John "Jac" Treanor, Candidate for Council

Employment History: Vice Chancellor for Archives and Records, Archdiocese of Chicago, 1986+. Curator, Massachusetts State Archives, 1984–1986. Assistant Archivist, Archdiocese of Boston, 1982–1984.

Education: MA, History and Archival Methods, University of Massachusetts/Boston, 1982. BA, History, University of Massachusetts/Boston, 1980.

Professional Associations: Society of American Archivists: Member, 1982+; Program Committee, 1989; Program Participant, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2008; ARMA-SAA Joint Committee on Archives and Records Management, 1990–1996, Chair 1992–1996; Nominating Committee, 2003; Spotlight Awards Committee, 2005–2009; Certified Archivist since 1989; Distinguished Fellow, 2005. Association of Records Managers and Administrators: Member 1986+; Program Participant, 1998, 2000, 2001; Certified Records Manager since 1996. International Council on Archives: Member 1994+; Program Participant, 2004; Executive Committee for the section on Religious Faith Traditions 2011+. Midwest Archives Conference: Member, 1986+; Council 1989–1992; Program Participant, 1987–1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006. New England Archivists: Member, 1982+, Program Committee, 1985. Chicago Area Archivists: 1986+. Association of Catholic Diocesan Archivists: Member, 1982+; Executive Board, 1989–1991; Vice President 1991–1993; President 1993–1995; Treasurer 1997–2010.

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Question posed by Nominating Committee: SAA is not only growing in numbers, but also in constituencies—students and new professionals, diverse communities, emerging functional needs—all clamoring to be recognized and have specific needs addressed.  What challenges are posed for the association and how do we best address them?

SAA has reached a new milestone in membership levels. We see our membership expanding into additional disciplines, all with different focuses and needs for professional development. SAA is becoming a “big tent” which needs to serve manuscript curators as well as enterprise-wide information content managers.

These are challenging times for archivists. Archivists find their resources shrinking, some archival programs severely downsized or outright eliminated, and professional opportunities curtailed. Our very identity is being threatened as organizations rely on IT and imaging vendors to make decisions about electronic records management and digital asset management without the benefit of our expertise.

The leadership of SAA has laid out a clear set of priorities for FY 2010–2014. I believe that public awareness/advocacy is the most critical and elusive of these priorities. Our profession’s advocacy efforts should not be limited to the general public but also to our resource allocators. We need to identify successful advocacy efforts within our own programs, develop models, and offer training to SAA members on how to be successful making their archives critical to the day to day operations of their organizations.

SAA has made great strides toward achieving its strategic technology objectives. The Digital Archives Specialist Curriculum and Certificate Program is providing much needed technology training and SAA now utilizes a broad array of technology tools for communication and services.

If elected to Council I will work with my colleagues to advance our strategic objectives, refine our priorities, and meet the diverse needs of our membership. With over thirty years of experience as an Archivist and Records Manager in both the not-for-profit and government arena, I will work diligently to increase diversity within our profession, enhance our advocacy goals and manage our resources in a responsible manner.