Get involved with your community! JETAA Chicago Elections this March!

In 2020 the decision was made to move the JETAA Chicago officer elections to March in order to better suit the needs of our chapter, so now it is time to start discussing them!

Thinking About Being More Involved and Running for the Board?

As always, all positions are open and any member of community may run*. For details on each, please see the descriptions at the end of this post. And please, feel free to reach out to current board members as well. We can be reached at info@jetaachicago.com and all of our emails are on the JETAA Chicago website if you have any questions.

For those interested, here is a quick timeline for the next two months:

• Complete this form to indicate your interest in running by Monday, January 25.

• Submit your platform by Friday, January 29 (you will receive the submission link once you have completed the previous form).

• Attend the open board meeting on Monday, February 1. This is when all candidates will be announced and given the opportunity to speak.

• Attend the Open Board Meeting on Monday, March 1. Alumni will be given the opportunity to ask questions to the candidates prior to the election being held at the end of the meeting.

Prior to submitting your application, please review the Community Norms and Agreements as all officers are expected to embody them as leaders and work to cultivate a community built on equitable practices and respectful behavior that fosters belonging at all times.

All members of JETAA Chicago and its sub-chapters are eligible to vote in the elections. The vote will be held during the March Open Board Meeting and will be held completely virtually and monitored by a third party outside of our chapter. More details on how to participate in the voting process will be shared in February.

Position Descriptions

President**

The President is responsible for the day to day leadership of the organization as a whole and making sure the board is working to fulfill the mission of JETAA Chicago. This includes ensuring transparency in operations, making sure paperwork is in order and filed on time, actively supporting all officers and facilitating the events of JETAA. It also includes personally liaising with members of the alumni community, Japan community in Chicago, MOFA, CLAIR, USJETAA, and JETAAUSA.

Vice President

The Vice President supports their fellow officers and the membership-at-large in fulfilling the mission of JETAA Chicago. This includes collaborating with the President to guide the board, leading meetings, attending events, and monitoring activities to ensure a smooth process for the organization as a whole. The Vice President is also required to ensure that the duties of the President, Treasurer and Secretary are fulfilled should there be a time when they are unable to do so; this includes, but is not limited to, all of the responsibilities outlined in the respective position descriptions.

Treasurer***

The Treasurer is responsible for keeping the chapter within the budget, tracking donations, receipts, event expenses and event attendance throughout the year. The Treasurer is also responsible for ensuring that the entire board has a strong understanding of the yearly budget process and timeline. In February the treasurer turns in proof of expenses and activities held the previous year that use GiA funds and in June they are responsible for proposing the chapter’s expenses for the upcoming year. Making sure both reports are done accurately and in a timely manner ensures that the chapter stays active and in turn can offer support to outgoing JETs and alumni.

Junior Treasurer

The Junior Treasurer is a one year position that eventually leads to the two-year treasurer position. The Junior Treasurer will shadow the treasurer and learn the role. They will also help with paperwork and any other tasks delineated by the treasurer.

Secretary

The Secretary is the administrator and information manager for the organization. They manage and track files and data, and maintain historical records to ensure organizational sustainability.

The Secretary is also responsible for ensuring transparency in information sharing to maintain trust in the organization. This includes the monthly responsibility for taking minutes during meetings, making edits to them, and sending the finalized document to the board for approval before they make their way to the JET Program Coordinators at the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago for record keeping.

Activities Coordinator

The Activities Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the ongoing events and alumni engagement efforts of JETAA Chicago. This includes creating documentation for events, supporting and directly organizing events for JETAA Chicago, including social gatherings, clubs, quarterly dinners and more. The Activities Coordinator works to develop a wide range of activities through assisting fellow officers and other alumni with planning and partnerships with external organizations.

Marketing Coordinator

The Marketing Coordinator handles JETAA Chicago’s brand presence on and offline and focuses on organizational promotion. This includes digital promotional materials, social media posts, the monthly newsletter, website content and event collateral. Helping promote Japan-related content to the community and returning the favor for other organizations is key to maintaining visibility and strong communal ties.

Networking Coordinator

The Networking Coordinator works to connect JET alumni from all backgrounds with career and professional networking opportunities in the local, regional and national community. They are responsible for developing connections through partnerships with local businesses and Japan related organizations and coordinating events, such as the annual career development workshop, career counseling sessions and recent returnee oriented programming.

