The voting on issues in front of the Tar Heel Branch for 2012 is beginning and will close on March 29. Results will be announced at the branch annual meeting on March 31.

Talking points on the resolution were also sent to the list. If you need a copy of those, please check the list archives or contact info@tarheel.aauwnc.org.

A valid election requires a vote from at least 20% of the branch members. As of February 28, there are 124 members, so that requirement will be met if 25 members vote.

Branch members as of Feb. 28 will receive a link to an online ballot by email. Those members who do not use email will be contacted by US Mail, phone, or personal visit about this ballot.

In all cases, the ballot will give “yes/no/abstain” options.

Motion

Here is the text of the resolution opposing the Defense of Marriage amendment that will be on the ballot in the May 8, 2012 North Carolina primary.

Resolution against 2012 NC Amendment One

This was sent to the branch email list for comments or amendments. No one proposed any changes to this text.

Branch members may vote Yes/No/Abstain to pass the resolution. The abstention option might appeal to those who live out of state and haven’t been following the press on the details of the North Carolina amendment. However, nothing in our bylaws prevents such members from voting on this issue and offering their guidance as AAUW members to North Carolinians. Six of our 124 members have addresses outside of NC.

If the resolution passes, members may refer to the position of the branch when discussing the amendment.

If the resolution fails to pass, members cannot cite this as evidence that the branch supports the amendment since that would be contrary to a national position on the issue.

Candidates for branch board

The candidates for election of Tar Heel Branch officers of the Tar Heel Branch  are listed below. Members will vote for one candidate for president, one candidate for treasurer, and up to seven candidates for director-at-large. Write-in candidates are allowed as long as the consent of the candidate has been received in advance. Candidates receiving a majority of the votes cast shall be elected.

Thanks to the 2012 nominating committee: Mari Pino del Rosario and Doris Bernlohr.

Candidate for President: Nancy Shoemaker

Nancy joined AAUW in 1993 and AAUW NC in 1996. She co-founded the Tar Heel Branch as a model to serve AAUW members in North Carolina who wanted a connection to AAUW NC but for whom community-based branches either weren’t an option or weren’t a good fit. She has served the branch as treasurer and web manager and (since July 1, 2011) as president. She is also currently serving on the AAUW Leadership Corps, primarily to help other states understand what we’ve accomplished here with the Tar Heel Branch.

She hopes to lead this branch through another year of growth, solidifying its processes and improving the ways it supports its members in advancing the AAUW mission. Her academic background is in mathematics, her professional life has been spent in a variety of computer support/consulting roles. She also serves on the NC Women United board. She lives in Wake County with her husband.

Candidate for Treasurer: Lyndee Champion Ivey

Lyndee is a native of North Carolina and lived in the Raleigh/Durham area until 2001 when she moved to Charlotte. She attended Duke University and was employed there for 13 years working in graduate student affairs. While living in Durham she was an active volunteer and instructor for the American Red Cross in Health and Safety Services and Disaster Relief. She is now employed at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte as an Executive Assistant to the Provost.

Prior to college Lyndee enlisted in the US Army Reserves where she met her husband, David. She and her husband have one son, Joshua who is six and keeps them both very busy. Lyndee enjoys writing poetry, listening to music, and riding motorcycles with her husband.

She has been serving as branch treasurer since July 1, 2011.

Candidates for Director at Large:

Mari Pino del Rosario

Mari Pino del Rosario was born and raised in Gran Canaria, Spain. She studied music in Germany where she met her husband, pianist John Salmon. John and Mari Pino are the proud parents of twin daughters who attend public school in Guilford County. Mari Pino holds the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin and the PhD in Spanish from Florida State University. She has been teaching at Greensboro College since 1990. Her interests include women’s and film studies, literature, and language. Right now Mari Pino is concerned that federal, state, and local governments will jeopardize viably educating next generations in an attempt to reduce the deficit or balance the budget. She has served on the branch board since July 1, 2010.

Grace Knechtel

Grace has been a member of AAUW for about 35 years. She held positions in the Syracuse, NY branch as president, program vice president, and newsletter editor. While in New York, she served the AAUW NYS as Region III director, membership coordinator and community representative. Grace was elected to two terms on the AAUW NY board as state secretary. In the brief time Grace lived in Charleston, SC, she was elected branch program VP. She has served the Raleigh branch as treasurer twice and has worked as a director on the governing council. She was elected as AAUW NC state program vice president 2001-2003. Grace has also served as nominating committee chair for both AAUW NC and the Tar Heel Branch. She was first elected to the branch board for 2011-2012 and has served as its fundraising chair.

Monique Stamps

Monique is one of the two North Carolina representatives to the Vision 2020 program of Drexel University whose goal is to make equality a national priority through the shared leadership among women and men.  A 2012 priority of the program is She Rocks the Vote to encourage women to vote and to be engaged in the political process.

Since 2004 she has worked as a Peer Advocate at Disability Rights & Resources in Charlotte, N.C.  She serves a the chairperson of the Gaston County Advocacy Council for People with Disabilities, a monthly advocacy meeting bringing together policymakers, municipal representatives, and people with disabilities.

Stamps has a B.S. from Winthrop University in Social Work, and is also a member of the AAUW Charlotte branch. She lives in Charlotte with her daughter, Camryn, and son, Jordan: Her children are what drive her to remain a woman who is steadfast, confident, strong, and creative.

Cheryl Waters-Tormey

Cheryl is a new member to AAUW.  She is a North Carolina native, and attended Duke University as an undergraduate and UNC for her MS.  She has been on the faculty at Western Carolina since receiving her PhD in structural geology in 2004. She is in her second year as Vice Chair of the Faculty.  She is excited to represent WCU in AAUW NC and the Tar Heel Branch.

Carol Zellen

Carol is a life member of AAUW.  She has been a member for thirty-eight years. She is currently a member of the Chapel Hill Branch and a dual member of the Tar Heel Branch.  Prior to her move to Cary two years ago, she was a member of the Palos-Orland Branch in Illinois.  She served as President, Program Chair and Topic Chair. Carol was also active on the Illinois State Board where she was Topic Chair and Publicity Chair.  In 1989-1990 and 2000-2001, Carol was honored with two named gifts to the Educational Foundation. She also served as founding board member of a shelter for domestic violence victims and their children for thirty years.  The shelter was a product of an EFP grant received during her presidency.Carol is also a licensed multi-engine and instrument pilot and ground school instructor. Carol was also a participant in the teacher in space program. She earned her BA at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin and her MA at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.