To all members of Busan-Gyeongnam KOTESOL Chapter:
It's time to choose a new Bg Chapter Council! All Busan-Gyeongnam KOTESOL members are invited to consider a position, and encouraged to vote in our election. If you have ideas for our chapter (and the time and energy to implement them), please step up!
To apply for a chapter council position, fill out the form in the link below. All chapter council nominees should provide a paragraph about their vision for the chapter in the coming year. The Candidates' statements will be posted on the KOTESOL website as they become available. We'll be taking nominations until November 7 and voting online from November 8-15. The results of the election will be announced at our chapter meeting on Saturday, November 16. After the announcement, we will have a planning meeting to discuss our chapter goals for 2019/2020, followed by a dinner. [Location TBA.]
Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1qE6dF4_jY_PZtbN-_ebmLriMBniM3qZu76oOMTlwjl34Zw/viewform
* Nominees must be current members of KOTESOL (and must plan to continue to be members of KOTESOL for the duration of their term as facilitator). If their membership expires and is not renewed during their term as facilitator, they become ineligible for the position.
*To vote, please ensure also that your membership is current, and that the email you use to register to vote matches up with the email on file in your KOTESOL membership account.
Descriptions of the Council Positions:
Chapter President -
• Chairs the regional conference, organizes chapter meetings and arranges speakers
• Files reports to the National Council (about 3 times a year)
• Delegates duties in order to help meetings run smoothly
• Attends National Council meetings (about 3 times a year)
• Serves as the liaison between the National Council and the local chapter
Chapter Vice President -
• Assists the president with the conference and with running meetings
• Assists in arranging speakers
• Can go in place of the president to National Council meetings
Treasurer -
• Maintains the bank account of the organization
• Helps arrange funds for the snacks and membership events
• Fills out quarterly reports to securing funding from the national organization
Secretary -
• Creates and maintains the events on the KOTESOL Facebook page
• Publishes the Busan-Gyeongnam KOTESOL newsletter
Webmaster -
• Uploads news and events, and maintains the KOTESOL website
Membership Officer -
• Keeps a record of attendance for the chapter meetings
• Helps recruit new members
• Organizes social events
• Helps to retain current members
Officer(s) at Large- *
• Act in an advisory capacity for all matters of the chapter
• Help with events and assist the executive team
*If other positions have been filled, we may have several Officers at Large on the executive board.
Past Chapter President-
• Previously served as a Chapter President
• Acts in an advisory capacity for all matters of the chapter
• Helps with events and assists the executive team
All of our executive team are encouraged to promote events, upload photos, pictures and videos of events to our media pages, and assist each other in our roles.
Meeting Location:
For our election/planning meeting, we have reserved a business conference room at Dawn Beach Hotel at Gwangan. It is nearest to the Geumrongsan Subway Station, exit 1.
[Naver Map]
Geumnyeonsan Station Busan Line No.2 → Dawn Beach Hotel (Walking) http://naver.me/5wCEPQvh
NOMINEES:
Chapter President -
Sunil Mahtani
I’ve only been a member of KOTESOL for a little over a year, but it has been one of the most exciting years of my over-ten-year stay in Korea. As chapter Vice-President, I worked closely with our President and council to organize and implement a successful regional conference at a new venue, my workplace of Kyungnam University in Changwon-Masan. With 20 well-run presentations/workshops and a panel discussion, our environmentally friendly professional development conference was widely applauded by not only attendees, but the KOTESOL community at large. I also enjoyed organizing and taking part in social events during the year, and working with the National Publicity Chair as a Publicity Manager for the recent International Conference in Seoul. Big things are happening for our chapter, including the hosting of KOTESOL’s National Conference in April 2020 which will undoubtedly put us on the map if early signs of the passion people have for this event is any indication. What I’m truly interested in is providing our members with a platform to shine on, assisting them in achieving their professional and personal goals, and helping to add reasonable voices to the dialogue on all social justice issues as they pertain to our classrooms. I look forward to sharing ideas with our members at chapter meetings, social events, our National Conference and other events across the country. One thing I’ve learned over the past year is that even if each one of us on our own is very good, together we are an unstoppable snowball of greatness. Let’s help each other be that!
