2021 GRS Election: Candidate Statements and Bios

Below are the candidates for two vacant positions to serve on the GRS Steering Committee for the 2021-2022 term.

Full Name: Kimberlee Roberts

Institution: Museum Archivist, United States Navy Seabee Museum

Government Sector: Federal

Biography: Kimberlee Roberts has a handful of years working in archives and museums for federal entities. As an early career archivist, she has served the United States Navy and the National Park Service under various roles of records management. She received her Certified Archivist accreditation in September, 2020 and a Master’s of Library and Information Science from the University of Denver in May, 2019.

Candidate Statement: I would like to serve on the steering committee for the Government Records Section as an advocate, educator, and innovator. I am particularly interested in gaining insight on the bigger picture of the Government Records Section and how the Society of American Archivists sustains the mission and goal of the section. I feel that my burgeoning knowledge in digital archives within the government sector can be an effective tool for project planning and innovation as the section moves forward into the future. It would be a pleasure to contribute to this section as a member.

Steering Committee Candidate

Full Name: Stephanie Bayless

Institution: Director, National Archives at San Francisco

Government Sector: Federal

Biography: I am currently the Director of Archival Operations at the National Archives at San Francisco, a position I’ve held for just over 5 years and my first foray into government records. Throughout my career I’ve served on various committees, task forces, and boards for local, regional, and national archival groups. Specific to SAA, I’m a current member of the Archival Compensation Task Force, have served on three award subcommittees, was Key Contact for Arkansas for several years, and spent rewarding terms as Co-Chair of the Women’s Collections Roundtable and as Vice Chair/Chair of our own Government Records Section Steering Committee.

Candidate Statement: I’m excited by the opportunity to continue to be involved with GRS. As our volume of records grows and our amount of funding shrinks, it is vital that we are able to collaborate with colleagues to develop creative solutions to our challenges. I see the GRS as our space to do this - as a way to expand our water cooler conversations about accountability, accessibility, and policy across all levels of government. In the era of post-truth and fake news, it is important that we as keepers of such a vital part of the historical record maintain a strong voice within SAA and the archival community at large.