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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

Union Board committee director steps down

The director of Union Board’s Gaming and Electronics committee has stepped down.

Mark Rogers, previous GEEC director, left the position because of conflicting commitments, Steven Johnson, vice president of marketing for the board, said.

“We respect the decision he made, because we knew it was a hard one,” ?Johnson said.

Johnson said their goal is to have elected a new director for GEEC by their final board meeting April 30.

Johnson is one of a five-person screening committee in charge of finding a new director, appointed by the president of Union Board. This process is in the Union Board constitution.

According to the bylaw, the selection committee must appoint a chair to create an application for the vacant position and distribute it at least seven days before interviewing the applicants.

From there, the committee will select a candidate to fill the position and present their selection to the board at their weekly executive meeting. The candidate must receive a majority vote from the board to be approved.

Johnson said it is not common for a Union Board member to step down during their term, so the selection committee is working diligently to fill the vacancy. Director of the IU Spirit & Traditions Committee Kellie Boberek is currently acting as the interim GEEC director.

“Basically the main stuff we’re working on now is getting the word out,” ?Johnson said.

The committee is specifically looking for applicants willing to commit, he said.

Union Board directors are required to have 15 office hours per week, as well as attend weekly board meetings Thursdays at 6 p.m. and lead their own committee meetings at least once a week, Johnson said.

“Directors will usually have maybe four to five hours of meetings per week,” ?Johnson said.

Johnson said the selection committee has already contacted students who had expressed interest in the position in fall of 2014. However, he said, they are seeking new applicants as well.

“We’re looking for someone, basically, who is highly motivated to work hard for the student body and to match up with Union Board’s mission of getting as many different students from as many different backgrounds together as possible,” he said.

Kevin Kenes, director of the Union Board Fun & Adventure committee and member of the selection committee, said they are looking for a passionate applicant who wants to create new ?programs.

“It’s a great opportunity to be on the largest programming board on campus,” Kenes said. “You can do something that unites ?students.”

While leadership experience is something the selection committee will be looking for, Johnson said it is not necessarily traditional leadership experience that is ?required.

He said they will look more toward the applicant’s attitude, how they have attacked problems in the past and how their motivations are effective in a working environment.

“Not necessarily how traditionally pretty their resume is,” Johnson said. “Moreover how their character works.”

The GEEC director will be responsible for the execution of programs already planned for next semester, including the gaming festival BloomingCon this fall, as well as gathering data on student interests for future programming.

Johnson said the position gives the director an opportunity to create whatever new programs they see fit and propose them to the board.

“The nice thing about the position is you can make it whatever you want it to be,” he said.

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