Chapter Vice President -
Stephanie Downey:
I have been a member of KOTESOL off and on for the last 20 years. Last year, realizing that my two daughters were growing up and didn't need me so much anymore, I decided to become active in KOTESOL again. Since then I worked closely with Rhea and Sunil to host the Chapter Conference at Kyungnam University and presented both there and at the International Conference in Seoul. I strongly believe that the Busan-Gyeongnam Chapter of KOTESOL could play a more significant role in professional development in our region of the country, and I would be interested in working on membership outreach, professional networking, and cooperation with local Offices of Education throughout our chapter area. Since the university where I work will also be hosting the 2020 National Conference, I would be happy to assist in any way I could to make sure this event is a huge success.
Treasurer -
Nicole Domay:
As I have experience as a treasurer, I would like to continue on in this role and to grow my skill set in this area. I have demonstrated the ability to fill my responsibilities satisfactorily and have been an active member in the executive board. I would be grateful to have another opportunity in this next year to continue on as treasurer. Thank you!
Secretary -
Daniel Earl Jones:
I've been a member of KOTESOL for several years now, and I have been wanting to take a more interactive role in the English language teaching community. That’s why I initially signed up to be an officer-at-large in KOTESOL, as I wanted to get a feel for whether doing so would be right for me. Several of my colleagues at KOTESOL recommended that I serve as secretary. I try to devote myself to 100% to whatever I do. My greatest fear in life is for people to be dissatisfied with my work or to dislike the results of whatever my responsibilities are. If I serve as secretary, I’ll do my best to make sure that whatever responsibilities I have will be done swiftly and accurately. Thank you for your consideration!
Webmaster -
Brittany Cardamone:
The experience and development I've gained through KOTESOL is invaluable, and I'd like to help support/give back to the KOTESOL community. As the webmaster, I will ensure that our website is up to date with our recent events and news so that our members and community stay informed about the happenings of the Busan-Gyeongnam KOTESOL chapter. I have background in filmmaking and Photoshop and would love to use those skills in some way to support the chapter, possibly to help advertise and document our chapter meetings.
Membership Officer -
Anika Casem:
I would like to join the executive board because I am interested in being more involved with the Busan-Gyeongnam chapter. I have been involved off and on with TESOL through the years. First through COTESOL (Colorado, USA) and then joining KOTESOL not long after coming to South Korea. I was a part of the Gwangju chapter and attended a few meetings and conferences. Since moving to Ulsan I have had more time to be involved and joining up with this chapter has been very rewarding. Since joining I have presented at our 2019 regional conference and attended the KOTESOL International Conference. Later this month, I will present at the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Regional Conference and in December I will be a member of a panel representing KOTESOL at a conference for the Asian Association of Women's Studies. I would never have had these opportunities if I had not joined our chapter. I would like to take the next step of involvement and take up a role where I can help offer opportunities to other teachers, make them aware of how they can improve, train, share, and contribute to our field if they chose to, and to help change preconceived notions surrounding KOTESOL. If I can attain something like that, big or small, I will feel like I have accomplished something (even though I really have my fingers crossed for big feats as opposed to small).
Officer at Large-
Minji Kim:
As I have been a member of Busan-Gyeongnam Kotesol for several years, an Executive Council Officer from 2017, and Co-founder of the Women and Gender Equality SIG started in 2019. I have witnessed the group grow more resourceful and organized. I am proud to be a part of the growth. As an Officer at Large in 2020 committee, I will help the board organize group meetings and the national conference and try to invite new teachers, especially Korean English teachers, who could give diverse views and insights on English education in Korea.
Past Chapter President-
Rhea Metituk:
I joined KOTESOL in November 2017, and after my first meeting, was elected Secretary. I highly recommend the "dive-right-in" approach! In 2018-2019, I served as Busan Chapter President and thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this thriving community. I was Financial Affairs Chair on the national council from 2018-2019, and represented KOTESOL this year at the 2019 MELTA ELT conference in Malaysian Borneo. Now my role on the national council is as the 2nd Vice President, looking after the needs of KOTESOL SIGS [Special Interest Groups] and in charge of organizing our yearly leadership retreat, this year branded as the Team Building and Connections Day [please sign up! Registered members will have their travel expenses reimbursed. https://koreatesol.org/content/2019-team-building-and-connections-day ] There are exponential opportunities within the organization for people interested in professional development. KOTESOL has been a blessing involving greatly expanding my skill-set and network, and inspiration for teaching. In this position on the Busan council for which I am currently submitting my nomination, I wish to assist new council members and be present as a resource to support the emerging leadership.
