Over the last several months, the Membership Committee has posted an article in The Wine Press calling on members who have an interest in running for a OCWS Board seat to do so.

The What. In recent articles, we have outlined the overall time commitment, possession of certain skills and experience, and seeking individuals who are innovative, open-minded, results oriented, and problem solvers. All of these requirements are not unique, and most of us possess them.

We want you to seriously consider, and encourage you, to run for a seat on the OCWS Board!

The Why. As we see it, there are four major benefits of serving on the Board:

1. You play a key role in strategizing. When you serve on the Board, you have the honor, challenge, and responsibility of understanding how everything needs to work together to accomplish the OCWS’ goals and mission. It’s invigorating.

2. Giving of your time and talents, it’s really important, but also incredibly rewarding.

3. Your voice is heard, and it has an impact. And you will hear the impactful voices of other members, too.

4. Like most everything else in life, you find that you get what you give. You will care more than you thought you could, and as you grow into your role on the Board, you will contribute more. “To contribute to something is meaningful . . . to allow something meaningful to contribute to you.” It certainly does work both ways!

The Who. 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. We have two members that cannot run again so two positions will need to be filled by new members.

The When. Time is running out as we are approaching the deadline of receiving your written Declaration of Candidacy statement which is due no later than August 28th. 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.

The Where. During the Annual Business Meeting, you will have the opportunity to present yourself 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.

The How. 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. I can be reached at 714.388.8803 or at Greg@ocws.org.  

-Greg Hagadorn, 2020 Election Chair

Leslie Brown & Jolen Zeroski,
2020 Election Committee Members

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