Chicago Chapter Board Election 2021

The Chicago Chapter elections committee opened the ballot to vote on this year's board election on June 7h. Polls close on June 17, at 5 p.m. ET and results will be announced soon after. You can find the finalized list of candidates who appear on the ballot below.

Only current Chicago Chapter eligible voters are able to see this form, if you're unable to see the form and you're an eligible voter, please contact us at [email protected] to make sure you're able to cast your vote.

President (uncontested):
Carly Luque		 Vice President (uncontested):

Marissa Parra
View candidate's statement
Financial Officer:
Open Position		 Secretary (uncontested):
Diana Gutierrez
At-Large:
Open position

2021 Election Timeline for chapter board elections:

May 18th:  Call for Nominations
May 28th: Deadline to submit 1 signature before 11:59 p.m. Deadline to become a member in good standing and be eligible to vote
May 28th – May 31st: Vetting process. The Elections Committee will screen candidates 
June 3th: Ballot is announced and campaigning begins
June 7th: Online voting begin (Polls open two weeks before the polls close)
June 17th: Polls close at 5 p.m. ET and results are announced

Candidates Statements:

Vice President (uncontested):
Marissa Parra

Hey Chicago! I'm Marissa Parra, I'm a reporter with CBS Chicago and I'm running for NAHJ Vice President. In addition to being a big believer in press freedom, I'm a big believer in bringing diversity to newsrooms. I'm proud of the work our chapter did virtually raising scholarship money during a pandemic, let's see what we can get done in 2021!

 

Chapter Officer Descriptions

 President
• Ensuring the chapter works to fulfill a strategic plan on the local level.
• Carrying out requirements to maintain chapter certification, including submitting the annual report.
• Making statements on behalf of the chapter and preside at chapter events.
• Serve as the primary contact person for potential members and retain existing members.
• Head the job fair committee.
• Being acquainted with most chapter members and meet their needs within the NAHJ mission. It is often the president’s vision that guides the programming at the chapter level and helps develop the national organization through chapter work.
• Grooming a successor through outreach, recruitment and skills building. It is often the case that you will need to ask people to run for office, tell them what the job entails and encourage them with some examples of how it has benefited you.
• Facilitating, supporting and assisting with activities intended to support the mission of NAHJ, as managed by the NAHJ staff and approved by the Board of Directors.
• The president or any other board member from the chapter board must attend the annual convention. (Chapter may use its funds to pay for all or part of the convention expenses, however this it’s up to the chapter board’s discretion). Convening with other chapter presidents once a year is important, this meeting could also help with leadership training, skills building and networking.
Vice President
• In the absence of the president, the vice president shall perform all duties of the president.
• When so acting, the vice president shall have all the powers of, and be subject to all the restrictions on the president.
• The vice president shall assist the president and shall have other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the chapter board.
• The vice president is the head of the scholarship committee- social media promotion and in contact with all student applicants and recipients.
Treasurer
• Responsible for submitting an annual chapter budget to the national office and completing annual financial reports.
• Recipient of the chapter’s bank statements
• Keeping the local bank account open and in good standing
• Issuing checks from the local bank account to pay for chapter expenses. 
Secretary
• Taking minutes at meetings and sending them to chapter leaders and members.
• Greeting attendees at NAHJ events and asking them to sign in and make a nametag.
• Writing chapter newsletters, e-mails or other communications.
• Creating fliers, signs or other communication pieces for the chapter as needed.
At-Large (Social Media Coordinator) - Strong digital background encouraged
• Manages all social media for the chapter.
• Oversees website content
• Post social media live during chapter events.
• Delegates social media posts to board members who head a committee. 
*All board members assist in social media posts if needed. They also assist in checking and responding to the chapter email account.
If you have any questions regarding this chapter's election contact Carly Luque ([email protected]), Chicago Chapter Elections Chair. You can also email us at [email protected] with any additional questions.
Good luck!

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