Region J Senator Write-in Candidate Campaign

As a part of the transition to the new SWE Governance structure, Region J will be voting on the first 3-year term Senator. With the nomination and petition period for Region Senators now closed, this means that Region J does not have any slated/petitioned candidates for our ballot.

After dialog between Society and Region leaders, Region J is going forward with a Write-In Candidates Only via Society Ballot option.

This will allow the Society ballot to determine the outcome of the Region J Senator elections, but write-in candidates will be the only option. The member with the most votes who meets the qualifications for the position per the bylaws and consents to take the position would be the new Senator.

On behalf of the Region J leaders, I am happy to present our write-in candidate, Linda Thomas. I have personally known Linda for many years - and I think she is a great candidate for the first 3-year term Senator. I encourage you to read her candidate statement below and write her in on the society ballot that will be coming to you within in the next couple of weeks.

If you have any questions on the write-in campaign, the Senate, or the SWE governance chances, please email me at swe.pnw.section.reps@gmail.com.

Kind Regards,
Theresa Krack
FY18 Section Representative

Linda Thomas, F. SWE, Write in Candidate

I am asking my fellow SWE Region J members consider me as a write in for a Senator candidate for the next three years.  I am willing to represent you as Senator.  What I bring to the position was representing you as a past president in SWE PNW, a lieutenant governor, governor, Director of Regions, and also as a Member at Large representative.  My accomplishments in these positions resulted in my recognition as SWE Fellow and Woman Engineer You Should Know.

My passion is providing SWE members a voice in deciding the direction of the Society. It is our organization, and incumbent we understand the society’s strategy and direction , communicate this to the membership, so we can effectively participate in the society, and continue its mission and vision.

SWE is about to enter a new governance model in July 2018. At the same time, we want SWE to continue serving as an organization crucial to the development females in STEM, from grade school to seasoned engineers of all types. We need to understand and communicate how this change will enable us to participate in SWE fully as members and stakeholders.  Also, we need to understand the Society’s strategic plans so we can help shape its direction.

My experiences in SWE Leadership from the ground up gave me perspective on how to ensure we all have a voice in SWE governance.  And I want to continue ensuring we all have a voice in SWE governance.  I want to be that voice to help communicate the Society’s strategies. When you receive that ballot in April, please consider writing me in as a candidate. Please contact me at lindamsthomas@gmail.com for any questions.

Thank you for your support! And thank you for supporting SWE!
Linda Thomas

SWE Election Timeline

On March 30, 2018, the mailed letter will go to any members that do not have an email in their membership record.

On April 1, 2018, an election email will go out to all members with an email in their membership records.

On April 27, 2018, a reminder email is sent to all members with an email in their records.

Both communication types (email and mailed letter) indicate that voting can be done either online or a paper ballot can be requested.

All online voting must be completed by May 1, 2018.

All paper ballots must be returned to the contracted teller by May 4, 2018.

Senate & Governance Links

• Get a recap of the Senate's year so far: http://senate.swe.org/
• Learn more about the SWE Senate: http://senate.swe.org/about-the-senate.html
• Review the Senate's FY18 Amendments and Motions: http://senate.swe.org/amendments-and-motions.html
• Catch up on the latest SWE governance changes: http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/swe-governance-update