Outreach Coordinator

The Outreach Coordinator works to actively engage every level of the alumni community of JETAA Chicago. They help support the community marketing and operations strategies with programs for a diverse alumni base, encourage and empower active/inactive alumni to get involved and serve as a connector to help build relationships that cultivate organizational growth and longevity. The Outreach Coordinator is also responsible for coordinating the Survival Series, the chapter’s initiative for engaging and training outgoing JETs, which usually consists of three to five events.

Philanthropy Coordinator

The Philanthropy Coordinator is responsible for fundraising efforts for JETAA Chicago and creating opportunities for the chapter to give back in meaningful ways to the Japan-America community. The Philanthropy Coordinator may solicit donations, apply for grants, research opportunities for supporting local partners, plan fundraisers and other philanthropic events, and ensure that all appropriate follow-up is completed.

*You must be a current member of JETAA Chicago (claiming residence in Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin) to run.

**To run for President, you must have spent at least one year on the board.

***The Treasurer position is a two-year term.

2019-2020 JETAA Chicago Board Platforms

Elections are right around the corner! Prep yourself for our next Open Board Meeting by checking out the platforms for those running this year:

President - Gabe Coronado

I believe that our chapter is at its strongest when we are finding ways to engage all elements of our community. Outgoing, recently returned, 10+ - every one of the alumni that we serve should feel like they have a place here. Through continuing to strengthen our chapter’s efforts in engaging younger alumni, while finding new ways to reach and reactivate the more senior members, my goal as president would be to help create a more cohesive community. A community in which all of my fellow alumni can come together, build relationships and grow.

Vice President - Lara "Zara" Espinoza

My fellow JET alumni,

We are stronger and better, together. When living and working in Japan, we all broke down barriers and built bridges to improve communication and foster understanding within our communities. In my 6 years on the leadership board of JETAA Chicago and second term as Vice President, I have every intention of continuing to do the same for us within our chapter to further unite our vibrant alumni communities in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and beyond.

As Vice President - here are some of my goals, ideas, aspirations, and things I plan to help continue doing:

Unite the membership and change the culture for the better by helping to define and implement inclusivity in the organization’s values and culture so it can support and welcome members our diverse alumni community.

• Provide a safe space for our community that encourages us to have courageous conversations that will activate/reactivate members from those recently-returned to 10+ returned and our community partners to drive positive impact and change.

• Create more opportunities for collaboration and connection, ie: potentially hosting quarterly meetings in more accessible locations/days/times to help increase attendance of alumni who are in subchapters, suburbs, have families, non traditional work schedules, etc.

Embed openness and transparency in communication within and from leadership and the greater membership so information and resources are accessible, shared and accounted for within the entire organization

• Giving members agency to ask questions and give feedback

• Cultivate healthy cultural habits, such as active listening and thoughtful responses

• Further the understanding of administrative processes within the board and greater membership

Increase learning and engagement initiatives with career development along with personal/professional growth opportunities and member support by:

• Encouraging mentorship within the community

• Trying new monthly meeting formats to include educational opportunities that resource alumni network and empower members

• Utilize and invest in technology to help make information, meetings and events more accessible for members to get involved near and far (ie: webinar software, microphone for meetings, updating social media groups, etc.)

Continue to help refine, evaluate and develop current projects and procedures to further create and foster more efficient processes and best practices for current and future leaders and members.

• i.e. leadership manuals and communication guides that I helped to start, updating and revising the bylaws, streamlining current processes and procedures etc.

Connect membership to regional and national alumni networks and Japan community leadership, many who I was able to meet and establish relationships by attending and speaking at the JETAA USA National Conference & JET 30th reunion, the 26th annual Midwest Forum and the first ever Japanese American Session hosted by the Japanese Consulate.

Uplift and empower membership to act and thrive by continuing to expand on my brand and talent of being able to effectively engage alumni because I lead with authenticity and by example. Therefore I will continue to:

• Mentor and advocate for new and emerging leaders as I’ve successfully done in our sub-chapters (WI & IN), Chicagoland suburbs, across national JETAA leaders and chapters, and by recruiting and sponsoring two new board members this past year

• Coach and connect alumni to advance their careers, professional skills and job opportunities

• Spearhead/Co-lead for the 7th year our chapters largest and longest initiative of onboarding the outgoing JETs with the Survival Series 2020.

