2022 GRS Election: Candidate Statements and Standing Rules Revision

Thank you to all of our excellent candidates for standing in the 2022 Government Records Section election. Please take some time to review the candidate statements so you can make an informed choice.

You will be voting for:

• One Vice Chair/Chair-Elect for a two-year term and
• Three At-Large members for two-year terms.

You will also vote on revisions to our Section Standing Rules, as detailed below.

Ballots will be managed by SAA staff, and information about voting will be sent out when the ballot opens!

Candidate Statements

Vice Chair/Chair-Elect Candidates

Rebecca Halbmaier, Local Records Regional Administrator

Institution: Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Government Sector: State

Candidate Bio: I have been with the Local Records Branch in the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives since July 2018. I consult with local government agencies by providing records management and preservation services and guidance to 29 counties.  

Candidate Statement: Working for and with differing government agencies has shown me that while there are an incredible number of record types and formats created, records needs can also be very similar. Serving on Government Records Section Steering Committee would be an amazing opportunity to promote discussions and connect with others to find solutions and learn from each other. It would be a privilege to work with SAA and be considered for this position. Thank you.

Member-at-Large Candidates

Josh Smith, Archivist

Institution: U.S. Navy Seabee Museum

Government Sector: Federal

Candidate Bio: I am a longtime federal employee of the Department of the Interior and a graduate of the San Jose State University MLIS program, making a transition into the museum field.

Candidate Statement: As a new employee to the Department of Defense and newly-hired archivist, I believe that I can provide a fresh perspective on issues that come before the committee, and it would be an invaluable opportunity for networking and increased knowledge of best practices across all branches of government.

Nicole Bryan, Local Records Branch Manager

Institution: Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Government Sector: State

Candidate Bio: Nicole Bryan is the Local Records Branch Manager in the Archives and Records Management Division at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA). She and four Regional Administrators provide records management services to over 2,900 local government agencies within the Commonwealth, consulting with agencies about managing their records (from scheduling to preservation to destruction) and providing training and guidance to staff in records management topics. Nicole has been with KDLA since March 2008 and worked in the Fiscal Office and Library Services Division as the department’s Library Services and Technology Act Coordinator. Nicole holds as a B.A. in Organizational Management and an MBA in Global Management. 

Candidate Statement: My name is Nicole Bryan and I am interested in serving on the Government Records Steering Committee as a representative of the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA) and the more than 2,900 local government agencies we serve in the Commonwealth. Because of the importance of transparency and accessibility of government records at the local level, I am particularly interested in the interactions and communications between local, state, and federal records creators, records managers, and the public who seek to access these records. I would like further the conversation on training, outreach, and electronic records management within this section and learn from other members on these topics.

As the KDLA Local Records Branch Manager and a member of the Government Records Section Steering Committee, I will work to increase ways we can collaborate to increase knowledge of records management through effective communication, training, and outreach, within and outside SAA.

Standing Rules Revisions

The GRS Steering Committee has reviewed its Standing Rules and is putting forward the following revisions (as detailed in the attached PDF). The proposed revisions eliminate the web liaison position, clarify the terms and roles of the Steering Committee, remove the Nominating and Elections committee, and overall clarify and streamline the language. These proposed revisions reflect the current operations of the section's steering committee. The current Standing Rules may be found at https://www2.archivists.org/groups/government-records-section/standing-rules.

Per Section VII. Amendments of the current Standing Rules, the proposed amendments will appear on the Section's annual election ballot for a final approval by a simple majority of the Section's membership.