JETAA Chicago Elections and Open Board Meeting tonight!

It is election time! Have your voice heard in the 2021 JETAA Chicago officer elections and join us tonight for our March Open Board Meeting!

The platforms submitted by the 2021 candidates can be reviewed here!

Sign up to receive your ballot here!

For those interested in participating in the election, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• You must be a member of JETAA Chicago and its subchapters, claiming residency in Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin, to vote. You will be asked to confirm your status when completing your ballot.

• All votes will be cast online using an electronic ballot. Sign up here to receive your ballot.

• Our elections are being monitored by an impartial third party from outside our chapter.

• You do not need to attend the OBM to vote.

• Voting will be open from 12:00PM CST until 7:30PM CST tonight. The incoming/continuing officers will be announced at the OBM after this time.

For details on each officer position, please see the descriptions at the end of this post.

If you have any questions about the process, contact us at info@jetaachicago.com. We look forward to seeing you soon!

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.

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

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

JET Career Development Workshop with Emily Frank - Workshop Topics

**Due to space limitations, this event is for JET alumni (those who have completed at least one year and/or are current living/working in Japan as official participants of the JET Program)**

Are you currently searching for a job, interested in making a career change, or trying to navigate pandemic hiring practices? Then this is the event for you! Attend JETAA Chicago’s 2021 JET Career Development Workshop on Sunday, February 28th at 2 pm CST to get guidance on building a path to career success.

Our keynote speaker for the 2021 Career Development Workshop will be Emily Frank, a fellow JET with over 10 years of experience in Career Counseling. Emily will be leading this workshop intended to give both advice and guidance on professional development to prepare for the post-pandemic world. The workshop will consist of multiple sessions based on a variety of topics over the course of two hours.

RSVP required via Guestlist: Sign up here!

Follow our social media channels - Facebook & Instagram @jetaachicago - and check back in to the Guestlist for updates.

The topics that will be discussed are as follows:

• Using social media for job searching/applying during a pandemic

• Advice/next steps if you were fired/let go from your previous job

• What should I be doing to prepare myself for jobs I want and what is the best use of my time job searching?

Following the topic-based sessions, we will also have breakout rooms towards the end, facilitated by JETAA Chicago, to encourage networking and to allow discussion regarding the presentation by Emily Frank. This will allow participants the ability to gain the most out of this event as possible.

Please join us for this free virtual workshop providing invaluable advice to help advance your career after JET!

*This event is for JET alumni only.

Questions? Contact us at info@jetaachicago.com

Get to Know Our Officers - Featuring Our Secretary, Jocelyn Russell!

JETAA Chicago officer elections are coming up on March 1st! In light of this, we wanted to take the time to shine a spotlight on our current officers (election term from November 2019 - March 2021) in order to get to know the people behind the headshots, and to learn more about what they do in their roles as officers. This will be an 8 part "Get to Know Our Officers" series in which we will highlight each officer leading up to the elections and come to know their motivations, values and legacy.

Last week we introduced our Philanthropy Coordinator, Sheila Burt, and our President, Gabriel Coronado. Next we would like to introduce our Secretary, Jocelyn Russell (she/her), who was an ALT in Gunma Prefecture from 2015-2019!

Tell us more about your JET experience.

JET for me was a journey that included finding my true self and my second family. After meeting and befriending so many amazing individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life, I now feel more comfortable with who I am and more driven to go the places I want to go. I learned that you can grow roots almost anywhere and feel like coming home, even when you're thousands of miles away from your "original" home. It was incredibly hard at times, but I wouldn't have traded the JET experience for anything else!

When did you join/how long have you been on the JETAA Board? What positions have you held?

Secretary since Nov. 2019

What inspired you to step up as a leader and join the JETAA Chicago Board?

Coming back from JET can be a grueling experience and lonely at times. Having those feelings during the COVID pandemic then can amplify them tenfold. That was me about a year post-JET and in an effort to calm some of those feelings, I signed up to attend an open board meeting. Right away, I felt so warmly welcomed that I knew I had found a sort of remedy to my post-JET blues. I joined the JETAA Chicago board so I can help other JET alumni in similar positions to my own. I want to show them that the JET experience can continue even and that all alumni are welcome in our community in any capacity, at any time.

Describe your officer duties and what you have enjoyed about said duties.

During my time as Secretary, I've worked at properly documenting and organizing JETAA Chicago material, particularly in the virtual space, since the COVID pandemic. Moving forward, I'm excited to be implementing my data analytic skills learned in my new career to collect, organize, and present data about the JETAA Chicago community and the events we put on.

What could be a healthy and/or needed culture add to JETAA Chicago?

I would like to see a bigger shift towards career advancement for JETAA Chicago members with focus on newly returned JETs and JET alumni who are making big career changes. It would be nice to have someone on the board who is solely dedicated to helping JET alumni network, get career advice they need, and connect them to jobs across the country.

What is one highlight, accomplishment, and/or something you're proud to have been a part of during your time serving as an officer?

I'm very proud of helping organize and host JETAA Chicago's first "Fold 'n Sip" virtual origami event, late in July of 2019. Inspired by my local "paint 'n sip" shop and frustrated that I couldn't easily go there anymore, I wanted to help curate a casual craft event for JET alumni while also incorporating those "natsukashii" feelings we all have while reminiscing about our time in Japan. I think most JETs would agree that origami was something they did more times than they can count; either at a welcome event, an international picnic, or with their students. For me, when I fold origami, I go back to those times and feel at peace.

With the support of the entire board (and in particular, our Activities Coordinator, Cassie Conrad), we planned and put on a virtual origami night featuring beverages, if participants wished to drink. We folded 3 origami (jumping frog, ninja star, and paper crane) and ended the night with a race to see who could fold a paper crane the fastest. To encourage reusing and recycling, we requested that participants use scrap paper, cut down to the size of regular origami paper.

We had about 20 people participate, including some very experienced origami folders, who were kind enough to share their own creations and advice on how to improve our folding skills. It was an excellent evening and I'm looking forward to the next one we can do (virtually or in-person)!

For you, what sparks joy?

- Conversations where time is just forgotten

- An early morning run in late-spring, just as the sun is rising

- Japanese shrines and temples

- A good book and tea on a rainy day

- Microbreweries

What is your favorite Japanese "thing" near where you live now (and/or in the Midwest)?

The Midwest has a lot to offer that reminds me of Japan, but I think my favorite of them all is Sawada Coffee in Chicago. Founded and owned by Hiroshi Sawada, a champion latte artist, this coffee shop reminds me of all the weekends where I'd travel across the Kanto region with my JET friends looking for local coffee shops. I definitely recommend checking this café out! Please try their "military latte"!

Connect with Jocelyn via email or LinkedIn, or Instagram and Twitter @russ_jocelyn!