Michael Bullington, Candidate for Council

Professional Experience: Senior Archives Manager, McDonald’s Corporation, 2005 to the present; Assistant Archives Manager, Kraft Foods, Inc., 1997‒2005; Archivist, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, 1990‒1997; Project Archivist, Kraft, Inc., 1987‒1990.

Education: MS in History, Illinois State University, 1989; BS in History, Illinois State University, 1983.

Professional Activities: Society of American Archivists: Chicago Host Committee Co-Chair 2011, Local Arrangements Committee, 2007; Business Archives Section Chair, 2003, Business Section Vice President at Large, 2007‒2008.  Academy of Certified Archivists: President, 2009; ACA Board of Regents, 2008‒2011. Midwest Archives Conference: Local Arrangements Committee Co-chair, 1997; Local Arrangements Committee, 1992‒1995; Program Committee Co-Chair, 1999; Member, 1991; Archives Committee Chair, 1995‒2003. Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board/Illinois State Records Advisory Board, Chair, 2005‒2007; Member, 2001‒2007. University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library State/ Archives Administration of China 2011 Delegation, Member.

Publications: Les 20 ans de l’ Academy of Certified Archivists: historie d’un engagement. La Gazette Des Archives No. 218 Anniee 2010‒2. Association Des Archivistes Francais.

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Questions posed by the Nominating Committee: Taking into account SAA’s strategic priorities, in which specific initiatives would you take a leadership role? How would you go about implementing these given the competing priorities of the organization while remaining responsive to members and their needs?

SAA members are well served by the FY 2010‒FY 2014 Three Strategic Priorities. I believe that they are interdependent and interrelated. Our profession and society as a whole would greatly be enhanced should they be accomplished. For me, a successful outcome of Strategic Priority #3 Public Awareness/Advocacy will determine if we are able to achieve the two other priorities.

If elected, I would seek the following leadership opportunities in initiatives in Priority #3: develop action plans associated with each issue in the legislative agenda that are most likely to lead to accomplishment; work with members and public relations counsel to determine a method or methods for measuring the impact of archives and work with members and the public relations counsel to develop and implement a modest public relations campaign.

In my current role as the McDonald’s Archivist, I am frequently involved with my corporate relations colleagues on projects that present our brand to the public. Past leadership roles in a national professional association and state archives board have honed my management skills. These opportunities have provided me with valuable experience for me to call on hold should I be elected and called to serve in the leadership roles I identified above.

The resources of time, talent and treasure are not limitless for SAA. I believe there are areas in each priority that are complimentary to each other: for example the Diversity priority lists outreach initiatives that would benefit from the initiatives that I hope to lead. I would also seek to identify, solicit and acquire resources outside of SAA to assist me in accomplishing the initiatives placed under my jurisdiction. We must continue to identify new solutions to achieve our desired results.