interest in documenting ceramic techniques used in other cultures. The ethnographic research conducted in the remote Village of Kuli, Ghana, West Africa resulted in a 20-minute video –recently shown at the 2009 NCECA conference. She received both her BFA and MFA from Howard University where she currently serves as an adjunct instructor teaching 3D concepts. She also works full time as a high school AP sculpture and ceramics teacher at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School in Alexandria, Virginia.

For more than 20 years, deBardelaben has built her secondary school and collegiate career as both an educator and administrator. Her background in establishing innovative recruitment initiatives, and assessment rubrics at Holton-Arms School coupled with her more recent efforts to establish a formal network of independent school ceramic teachers speaks to her initiative and cutting edge solutions toward creative problem solving.  Her community service activity as Executive Committee Member for the James A. Porter Colloquium and recent honoree and keynote speaker for the Metro DC Winter People of Color Recognition Dinner reflect her dynamic personality, spirit and willingness to serve others. 

Jim Ibur, candidate for Director at Large
Jim Ibur is a potter, sculptor and tile maker and has been  making objects out of clay for more than half his life.  He has an extensive exhibition record regionally and nationally.   He is the Coordinator of Ceramics at St. Louis Community College-Meramec in St. Louis, Missouri where he is an Associate Professor.  Jim Ibur has a BA from the University of Colorado/Boulder and an MFA from the University of Illinois/Champaign-Urbana plus graduate work with Robert Arneson and Arthur Gonzalez at the University of California/Davis.    He also completed residencies at both the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Mt and the Banff Centre for the Arts in Banff, Alta, Canada.  In 1993 in New Orleans, Ibur  and his late ex-wife Gloria Fuchs were the only team ever to be selected for the “Emerging Talent” presentation.

For the 2009 NCECA Conference in Phoenix, Az, Ibur curated and installed the exhibition:  Potters as Sculptors, Sculptors as Potters as well as led a panel discussion of the same name with panelists Donna Polseno, Doug Casebeer, Liz Quackenbush and Russell Wrankle. Most recently, Ibur was one of a handful of non board members of NCECA to participate in the Strategic Planning Session in October of 2009 in Tampa, Fla. Ibur is intensely committed to the field of ceramics as he looks forward to new technologies, concepts and challenges within the field, but also has a deep respect for the recent and more distant history of significant ideas under the umbrella of ceramics.

Cindy Bracker Sturm, candidate for Director at Large
Cindy Bracker Sturm has had a love for clay since the day her dad inspired her to use her Playdough Fun Factory with potter’s clay and fire her creations in his Salt Kiln.  Years later, she still uses an extruder, now to make ceramic windchimes and other musical creations which she now fires in an electric kiln.  She has worked continuously at Bracker’s Good Earth Clays for the last 15 years and enjoys the daily opportunity to get to know potters, students, teachers, manufacturers and other suppliers from across the country and even internationally. 
Cindy served on the board of the KC Clay Guild as scholarship chair for five years, on the board of the Kansas Art Education Association as Commercial Liaison for three years and as Co-coordinator of the 2008 KAEA Fall conference.  She has been involved with NCECA as a commercial exhibitor beginning in 1995, and as a committee member for the 2002 Kansas City NCECA Conference. 

Interested in Running for the NCECA Board?
NCECA Board elections are open to anyone who has been an NCECA member for at least one year. Nominations may be made from the floor at the first Members’ Business Meeting of each conference, this year Thursday, April 1 at 12:00 noon. Full details are available on the NCECA website. All candidates will be required to give a 3 minutes speech at the 2nd Members Business Meeting, Saturday, April 3 at 12:00 noon, prior to the ballot election by members, so start planning your message to fellow members! Candidates will also be asked to meet with members at the NCECA booth in the Exhibitors’ Hall from 9-11 AM on Friday, April 2.