Thank you for your time, consideration and supportive vote in this upcoming election. If elected, I hope to foster a fun and fulfilling year working together to unite our alumni community by continuing to be the Vice President in 2019-2020.

Let’s JETogether!

Treasurer - Tyler Blaz

In my time serving as secretary this past year, I've learned a lot about how the JET Alumni community services its members and engages with the Japanese community here in Chicago. I have grown to appreciate my involvement in the board's discussions and activities this past year, and I'd be honored to serve the board again in a different capacity. I have a better understanding of the expectations and standards to which a board member should live up to. I think that my time as secretary has prepared me to take on some of the more technical responsibilities associated with the Treasurer position.

I know that I'll be physically in San Francisco for the first several months of my proposed tenure as Treasurer, but I'd still be actively joining meetings and calls whenever my scheduled permitted. I am excited to be more permanently back in Chicago in January of 2020.

If elected as treasurer, I would enthusiastically work with Ivonne to understand the budgeting responsibilities throughout the fiscal year. I would also work closely with the rest of the board to ensure high accountability when it comes to our organization's spending. I think Ivonne has done a wonderful job in the role these past two years, and I hope to similarly succeed in such a role.

2018 JETAA Chicago Election Platforms

The polls are open! Hypothetically speaking of course.

At the bottom of this post are the platforms for those running to serve on the 2018-2019 JETAA Chicago board.

Voting

This year we will be voting for our Vice President! Are you asking yourself how you can vote? Voting is open to all JETAA Chicago members and will occur during our monthly member meeting Monday, October 1, 2018 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at Chicago Sister Cities International - 177 N State Street Suite 700 (7th Floor) Chicago, IL 60601.

Cast your vote in person OR call in during the meeting.

Reach out to info@jetaachicago.com to call in.

Platforms

President

Ella McCann

I am running for my third term as President because I believe I have demonstrated that I know what the organization is capable of and would like to continue to push it in that direction.

During my tenure, JETAA Chicago has done more outreach to the Japan community in Chicago, supported more Japan-related events, and made a positive impact while doing so. This has been one of my goals from the beginning and I hope to continue this effort.

I envision that I will continue to support the work of the officers on the board who have been able to engage alumni going out and coming back, attend events on behalf of JETAA Chicago, and promote our mission. I also want us to work on engaging our subchapters and the other chapters near us in the Midwest to prove that the Japan community is just as strong here as it is in on the coasts.

I envision that we will achieve the goals we set out for the next year including: engaging more alumni, building out our new website, interacting with the Japan-community and hosting the National Conference. I envision that JETAA Chicago will become a stronger presence in Chicago and that we will have more active alumni by the end of my third year.

Vice President

Tom Collins

When I first moved to Chicago, I joined JETAA Chicago to find an active group of fun JET alumni who were dedicated to engaging the Chicagoland and Midwest communities in Japanese cultural activities. During my very first meeting, 5 years ago, I volunteered to take on the role of Secretary, which was instrumental for me in feeling like Chicago was home. Over the next two years, I then became Vice President and President. Having taken a two-year break to complete a masters degree in International Education, I’d like to return to the board as I’d always planned to.

Now I come to you as a candidate for Vice President of the board of JETAA Chicago, returning to a role I am very familiar with. In addition to supporting our incumbent president and other board members to achieve their goals, I intend to:

• Expand the ways we are enable recent returnees to settle into their non-expat lives

• Seek ways to re-engage JETs that have been back for 10+ years

• Begin audio records of meetings to share with members who can’t attend

• Invite virtual guests from other JETAA chapters to join us in our meetings to learn from each other beyond the National Conference

• Liaise more closely with JETAA USA, USJETAA, and national AJET so that JETs currently on placement know to look us up when they return

• Implement a system of reflection and evaluation for events to encourage personal growth and ensure we’re holding the best possible events for our membership

I’m uniquely qualified for the role of Vice President. Having formerly served as both VP and President, I have a clear understanding of what support is most helpful for the President, fellow officers, and alumni. As we go into hosting the 2019 National Conference, my experience on the board and knowledge of the US-Japan community in Chicago can be especially useful.

