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January 2000 Elections for New Board Members
(Posted January, 2000)

BALLOTS MAILED

Ballots have been mailed to the more than 300 adult learners who are VALUE members. (Our membership also includes another 250 adult education practitioners and other supporters of adult education who are not eligible to vote.)

The following eleven candidates are running for seven vacant positions:

-- Gloria Ashford (Berkeley, California)

-- Vivian DeFord (Eau Claire, Wisconsin)

-- Marty Finsterbusch (Morton, Pennsylvania)

-- Kitty Gilane (Hartford, Wisconsin)

-- Harold Lockwood (Belmont, NY)

-- Calvin Miles (Brooklyn, NY)

-- Samuel Santiago (New York, NY)

-- Dale Sherman (Valley City, Ohio)

-- Eddie Tomasso (North Providence, Rhode Island)

-- Emma Torrez (Milpitas, California)

-- Jennie Winnix (Greensboro, North Carolina)

These candidates were nominated by VALUE learner members in fall 1999.

DUE DATE: JANUARY 21st

Completed ballots must be returned to the VALUE Nominating Committee by January 21st.

Results of the elections will be announced in late January.

We hope that this election will produce an active, capable, committed board composed of a diverse group of learners, states, and regions.

Four current board members are remaining on the board for another term:

-- Pat Blackwell (Bloomington, Indiana)

-- Ed Castor (Windfall, Indiana)

-- Annette Sessions (Hamden, Connecticut)

-- Archie Willard (Eagle Grove, Iowa)

If anyone has questions about these elections, please contact VALUE's office at 732-254-2237.

STATEMENTS FROM THE CANDIDATES

To help voters make an informed choice, we invited each candidate to send in a brief statement. These statements explain who the candidates are and why they want to be on the VALUE board.

Here are the statements we received:

Gloria Ashford's statement:

"What I would like to accomplish as a VALUE board member is to let the nation know that adult new readers have a voice in matters concerning their lives. I have ten years of experience in adult literacy and will continue to work for adult new readers' ideas and dreams.

"I am one of the original forty to start VALUE in Tennessee, as well as serving on the staff at my local program, Berkeley Reads. I am also co-chairperson of the SBNDC local non-profit organization and chairperson of the resident board of the Rosewood Manor Apartments."

Vivian Deford's statement: No statement submitted.

Marty Finsterbusch's statement:

"I have been organizing and promoting student involvement in literacy on a national level since 1986. I helped to create the National Adult Literacy Congresses back in the 1980s. I have also worked with Laubach Literacy Action, Literacy Volunteers of Amercia, and other groups to get more students involved in their organizations and their conferences.

"My passion, however, is here with VALUE. I have been working with the board to help build their infrastructure. Yes, I am a fellow adult learner, and I have worked very hard to get where I am. I believe with all my heart that our involvement will make a difference in the future for others."

Kitty Gilane's statement:

"I am one of the founding members of the national organization for literacy, VALUE, formed in Knoxville, Tennessee in March, 1997. I'm presently a member of VALUE's fundraising committee. I returned to Wisconsin after our conference in Knoxville and, along with Vivian DeFord, petitioned the Literacy Board of Wisconsin to form a state organization for literacy.

"I've given speeches on a local level on the importance for literacy nationwide. I have been written up in two of our local literacy newsletters for my interest in this field. I would like to petition our local, state, and national government to allow adult learners to go into the schools and observe the students who are being overlooked because of learning disabilities.

"I feel with more involvement with VALUE, I would be a good spokesperson for those who are unable to speak for themselves."

Harold Lockwood's statement:

"The reason I would like to become a member of the VALUE board is that VALUE and LVA both strive to help with Adult Literacy throughout the USA. I feel I could contribute a lot to the board from both the student, tutor, board member and staff perspective. By serving on the board, I feel I may be able to pass on some of the knowledge I have learned through LVA and in this way help someone else meet their goals or dreams which ever is higher."

Calvin Miles' statement:

"I entered the literacy field in 1981 as a student. I've been working on the Literacy Partners staff since 1986. My job deals with student intake and involvement, fundraising, and public speaking. I am on the boards of the Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education and the Adult Literacy Media Alliance.

"I was a co-founder of Adult United Voices, a student advocacy group. I am a published author of a children's book, Calvin's Christmas Wish. I help organize literacy conferences.

"I think my experience would be a great help to VALUE in their efforts to organize and give a voice to students in the adult literacy movement."

Samuel Santiago's statement:

"I've been involved with many different organizations such as Bronx Adult United Voices, Literacy Assistance Center of New York, Literacy Volunteers of America, and the New York State Literacy Congress. I now also have my own program, Bronx Adult United Voices, which is a driving-instruction course for people with low-level reading.

"But all my accomplishments are meaningless. I don't want to be picked for just that. What I want to be picked for is my understanding of students. I am a student before I am a leader. I am a student leader. Most of all, I believe in students and I care.

"I think this understanding will be helpful to the VALUE program."

Dale Sherman's statement:

"I am running for the Board of VALUE. I would like to ask for your support.

"Here are some of the things that I am involved in: I am one of the founding fathers of VALUE and am also on the Membership Committee. I am president of the Northeast Chapter of ALF (Adult Learners for the Future). I am on the Board of the Medina Project: LEARN and Ohio Literacy Network. As a leader of Medina Project: LEARN's student group, I do a lot of public speaking about Adult Literacy at schools, businesses, and organizations.

"I would like to see the membership of VALUE grow, with more students getting involved so that Adult Learners get the help and information they need."

Eddie Tomasso's statement:

"At the national adult literacy congress in 1993, I saw many adults having the same problem I had, and decided to help others, and started the Rhode Island Student Network.

"Getting adults to admit they can't read or write is degrading. We help students more by going to schools and organizations, talking to people, telling them about adult education, and encouraging them to enroll.

"I belong to local literacy groups and am a board member of LVA-RI. I attended the national LVA Conference in Nashville, attending the student leadership program, and learning new roles to be a more successful leader. The knowledge I've gathered makes me a strong board candidate."

Emma Torrez's statement:

"I am on staff as the Learner Advocate at the Reading Program. I maintain contact with learners each month and consult with staff on learners' need. As learners come into the program, I meet with them and give them orientation. I have helped organize the Learners' Council, helped prepare the mission statement, and written a New learner orientation handbook. I prepare agendas for meetings and take notes. I have created and presented workshops at the local, state, and national level. I was at the Highlander Center with other VALUE members and the first VALUE conference. I have a done surveys and can share the info with VALUE."

Jennie Winnix's statement: No statement submitted.

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