Jamie Martin, Candidate for Nominating Committee

Professional Experience: IBM Corporate Archivist, IBM Corporation, 2014–present. Adjunct Professor Archivist, St. Cloud State University, 2014. Senior Corporate Archivist, Target Corporation, 2006–2013. Project Archivist, James Ford Bell Library, University of Minnesota, 2006. Graduate Assistant, Ade Bethune Collection, University of St. Catherine, 2005.

Education: MLIS, Dominican University. BA, Geography, University of Minnesota.

Professional Activities: Society of American Archivists: Vice-chair, Business Archives Section, 2015–2016; Secretary, Business Archives Section, 2013–2014; Minnesota Key Contact, Membership Committee, 2012–2014. Midwest Archives Conference: 2011 Local Arrangements Committee, 2010–2011. Twin Cities Archives Round Table: Secretary, 2009–2013; Co-founder, Minnesota Archives Symposium, 2011. Other Organizational Leadership Positions: Archives Leadership Institute, 2013.

Presentations: “Dancing to a New Tune: Managing Your Career in the Archives Profession,” at Society of American Archivists, 2015. “Advocating Within: Demonstrating the Value of Archives and Archivists,” at Minnesota Archives Symposium, 2013. “Donor Relations: Building Collections One Relationship at a Time,” at Midwest Archives Conference, 2013. “Expanding Our Reach: Building International Collections and Global Relationships,” at Society of American Archivists, 2012. “I Didn't Know We Had An Archives!” at Midwest Archives Conference, 2011.

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Question posed by Nominating Committee:

SAA’s strategic plan emphasizes the importance of diversifying the profession using a broad definition of diversity (race, culture, geography, institutional type, sexual orientation, age, constituent group, etc.). How is SAA currently cultivating a diverse group of future leaders for the organization, and how would you strive to represent this diversity within the slate of candidates?

Candidate's Response:

One of the biggest strengths of SAA is our diversity—diversity of institutions, collections and archival records. An ideal slate of candidates would reflect this wide range to ensure that our organization represents our diverse viewpoints. I am excited by SAA's commitment to broadening the definition of diversity within our organization. The inclusion of more online courses to assist far-flung archivists and the importance of varied speakers and topics at annual meetings are all methods that SAA currently employs to reach a broad audience and cultivate future leaders.

To continue this mission, I would identify candidates based on their commitment to our evolving profession, their passion for archives, and their ability to support differing points of view. Advocacy, an important part of SAA's strategic plan, can take many shapes within our organization. It can mean advocating for public access or for visibility within one's own institution. I would seek individuals who have a history of recognizing the value of advocacy in many different settings. It is vital that we include voices from across the spectrum of archival institutions and related repositories that make up the Society of American Archivists. We need to seek and include leaders beyond traditional archival institutions to better represent our ever-changing profession.

Additionally, as students and new archivists continue to move into positions that often fall outside of the typical archives model, it is essential that SAA continues to include programs and services to meet these changing needs. We need to find candidates who recognize this shift and are enthusiastic about the evolution of SAA.

Finally, I want to continue to attract potential leaders who desire to promote the importance of the archival record—in all of its many shapes and forms.

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