In addition, I’m excited to bring my new experiences to the board. Through the role of VP I can support the continuation of already successful initiatives, and expand out new opportunities to engage less active members. I know I can impact our membership through coaching, supporting cross-cultural events, developing others, and connecting with JETAA chapters, to help keep our organization buoyed among the top JETAA chapters in the USA.

Highlights:

• As Secretary, I doubled webletter readership from ~15% to 30%.

• As Vice President, I trialed a review and reflection for board members with the intention of celebrating successes, supporting each other, and developing meaningful accountability.

• As President, I worked to expand our partnerships with local organizations, increased the transparency of board meetings, and started to break down the barriers between general members and the board.

• As a general member, I coached a former colleague to re-energize the Austin subchapter of JETAA Texoma.

• In my International Education Masters program, I researched second language acquisition, expatriate leadership, and motivations for individuals to remain in an international post beyond their initial contract, identifying ways to support them.

Lara (Zara) Espinoza

I am a strong candidate for Vice President because of my demonstrated history of service, my vision to build infrastructure and longevity within the organization and my long-term commitment to the success of JETAA Chicago. Over the past 5 years as Outreach Coordinator, I have focused my efforts on not only bringing new people into the organization but also re-engaging alumni from Chicagoland and surrounding states. Most substantially, I have led the creation, management and execution of the largest undertaking of our chapter: onboarding outgoing JETs in the Survival Series. This led to me presenting as an expert in membership engagement at the JETAA National Convention/JET 30th Anniversary, which gave nationwide recognition to our half-decade-long efforts. I have also built and maintained a strong relationship with the Consulate JET Coordinators, as I have consistently worked with them every year to recruit with school visits, present at conventions and at JET events.

As Vice President, I will expand the efforts I began as Outreach Coordinator and use my proven ability to build and grow relationships that empower alumni to become active and invest their time. I want to foster stronger alumni connections by:

• Engaging recent returnees, similar to our success with outgoing JETs

• Encouraging further inclusivity in our diverse Chicago alumni base and sub-chapters

• Maintaining and strengthening our relationships with the JET/Japanese community locally and in the Midwest
  

Similar to my outreach work, I plan on improving infrastructure and our organizational life span by streamlining internal communication through:

• The creation of officer manuals to clarify and encourage leadership efforts

• Supporting fellow board members in their duties and fulfilling short and long term goals

• Increased education on JET topics through promoting accessibility with our website, social media and information from our Consulate and community partners.
  

My Vice Presidency will empower people to take ownership of and have agency to make active contributions and grow as leaders. My goal is to leave a legacy focused on membership engagement that will secure the future of JETAA Chicago. My own long-term plan is to take my experience as JETAA Chicago's Vice President and step up into higher leadership roles as President and US Country Representative, where I can work to establish JETAA Chicago as the premier JETAA chapter in the US and worldwide.

Marketing Coordinator

Patrick Finn

Having spent two years as the Marketing Coordinator, I genuinely enjoy the work I have done and the people I have gotten to know. It can be challenging at times, but seeing the turnout to an event, participation on social media, and feedback to things like the newsletter make it all worthwhile. That is why I want to run again.

My goal the first year as Marketing Coordinator was to rebrand and strengthen JETAA Chicago’s visual identity across all platforms. The second year I focused on rebuilding the website and our social media presence. With those two accomplishments behind me, I want to make JETAA Chicago a platform for everyone to connect and share information.

The question I often ask myself when thinking of the upcoming term is, how can JETAA Chicago become more accessible to the public?

There has been talk of spreading our reach further in the suburbs and neighboring chapters. I want to make getting information out about activities and encouraging volunteers as easy as possible. Already in place are some forms on the website to help aid in community involvement. However, I want to establish stronger processes for them and make our community more aware that the tools they need to get an idea off the ground are available. The community is the greatest source of ideas we have and I envision the Marketing Coordinator as a facilitator.

Connectivity and community are my themes for the 2018-2019 term, with all officers working together to make them realities. We have the social infrastructure to reach out more than ever, so let us make the most of it!

Networking Coordinator

Julianne Medrano

I am the current networking coordinator and I would like to run again to continue to meet new alumni and work with Japanese organizations such as the Japan America Societies and the consulate to create new opportunities for alumni. This year I'm hoping to organize more networking events such as the upcoming meishi exchange in October.