I hope that folks will vote for me because I am more qualified, rather than alphabetical order, most initials, physical beauty, or another equally arbitrary method.
I also hope the the candidate who is the best person for the position they are seeking will be elected, regardless of how motivated their network is. If I, or anyone, had to rely on the people we know to elect us, we'd better pack it in, because the democratic process is irreparably flawed. While I am acquainted with a lot of CSI members, no one can know absolutely all of them. For instance, I've been involved in CSI for 23 years and had never heard of my opponent.
I, for one, believe in the the electoral process, and the wisdom of the electorate. If anyone is going to cast a vote for someone because of the alphabet soup after their name, then I suggest they shouldn't vote. However, if you've thoroughly read the candidate statements and have analyzed who is best suited to lead CSI through difficult and turbulent times, then please do vote.
I also want to recommend you not vote for someone because they're a nice person, or they express an interest in learning more about how CSI governance works. We need seasoned leadership that knows what the heck they're doing now more than ever before. CSI is asking much from us and on-the-job training will not give us the leadership we need!
If you have a few ideas about how to increase membership, then join the membership committee. However, if you are prepared to sacrifice your personal life and make tough decisions that you may have to defend later to members that may not always agree with you, then perhaps you may be suited for leadership.
I would encourage everyone to closely examine the candidates' statements. We were given a scant 350 words to declare why we should be elected to the office we were nominated for. The differences are very interesting. I know the way they are posted on the Web site is not perfect, and we can work on changing that, but we have to use the established framework to be fair for this election cycle.
If you want to learn more about me and why I'm very well prepared to lead CSI, then I have profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook and even MySpace. I also linked my blog to the candidate site if you want to see where my head is, at any given moment. I don't think I need a Web site for self-promotion. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I question expending valuable resources to be elected to a volunteer position. I believe that would make some members question my fiscal judgement and restraint, as well they should.
Try Googling my name and see what shows up. Using the Advanced Search option and "exact wording or phrase" will give best results, otherwise you'll get 7,320 hits and they're not all mine. Narrowing it down will result in about 500, and they are me for the most part. My unusual name is a benefit for this. You'll see what I've been into the past few years both within and outside of CSI. A few of those relate to my hobby in genealogy as well as a few about my past career in local politics. I designed a Web site for each avocation a few years ago, but have been too involved in other things lately.
By the way, a lot of people are curious about my heritage and name. My father's family came from Switzerland in 1727, Bucher with an umlat "U" became Beougher. I tell folks my name is Boo'-kur, spelled B-E-O-U-G-H-E-R, just the way it sounds. That line is usually good for a chuckle and may be why I was elected to the CSI Audit Committee at my first board meeting. And yes, I am a serious guy with a sense of humor. With my name, you have to be.
I encourage all CSI voting members to research the candidates and become informed voters, then and only then should you cast your vote for the future of CSI. My best wishes go out to all of the candidates and may the best man (or woman) win.
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