Category: BOD Election

OCWS Board of Directors Elections: Last Call. Don’t Wait. Declare.

Post author By Wendy Taylor
Post date July 24, 2017

Declare early and take advantage of the opportunity to introduce yourself to the OCWS members volunteering at The Courtyard during the Fair! The Courtyard offers a unique venue for members to gather before and after shifts or to simply stop in and enjoy a glass of wine. Take advantage of getting some valuable “face time” with members to discuss your qualifications and desire to be considered for the Board.

Declare now, don’t wait until the filing deadline. Put yourself in front of your photo and written statement in an informal, relaxed and friendly setting.

Commitment. The overall time commitment for a member of the Board of Director varies, based on assignments and participation. All Board Members are expected to attend the monthly Board Meetings. Board members are also expected to organize or act as liaison for certain events and projects as assigned by the President. These responsibilities will generally require several hours per month of your time. Additionally, Board Members are expected to attend as many OCWS events as possible and are granted free attendance at most events for their participation.

Skills and experience a candidate should possess, but not be limited to, are:

A general knowledge of OCWS events and activities
Experience as a volunteer in some events; involvement with event committees
The ability and time to organize events during the year
Experience in selected events and budget management
Be a member in good standing

Submission and Deadline. To declare your candidacy for a position on the Board, the candidate must present their Declaration of Candidacy in writing, by mail or via electronic media to the Election Chair no later than fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the scheduled Annual Business Meeting. The last date to declare candidacy for this year’s election is the hard date of Friday, August 25, 2017.

During the Annual Business Meeting, you will have the opportunity to speak to the membership and present your qualifications. A written Statement of Qualifications must be presented to the Election Committee no later than five (5) calendar days after your Declaration of Candidacy.

Questions, Reach Out. If being an OCWS leader interests you, feel free to contact Greg Hagadorn with any questions related to Director responsibilities, the election process or other matters related to the election. Greg can be reached at 714.388.8803 or at Greg@ocws.org. Involvement as a Director of the OCWS can be both personally and professionally rewarding.

Candidate Statements. As candidates declare their candidacy in accordance with election protocols, their photo and statement will be uploaded on to the OCWS website for your review and consideration. BOD Candidate Statements can be accessed on the OCWS website either at About>Our Organization or at the link on the landing page at ocws.org. Please be sure to visit the site frequently.

– Greg Hagadorn, 2017 Election Chair

BOD Election

2017 Board of Director Elections: Electronic Voting is Here

Post author By Wendy Taylor
Post date July 24, 2017

As you know from articles that have been published in The Wine Press, the Board of Directors has been investigating electronic voting. At its last meeting, the Board approved electronic voting for the 2017 Board of Director elections using a company called eBallot.com.

From a cost perspective, electronic voting and hard copy “snail mail” voting are about a push. Studies have shown electronic voting usually increases the participation in the voting process because it only takes a few minutes and requires a few clicks of the mouse. Getting more members to vote should be viewed as a positive. In addition, it is totally anonymous and the results are available within minutes after the ballot period ends.

Here is how it will work:

1. If you have a single membership and what appears on the surface to be a valid email address, you will receive an electronic ballot. If you do not have what appears to be a valid email address (i.e., your email address of record begins with “fake….”), you will receive a hard copy ballot which you must complete and return. Your ballot must be received by the Chair of the Election Committee no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, September 29.

2. If you have a dual membership with only one email address that appears on the surface to be valid, two email ballots will be sent to that single email address, one addressed to each member. Each ballot will have its own unique log in and password.

If you have a dual membership with what appears on the surface to be a valid email

address for each member, each member will receive his or her email ballot, each with a unique log in and password.

4. If you have a dual membership with what does not appear on the surface to be a valid email address for either member, a hard copy ballot will be mailed to each member each of which will have to be received by the Chair of the Election Committee no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, September 29.

The OCWS is not responsible for bounced email addresses any more than it is responsible for returned hard copy ballots received after the voting deadline. OCWS members manage their own profile and are responsible to insure their email address is accurate.

Here is how the email ballot will work:

You will receive an email ballot from eBallot.com identifying it as being the OCWS ballot. It will have a link to the eBallot.com OCWS portal with a log in and password. Click on the link, enter your log in and password and you will be presented with a list of candidates, their picture and candidate statement. You can then proceed to vote for up to three candidates. Vote for the candidates of your choice, then close your ballot. You will not be able to vote a second time or change your vote. This is no different than using a hard copy ballot. Once you mail or deliver your ballot, it cannot be changed.

Shortly after 5:00 pm on Friday, September 29, the Chair of the Elections Committee will receive a notification from eBallot.com indicating the number of votes cast for each candidate.

I want to emphasize that electronic voting will only be used if there are more than three members who have filed a Declaration of Candidacy within the prescribed period.

We will be submitting the database of qualified members to eBallot.com by Friday, August 25. Between now and then, I encourage you to open your online profile and confirm your email address (and that of your co-member if a dual membership) is correct.

– Jim Beard, President

BOD Election Members Corner

OCWS Board of Directors: Call for Candidates

Post author By Wendy Taylor
Post date July 10, 2017

See current Candidate Statements.

Have you thought about getting more involved with the OCWS outside of volunteering for or attending various OCWS-related events? Have you thought about where the direction of the OCWS is headed in the next 5 to 10 years? Would you like to be a part of navigating the OCWS into the future? If you are innovative, open-minded, possess good interpersonal skills, are results oriented and a problem solver, then a position as a Director of the OCWS just might be right for you.

The beginning of a three-year term of the nine members of the Board of Directors, according to the Bylaws, shall be staggered such that three members’ terms will expire each year. The three vacated Board positions will be filled each year by a vote of the OCWS membership, following the Annual Business meeting in September.

The overall time commitment for a member of the Board of Director varies, based on assignments and participation. All Board Members are expected to attend the monthly Board Meetings. Board members are also expected to organize and manage certain events and projects as assigned by the President. These responsibilities will generally require several hours per month of your time. Additionally, Board Members are expected to attend as many OCWS events as possible and are granted free attendance at most events for their participation.

It is not a one size fits all mentality that makes a successful Board Member. It is the ability to accept an exchange of differing ideas and a combination of differing skills that has been the culture, legacy and success of the OCWS.

A candidate should possess some of the following skills and experience as well:

General knowledge of OCWS events and activities
Experience as a volunteer in some events; involvement with event committees
The ability and time to organize events during the year
Selected event and budget management skills
Be a member in good standing

To declare your candidacy for a position on the Board, the candidate must present their Declaration of Candidacy in writing, by mail or via electronic media to the Election Chair no later than fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the scheduled Annual Business Meeting. The last date to declare candidacy for this year’s election is Friday, August 25, 2017.

During the Annual Business Meeting, you will have the opportunity to speak to the membership and present your qualifications. A written Statement of Qualifications must be presented to the Election Committee no later than five (5) calendar days after your Declaration of Candidacy.

If being an OCWS leader interests you, feel free to contact Greg Hagadorn with any questions related to director responsibilities, the election process, or anything related to the election. Greg can be reached at Greg@ocws.org. Involvement as a Director of the OCWS can be both personally and professionally rewarding.

– Greg Hagadorn, 2017 Election Chair