2020 Elections

Thank you to all of our excellent candidates for standing in the 2020 Issues & Advocacy election. Please take some time to review their candidate statements and get to know them so you can make an informed choice.

You will be voting for:

• One Vice Chair/Chair-Elect (two-year term); and
• Two Steering Committee members (three-year terms).

Ballots will be managed by SAA staff through Survey Monkey; keep an eye on your inbox for when the ballot opens!

Vice Chair/Chair-Elect Candidates (vote for one)

1. Andrea Belair
Librarian, Archives and Special Collections, Union College

Biographical Statement:
At present, I am the Librarian for Archives and Special Collections at Union College, where I have been for about two years. Prior to my current position, I was the Archivist at the Office of the President at Yale University for six years. My prior experience in the archival profession as well as outside of it has led me to develop a keen awareness of issues that impact archivists and its community, and I am especially interested in meeting the needs of marginalized communities that have been largely excluded or ignored by academia, as well as public organizations that may or may not be largely at the mercy of budgets.

Statement of Interest:
My interests are broad, since there are so many pressing issues that face us today: climate change, human rights, diversity and inclusion, transparency, decolonization, and labor. To me, these issues are not necessarily varying and broad, and rather they originate with capitalism and consumerism that have caused practices that are not sustainable or fair, practices which have allowed private interests to control information. I would like to help incorporate awareness of these issues into our profession, as well as to develop ways to serve the larger community rather than serve only a privileged few. Thank you for your consideration.

2. Lauren McDaniel
Special Collections Archivist, Getty Research Institute

Biographical Statement:
I have fifteen years of professional experience as a steward of cultural heritage materials. Currently, I am a temporary Special Collections Archivist at the Getty Research Institute, processing the papers of activist artist Allan Sekula. Just prior, I was the temporary Visual Materials Processing Archivist at UCLA Library Special Collections, processing the Barbara and Willard Morgan photographs and papers. I hold an MLIS from UCLA, an MA in the History of Decorative Arts, Design, and Material Culture from the Bard Graduate Center, and an MA in History from the University of Delaware's American Civilization Program.

Statement of Interest:
It has been exciting to see our profession engage more with archival labor issues, and I have been inspired by the I&A Section's recent work toward this end. I believe my recent union activism experience would be a valuable addition to the I&A Steering Committee. During my last position at UCLA, I became increasingly involved in my union as a member of the contract bargaining campaign organizing committee, a cluster representative for my unit's members, and a union-nominated delegate to the Los Angeles Federation of Labor. This activism led me to join UCLA's cross-union solidarity-building Labor Coalition. With union sponsorship, I also participated in multiple training opportunities through the Los Angeles Federation of Labor that provided me with strategic knowledge and skills for successful organizing and campaigning as well as broadened my understanding of the range of union issues across Los Angeles.

Concurrently, my fellow UCLA temporary archivist colleagues and I used our collective power to file a grievance against UCLA Library for violating union contract terms regarding temporary appointments. Two years on, the grievance continues, as does our fight. In the process, we have organized a variety of actions around our issue, raised awareness about the widespread problem of temporary labor in the cultural heritage sector, and received public support and professional recognition for our advocacy--most recently a Resolution from the SAA Council. I am running for the position of I&A's Steering Committee Vice Chair / Chair Elect in the hopes of increasing SAA's involvement in and commitment to addressing issues in our field, especially around labor.

3. Alex Palma
Assistant Director, Carpenters’ Hall
Archives Assistant, De La Salle Archives, La Salle University

Biographical Statement:
I work as the Assistant Director of Carpenters' Hall, a small historic site in Philadelphia, a post that I've held for just over two years. I also work as a part-time Archives Assistant in the De La Salle Archives (hosted at La Salle University). Prior, I've cut my professional teeth here in Philadelphia by working various project and short-term contract archives jobs around the city. I've found myself working in the archives of La Salle University, Laurel Hill Cemetery, The Union League of Philadelphia and eventually Carpenters’ Hall.  I have my MA in Public History from La Salle University. My graduate work focused on Archives and Institutional Identity. My BA was in History with a minor in Philosophy. Currently, I serve as an At-Large Member for the Delaware Valley Archivists’ Group and a At-Large board member for The Museum Council of Greater Philadelphia. I am intensely interested in occupying a Steering Committee position on the Issues & Advocacy section of the Society of American Archivists.  I’ve been a member of the SAA since 2015 and I’m eager to get involved in a deeper capacity. I’ve reached a point in my career where I strongly feel that it’s my responsibility to step up and help build a better field for my colleagues and my peers.

