IPA Executive Board Election Day – 3/4/2013

The elections for the 2013-14 IPA Executive Board are approaching. Becoming a Board member is a great way to get involved and is a very rewarding experience.

The election format is a silent/blind election (heads down, hands up) for each of the positions in the following order: President, Vice President, Public Relations Chair, and Directors for Alumni Affairs (2). Prior to the vote, those running for the position will give a brief (less than five minutes) speech about themselves and why they are running for that position, followed by a question and answer session from IPA members in attendance. The candidate will then exit the room and the vote will take place; only IPA members have a vote. The candidates will return to the room where the winner will be announced. In the event of a tie, a re-vote for the tied candidates will take place in a similar format.

If a candidate runs for President and does not get elected, the candidate can then run for Vice President and so forth.

The IPA elections will be held on Monday, March 4, 2013, from noon to 1 p.m., in Room 213.

If you wish to run for any of the positions, you must submit your Intent to Run material by Wednesday, February 27, 2013, by 5:00 p.m. The Intent to Run material includes your resume (with grades, honors, scholarships, etc. redacted) and a brief (less than 500 words) explanation of why you want to be on the Board. Submit this information to Caleb Bean (cjbean@indiana.edu).

The elected 2013-14 IPA Board will work with the current Board on a few projects following the election to facilitate a smooth transition.

The position descriptions are posted below. Please feel free to contact current officers with any questions about their positions.

President (Caleb Bean, cjbean@indiana.edu): Responsible for overseeing all aspects of the IPA. Coordinates and leads officer and member meetings. Develops meeting agendas and activity agendas each semester. Responsible for representing the IPA at all student recruiting and alumni networking events. Coordinates events and projects with the Center for Intellectual Property Research. The President shall also maintain a listserv of all IPA members.

Vice President (Abe Shanehsaz, ajshaneh@indiana.edu): The Vice President assists the President in overseeing all aspects of the IPA and takes on the responsibilities of treasurer. In the event that the President is unable to perform his duties, the Vice President shall assume all responsibilities. The Vice President is also responsible for updating and maintaining the meeting minutes and outline database on the IPA TWEN site. Takes minutes for each IPA board meeting. All meeting minutes will be posted on the TWEN site. Responsible for all IPA accounting, the Vice President shall develop and maintain a spreadsheet tracking IPA assets and expenditures, as well as a list of all dues-paying members. The Vice President shall also oversee the IPA Student Organization Financial Account and co-sign with the Faculty Advisor on all financial transactions. Organizes and executes fundraising events. Orders food for general meetings. Applies for organizational funds to support group activities.The Vice President will also attend all necessary training sessions as required under University Student Organizations policy.

Public Relations Chair (EJ Henricks, ejhenric@indiana.edu): Duties include organizing social events and coordinating with the Vice President regarding payment. Responsible for updating the IPA’s web presence on the IU website and the CIPR website. Handles design, ordering, and distributing of IPA t-shirts. The Public Relations Chair’s goal is to increase collegiality and networking among those interested in IP at IU.

Directors for Alumni Affairs (Sherry Lin, sxlin@indiana.edu; Rajat Khanna, khannara@indiana.edu): Two students will hold this title. Seeks to expand the IPA’s network of alumni and other intellectual property professionals, the Director for Alumni Affairs shall: responsible for coordinating student mentorship program with discretion to recruit Assistant Directors to provide additional support for the program; develop and maintain a comprehensive database or list of alumni and other intellectual property professionals friendly to IU; attend IPA functions to network with alumni and provide the IPA’s membership with access to said network; and serve as a primary contact point for alumni seeking to communicate with the IPA.