The following members have expressed an interest in serving the club in the positions indicated. Candidates have been invited to provide a brief written statement as an introduction to the membership; those received by the Membership Committee appear alphabetically below.

President
...Brian Cooper
...Phil Warner
Vice President
...Erik Baumgartner
Secretary
...Kate Powers
Treasurer
...Nick Schade
Members-at-Large (up to three)
...Doug Downey
...John Lathrop
...Sheldon Penn

Voting: Members in good standing as at the date of the election (those whose membership expires on or after December 31, 2011) may vote in either of two ways, by completing an electronic proxy in advance or by completing a paper ballot at the February meeting, as detailed below. Members may only vote once, and ballots may not be amended or annulled after being cast.

• Electronic voting became available beginning on Wednesday, February 1 and closed at midnight on Monday, February 13.

  Paper ballots will be available during the club's monthly meeting held in the Parks & Recreation Building in Wallingford on Wednesday, February 15 commencing at 6:30 p.m. Voting will close at 7:15 p.m.

Please direct any questions or concerns to the Nominations Committee at nominations@connyak.org.

CANDIDATES' STATEMENTS (alphabetical listing):

Erik Baumgartner:

ConnYak is experiencing a rebirth. Thanks to the recent efforts of Officers like Oliver, who has gotten the Club on firm financial and organizational footing, and Brian, who is responsible for the ongoing modernization of the website, ConnYak is growing again. New volunteers are stepping up, memberships long since lapsed are being renewed and we are once again seeing an influx of new members. On many issues, significant philosophical differences exist between our current leadership (during whose six terms, ConnYak had withered away to only 89 dues-paying members), and those I feel are clearly responsible for our renewed prosperity. The right change now will bring about a revitalized ConnYak that better serves our members by creating a more open, progressive Executive Committee in which all votes and voices are considered equally (including the members-at-large) and whose decisions will be, first and foremost, guided by the will of the membership. I have no desire to fix what isn t broken, yet I believe much can be done to make the ConnYak mainstream more accessible to our newer and less-active members without altering our core identity. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Vote wisely.
Links: Profile   Questions? email

Brian Cooper:

My passion for kayaking and desire to share this sport with others is why I choose to be a ConnYak volunteer. I was encouraged by the significant work done this past year by other volunteers who wrote the bylaws and worked hard to achieve non-profit status. With the rebirth of ConnYak we can continue to provide longtime members the freedoms we have always enjoyed, while simultaneously introducing new paddlers to sea kayaking - both promoting safety and providing support in their development. In my years as Vice President I have observed that the Club leadership has often been out of step with the general membership. I see the Members-at-Large positions to be an excellent opportunity for the direct involvement of our members. My pledge to you is to make the Club leadership a true representative democracy, where all members of the Executive Committee work together to make decisions for the benefit of all members.
You can find more about me on my profile or find me on facebook

Doug Downey:

I have been a dues paying member of ConnYak for the last 10 consecutive years. In this time, I have learned a great deal about kayaking from many helpful members of the club, experience that would have been difficult to find alone. In the past I have organized some training events, but have not been involved in the administration of the club.

Being a four-season paddler, I enjoy a variety of conditions and weather, from flat calm sunny days to extreme bumpy rainy days and everything in between. I also enjoy short boat surfing when weather and conditions allow. I prefer open water.

I paddle for fun. I am not "in the business", therefore a conflict of interest should not arise.

What I do in the real world -- I hold a BSEE and work as a Quality Assurance Engineer for a small company that manufactures geological exploration equipment.

Any questions, or concerns please feel free to e-mail me at roy.downey@snet.net. Should you wish to speak directly with me, drop me and e-mail and I ll send you my phone number.
Thank you.

John Lathrop:

My name is John W. Lathrop. I have been paddling and a member of ConnYak since the late 1990s. I have seen many changes in ConnYak and many good aspects remain strong. I know many of the longstanding members of our club and have a good feel for the pros and cons we have worked to address over the years.

I would be honored the serve as a "member at large" on the board, as a voice of the will of the membership.
Thank you.

Nick Schade:

I've been involved with ConnYak to a small extent with some interruptions, almost since its inception. I have a small kayak design business and build wooden kayak professionally. ConnYak has always been a club run by its members for the benefit of its members. With the recent change in the structure of the club, I don't think this should change.

The previous treasurer worked hard to make the necessary duties of running an active club easier for those who volunteer to do what needs to be done. Beyond the necessary task of maintaining the bankbooks for the club, I hope to continue that process. I will look into what can be done to make the job of treasurer easier for the next volunteer. I am generally in favor of using money raised through dues in a manner that will benefit the largest spectrum of the club membership. This may include bringing in paid speakers or instructors for presentations or classes as well as pool sessions or other activities. Links: Profile

Phil Warner:

Paddling is a chance to enjoy the water, try out new skills, explore the coast, and meet others who love all that paddling offers. That's why we're all here.

As President, I hope to usher in the next year of activities and events, keeping the good character and high spirit that ConnYak has enjoyed for the past 20 years. Looking ahead, there's even more we can do to keep all of this fun, challenging, and provide great experiences for all levels of paddlers.

I will work with the Executive Committee and the members to keep this club vibrant. Some of the tasks are housekeeping - reviewing the Bylaws to make sure they meet with the club's needs. Others are tasks to provide inspiration, promote safety, and develop the paddling community.

I've been a ConnYak member for the past 16 years as a member, a Vice President with Stan, Ed and Wayne, and now, as President. The club has a history that allows novices and seasoned paddlers the chance to share a common interest in a relaxed and constructive atmosphere. I hope you will give me the opportunity to continue to work as the President to serve this great club.
Links: Profile