In accordance with the by-laws of Belfast Senior College, Jim Owen, Chair of the Nominating Committee is pleased to present this report of the Nominating Committee. He urges you to review the slate of nominees and to affirm the slate at the Annual Meeting (again on Zoom) on September 30 at 12 noon.
After conferring with Senior College members, members of the Board, and actively looking for folks willing serve on the Senior College Board, the Nominating Committee met for the fourth and final time on June 14. Despite a fraught time of Covid, social distancing and isolation, Zoom and online living, we found able volunteers willing to serve. Here is our slate of applicants, old and new, who have volunteered to serve on the Board. All the new prospects have completed applications and have talked with one or more Committee members. We believe they will bring skills, talent and energy to the Board consistent with our past Boards. We have recommended them all to the Board and ask that the membership support these folks and give their approval at the annual meeting.
The following Senior College members who have completed terms have agreed to serve another term:
- Al Arthur
- Nancy Perkins
- Ron Jarvella
The following Senior College members are willing to serve the College as Board members for the first time:
- Robert Adler
- Marjorie Arnett
- Mayo Bullock
- Doug Chamberlin
- Richard Koralek
- Brian Richardson
Here is a brief introduction to each of these volunteers.
Those willing to serve again:
Al Arthur: Al has years of technological experience helping Senior College faculty and Board Members with everything from registration of students, to dealing with technologies necessary for teaching. He has a serious grasp of technology and the patience of Job.
Ron Jarvella: Ron is a long term Senior College member, has taught a number of courses, and has served with the Special Event Committee. He is one of our connections with Penobscot Shores.
Nancy Perkins: Nancy is currently president of the Board, and has helped steer us through the challenges of Covid, through our shift to Zoom classes, and through a confusing time of dramatic budget changes. She loves both teaching and taking Senior College classes. Nobody can outwork her.
Those willing to join the Board for the first time:
Robert Adler: Robert has taken multiple Senior College classes. Since retiring from a corporate life, he has been on several local boards, most recently the Board of the Belfast Free Library. He now consults with non-profits about such things as marketing, fundraising, and governance issues. He has an advanced degree in education.
Marjorie Arnett: Marjorie is an artist, poet, a published playwright, and an experienced educator. She is a former Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Indiana University. She has taken Senior College classes and despite her working in places like Italy and Zagreb, Croatia she is committed to Belfast. Covid restrictions kept her from teaching a class last Fall.
Mayo Bullock: Mayo is a former Director of Educational Enhancement Programs at Case Western University. In that position she helped create a Saturday College that functioned much like a Senior College. She has been taking classes with our College for six years and has served on the Marketing Committee. She is also an active volunteer with several Searsport organizations, including being a Board member of the town library.
Doug Chamberlin: In the past Doug started his own company, has served on several community boards, and been a member of governmental committees. He has taken Senior College classes and taught three of them. Like Al, he is more comfortable with computers and technology than most of us.
Richard Koralek: Richard is a semi-retired electrical engineer with a PhD and experience as a college professor. He typically takes one or two classes from Senior College per semester. He recently completed a term as president of Belfast’s Rotary Club and helped guide them through Covid adjustments like ours, including embracing Zoom.
Brian Richardson: Brian is a retired engineer and has served as a trustee of the Winterport Water District. He has been an active Senior College member for over five years, has taken several classes, and was going to teach a Musicology class face-to-face this past Fall until Covid made that impossible.
I want to thank each of the Nominating Committee members for their efforts; Barney Lutsk, Mary Rackmales, Paul Sheridan, Rebecca Jessup, Martha Laitin, Nancy Perkins, and Brenda Smith. As a Committee we learned a lot about the challenges of recruiting volunteers to serve on the Board. We are grateful for the folks who have come forward and are willing to serve us all.
Read More