Statement of Interest:
The archives profession sits at the crossroads of many important problems. Even in the best of times, the field faces a medley of shortcomings, including labor precarity, a distinct lack of diversity, failures to uphold racial justice, etc. In the wake of the COVID19 crisis, however, many departments are fearing budget cuts, institutions are seeing losses of revenue and many people are feeling uncertain of the future.  Amidst this anxiety, it is more important than ever to advocate for solutions to these bedrock issues. If we don't, the worst injustices of our field will be perpetrated and continue quietly in the name of austerity.  As I write this statement, countless multitudes across the country are demonstrating courageously for Black Lives. This is a watershed moment and we, as a profession must rise to meet this occasion. This has to be a moment of transformation for our country, for our field and for ourselves. For these reasons, I am proud to vie for a post as Vice Chair / Chair Elect in the Issues & Advocacy section. Through its blog, toolkits and guidance, I&A has proven itself an essential part of the archives field's conscience. I'd be honored to continue and expand on that conscience. Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Steering Committee Member (vote for two)

1. Carady DeSimone

Biographical Statement:
I received my MLIS in 2019 from Wayne State's School of Information Sciences online, as well as certificates in Archival Administration and Information Management (‘19 and ‘20, respectively). While at WSU, I participated in the student SAA chapter as interim Vice President, as well as leading the metadata entry group of the Michigan Black History Bibliography. To compensate for my distance from campus, I joined the Society of Florida Archivists in 2019, where I have had the pleasure of serving on this year's audit committee (our presentation at the 2020 annual meeting has been understandably cancelled).  As a career-change archivist, I also bring nontraditional experiences and perspectives to any project I devote myself to.

Statement of Interest:
Through my support of the AWEF Organizing Committee and the Open Letter regarding salary transparency, I have been able to observe how well-functioning teams operate online and within geographically dispersed context. These projects – through the efforts of all involved –  have been instrumental in new professional outreach. However, they have also highlighted concerns for the profession as a whole, and the tenable future we find ourselves in. It would be my pleasure to continue investigating the labor issues plaguing our profession as a member of the Issues & Advocacy Section’s Steering Committee.

2. Caitlin Rizzo
Head of Collection Services, Eberly Family Special Collections Library, Pennsylvania State University

Biographical Statement:
My name is Caitlin Rizzo and I have served as the Head of Collection Services for the Eberly Family Special Collections Library at Pennsylvania State University since 2018. From 2018-2020, I held a position as a Committee Member for SAA’s Encoded Archival Standards Committee. Starting in 2019, I have begun work as a member for the Technical Subcommittee on Encoded Archival Standards as well as the Secretary for the Mid-Atlanic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC). Prior to coming to Pennsylvania State University, I have held positions at the University of Maryland Special Collections and University Archives, the Folger Shakespeare Library’s Early Modern Manuscripts Online project, and the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center. I received my M.L.I.S. from the University of Maryland with a Specialization with Archives and Digital Curation and I received my M.A. in Literature from the same institution. In my time outside of the archives, I enjoy bad movies, plenty of podcasts, books of contemporary poetry, and life with two chubby, lop-eared rabbits.

Statement of Interest:
Perhaps this year more than ever, each of us as individuals are being personally called to push ourselves in ways that support the health, safety, and well-being of our communities. As an archivist, I admire the work that the Issues and Advocacy section continues to do to imagine and foster a better future for archivists struggling with a host of concerns from austerity measures that limit institutional budgets and force archivists into precarious project positions to institutionally sanctioned barriers that silence and endanger vulnerable members of our community. Both personally and professionally, I am interested in concrete solutions for supporting archivists. Recently, I have taken on the role as coordinator for the MARAC Mutual Aid Network, which aims to connect MARAC members with vital resources to those members experiencing need during this time of COVID.

As a committee member, an archivist, and an individual, I hope to engage in work that dismantles the complicated systems of power and historical narratives that have driven us here in small, grass roots initiatives. I hope that these efforts help forge a path that will connect us back to the issue at hand which is how best to do our work together.

3. Bradley J. Wiles
PhD student, Information Studies at the School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Biographical Statement:
My name is Bradley J.Wiles and I am a library and archives professional based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I am currently completing a doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Information Studies with a focus on Information Policy. I have over a decade of experience in academic, public, corporate, and special collections libraries and archives and I have been involved with various local, state, regional, and national professional organizations in different parts of the U.S. My research interests include information ethics and public policy, the social and political dimensions of archives and information, organizational management, and the sustainability of cultural institutions. Over the years I’ve occasionally found time to serve as a consultant and volunteer on local history and culture initiatives.

Statement of Interest:
I am interested in serving on the Issues and Advocacy Section Steering Committee because I believe that the relatively recent adoption of a more activist approach by SAA has been a net positive for the archives profession, but needs to keep moving forward. This section serves a crucial role in helping to keep SAA members apprised of issues that directly impact our institutions, communities, and professional position, and I believe that it can be a leader in shaping SAA’s overall approach to internal and external advocacy. Like others on the Committee, I believe that I have the necessary background and a unique perspective that will positively contribute to the mission of this group and I hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with others who are passionate about advocacy.