2016 GRS Steering Committee Candidates

Below are the candidates for the 3 vacant positions to serve on the GRS Steering Committee for the 2016-2018 term. Following standing tradition, the candidate with the most votes will be asked to serve as Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect.

Name: Ingi House
Institution: U.S. Navy Seabee Museum
Government Sector: Federal

Statement of Interest: As a long-time federal archivist, I am interested in serving on the Government Records Steering Committee because I enjoy promoting their usage and assisting researchers locate records. Having worked with government records in various capacities including archival, special collections, and records management, I believe that government records, which are often seen as unexciting or 'stuffy,' in reality are important documentation and verification of events, accomplishments, and actions. Personally, I have used government records in social media campaigns, presentations, and displays to increase access and engage our community and the general public. In addition, I have experience guiding projects and organizing and setting up meetings, both professionally and personally. I believe I can significantly contribute to the Government Records Steering Committee by creating new activities, helping organize and promote meetings, and helping to advance the committee's goals.

Name: Blake Edward Relle
Institution: Louisiana State Archives
Government Sector: State Government

Statement of Interest: This opportunity will provide a way for me to give back to my profession. It will provide me with an opportunity to meet other governmental archivists. Exchanging ideas and working together, we can come up with solutions to problems we face in our repositories.  We have to work together because we can do more as a whole than we can individually.

Name: Dennis Riley
Institution: New York State Archives
Government Sector: State Government

Statement of Interest: I am passionate about the important role archives serve in terms of open access to government information and the larger sphere of government accountability. I take very seriously the public service nature of what we do and recognize the need to engage the public as to the broad spectrum of how government archives add value to society as a whole -- from family history to legal proceedings, from scholarly research to securing rights and benefits.  Government records do not simply take up space and gather dust, but have the power to impact real people in ways both great and small. As such, it is equally important that we have a voice within the larger profession and I view serving on the GRS steering committee as a way of ensuring that SAA, as a member-driven organization, represents the interests and needs of government sector repositories.