Re: GWA electronic ballot

**"* N* <p*@hotmail.com>**

Hi Barbara and Fellow Garden Writers,

I've been reading with interest the postings about the GWA elections. I'm

just completing a three-year term as Region V Director and am now a

candidate for National Director. I agree that the electronic balloting is a

quantum leap forward. However, I'm not sure everyone has figured out that

clicking on the candidate's photo on the ballot will bring up a short bio.

Granted, it isn't much to go on, but we were very limited in word count--a

writer's constant lament!

If you've seen the bios and still want a bit more info, I'm happy to oblige.

I've been a GWA (and GWL) member for six years. I've attended five of the

last six national symposia and always come away with saleable story ideas

and photos, great contacts and information on the latest plant and product

introductions. Additionally, I always meet people willing to share how they

are making a living in this business. I love the opportunity to talk with

garden writers from other geographic areas. In short, the organization has

been helpful to me as a freelancer. However, I realize that we are a diverse

group with varied needs and interests. I'd like to work to see that as many

GWA members as possible find benefit in their memberships, regardless of

their geographic regions.

As a regional director, I've been involved with planning several regional

meetings and workshops, most recently in Kansas City. I've also tried to

listen to the concerns of other members and take them to the leadership,

when appropriate. Regional directors can attend board meetings, but have no

voting power. As a national director, I'd be able to help develop programs

to make GWA membership more valuable to everyone, regardless of geography.

Besides being a freelance garden writer, I am a master gardener, chair my

county's Plant a Row for the Hungry effort and just finished three years as

co-chairman of our community's beatification and greenspace committee. I

still serve on that committee. We review all landscape plans for new

commercial development, oversee 12 community gardens and are in the process

of writing a tree ordinance.

I plan to attend the upcoming GWA Board of Directors meeting in Oklahoma

City, either as the retiring Region V Directoror or as an incoming National

Director. Please email me off list at paradisegardener@hotmail.com if you

have specific issues you'd like me to take to the board or have questions

for me as a candidate.

I'd love to have your vote for national director!

Sincerely,
Linda Krohne Nitchman

From: Cottage Garden <cottagegardenpro@yahoo.com>

Reply-To: Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum

<gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>

To: gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [GWL] GWA electronic ballot
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2007 11:01:02 -0700 (PDT)

I don't think you are "supposed" to be voting outside your own region. The

instructions with the email introducing the electronic ballot clearly say

you will be voting directors in your own region only, plus the national

directors.

 I think the electronic ballot is a good thing. Brings GWA into the 21st

century.

 I wish the candidates or those willing to serve should campaign a bit

more than they seem to do. I am not comfortable voting for or against folks

I have never met and have never heard from and have no idea what their

goals for the organization might be. (I might be familiar with some of

their published work, but in most cases that is about it.) If I have no

informed opinion, then I don't vote.

 Maybe I should reach out to the candidates and ask them, but gee whiz

couldn't they at least all send around a group email with a few statements

in it?

 Sure maybe in the good ole days everyone knew everyone but that is not

true now. The group has expanded to welcome people beyond just individual

garden writers. So we have an even wider range of different "agendas" and

'interests" and "needs" than ever before.

 The regions are huge -- for example as a new resident to California I

have only been able to attend one meeting in two years. To make that

happen, I drove six hours each way and introduced myself to two local

"officials" who were understandably too busy running the meeting to talk.

Do I have a feel for their aims for the organization based on that? Not

really.

 Maybe I am alone in feeling disconnected. Maybe I need to step up and

make more effort. Maybe I am expecting too much. Or, maybe GWA doesn't

offer me that much in return? Maybe I am just grumpy today. Dunno.

Barbara Martin
  FLOWER GARDENS
http://flowergardens.suite101.com/
Member, Garden Writers Association

---------------------------------
Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha!

Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo!

Games.

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GWL has searchable archives at:
http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters

Send photos for GWL to gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
at: http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos

Post gardening questions/threads to
&quot;Gardenwriters on Gardening&quot; &lt;gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org&gt;

For GWL website and Wiki, go to
http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters