Assemblies Elections

Renee Alexander (rta3)

Personal Statement: Given my deep knowledge of the university, and its stakeholder communities — students, staff, administrators, faculty, research, alumni and local constituents. I will be a strategic liaison and partner that links the Board of Trustees to campus-based issues. This “on- the- ground” perspective will serve to inform decision- making and focus a critical lens on key initiatives.

Experience: In my work as associate dean of students, I unofficially advise the Student Assembly, and work directly with its leadership on issues of shared governance and providing voice and leadership to this governance model. As one of five University Diversity Officers, I work with staff across the university spectrum and develop policies and programs that impact the entire campus community. Because of this role, I regularly communicate directly with staff and meet with leadership in numerous divisions to learn more about their issues, and advance the university’s diversity mission.

Community Involvement: Through my work as associate dean, I am involved in student communities and advise numerous organizations. I am very proud of my work with Anabel’s Grocery, an initiative that will open a campus-based store in early August that will help mitigate food insecurity on campus. I volunteer for the Science and Mathematics Academy in downtown Ithaca and the Ithaca Youth Bureau’s College Advisory Board.

Special Interests: I love nature and that’s one of the reasons I returned to Ithaca just over ten years ago. I am especially interested in working with programs that pipeline low and modest income students into high schools and colleges where they will earn a transformational and life-changing education. In addition to Ithaca, I am also connected to non-profit organizations in New York City and Buffalo, that works with this cohort of ambitious but under resourced students. I work hard at “giving back” to others what Cornell gave to me — a world class education.

Joe Burke (jab346)

Personal Statement: *Workload issues. Although we are gradually coming out of the recent difficult economic hard times employees are still feeling the impact. As a result, employees have taken on extra duties and responsibilities that have created workload issues for them. At the most local level (units/departments) employees need the opportunity to voice concerns and offer viable solutions to the problems they face.

• Budget issues. Cornell is a large, complex organization that is hard to totally understand at times. The budget is equally hard to grasp, however, we need to do a better job of breaking it down into understandable smaller parts. This I think would provide greater understanding and opportunity to influence decision making.
• University leadership. This seems to be a critical moment in time for the overall direction for the university. In the immediate future the senior leadership of the university needs to be identified and solidified. As a Trustee I would offer a strong voice on behalf of employees in helping to shape and stabilize the university.

Experience: In both my professional and personal life I am committed to inclusion and affirming the intrinsic value and worth of every individual. In a large decentralized university, the individual employee can easily be overlooked and forgotten. As a Trustee I would remind decision makers that their choices often have direct effects on employees. So it is important that decisions are carefully weighed and thoroughly vetted. Decisions that are made to improve the quality and prestige of the university need to be balanced with an appreciation for how they will influence the quality of the lives of the employees. The employees are the long term foundation of the university and need to be considered in the process. I’ve made a point of trying to expand my involvement across the campus in order to bring breadth and depth to my work. Being involved in many different areas of the university has strengthened my understanding of Cornell and has aided me in problem solving.

Community Involvement: I have the good fortune to serve on a number of committees across the campus. Presently I have responsibility for undergraduate and graduate housing as well as Orientation and The Tatkon Center. I serve on the following committees: Council for Mental Health and Well-being, Council for Alcohol and Other Drugs, Alert team, Behavioral Health Oversight Team, Gorge Safety Committee, Executive Committee of the President’s Sustainable Campus Committee, Engaged Cornell, Instructional Space Coordination Committee, Council for Sexual Violence Education, the University’s Financial Literacy Committee, and the Housing Master Planning group. I volunteer my time as part of the Health Careers Evaluation Committee, been a long time supporter of the United Way, Family Reading Partnership, and a member of the Lab of O. I would bring my critical thinking skills and strategic planning skills to bear on the issues at hand.

Special Interests: First and foremost, I would say that family and friends are of greatest importance to me. I have long been an advocate for social justice (e.g. supporter/member of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Equal Justice Institute) and the Arts. I am committed to the preservation of the natural environment and so am a member of the Lab of O, Sierra Club, Bat Conservation International, the Smithsonian, the Audubon Society, and a fan of Cornell’s women’s hockey team.

Chad Coates (cc2339)

Personal Statement: I think the top three priorities for the Board of Trustees are: the appointment of a new president who advances Cornell’s core values of respect, dignity and fairness for all employees; facilitation and creation of the new Strategic Plan for the institution that reflects Cornell’s core values; and improvement of communication between the Board and the Cornell community. I would use my position as a Trustee to improve Cornell by ensuring the Board is informed and sensitized to the needs, experiences, and perspectives of Cornell employees. The staff trustee’s ultimate responsibility is to the welfare of the entire institution; however, I think it is important that employees’ perspectives are considered by the Board. Affirming the respect and dignity of the more than 8,000 Cornell employees is of paramount importance to me. By making myself accessible to members of the Cornell community, I would strive to facilitate a better understanding and appreciation for the context and complexities of the Board’s decision-making process by providing contextual insights where permissible. Along with the use of publications like Pawprint, I would expand communications by creating an electronic medium for community dialogue. I have been very impressed with Cornell’s engagement in the national and international community. As trustee, I would advocate to further increase Cornell’s participation and support for local community-based initiatives in Ithaca, Geneva and the neighboring community.

Experience: Through my work advising students as an assistant dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, I engage with a wide cross-section of staff, faculty, and community partners. I appreciate the different needs and perspectives of all of us who are committed to this institution. I am engaged in a number of shared governance bodies within higher education. For example, I am a voting member of the Cornell University Hearing Board, the Editorial Board for the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice (JSARP). Additionally, I am a member of the Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) Board of Trustees and fully understand the complexities of the fiduciary duties of a trustee to stakeholders in alignment with institutional mission and core values. I bring a unique international perspective to my Cornell experiences. I have represented Cornell in Brazil and South Africa through my work with the Andre Mellon Foundation’s Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program.

Community Involvement: As stated previously, I serve on the Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) Board of Trustees and represent TC3 and several community events. I am actively engaged in the life of both the Cornell and greater Ithaca communities. I am currently a crisis manager, a position in which I assist students in crisis and their families to navigate complex high stress situations and while serving as a liaison to the families and upper university administrators. I am a House Fellow at Carl Becker House, and also serve as advisor to the Jamaica Difference student organization. In addition, I participate in service projects such as Into the Streets, which serve to build and further enhance the town/gown relationship. I am an active participant of the CaribIthacans, a local network of professional and community members with Caribbean Heritage living in Ithaca. Each semester, I teach and facilitate a workshop on Cultural Diversity in America.

Special Interests: I am very interested in Cornell international partnership and the ways in which we are successfully positioned as a globally brand recognized for excellence in innovation and research. I would like to see Cornell continue to expand its reach and impact within the developing world and particularly on the African continent where we have been making very meaning progress and significant impact in addressing educational and social issues in countries such as Tanzania, Zambia, and South Africa.

Michael Hint (meh26)

Personal Statement Cornell is sitting at the crossroads of many difficult decisions and doing so in a time of drastic leadership change. Staff of this university deserve a voice that cares about them first, and answers only to them. I hope my varied experiences from my student days to my years solving problems and creating solutions in Chemistry and Physics serve as my tool to speak for the staff of Cornell. Top Priorities:

• Assisting and promoting new leadership for Cornell at all levels — leadership that can move all of us forward and stop kicking the tough decisions down the road.
• A return to making sure staff concerns are truly listened to. Apologizes for change after the fact are not cutting it. Staff need to able to take an active part in the decisions that affect them —benefit changes, new financial and HR systems, or even bus schedules. The staff element must return to central decision.
• Openness and transparency — staff have borne the brunt of the difficult financial situation the university has been in over the last few years, at the same time as other large spending has occurred. The new financial model claimed to clean up bad policy, but only continues to hurt the academic units. Staff can work and plan for themselves best when all the information and decisions is out as soon as possible. Far too often the staff are the last to hear the shoe drop.

I humbly request your vote for employee trustee. I promise to take truth to power and fight for you every day.

Experience: 10+ years of listening and responding with solutions to diverse needs across multiple communities.

Community Involvement: N/A

Special Interests: Traveling as much as possible as cheaply as possible.

Tamara Payne (th47)

Personal Statement I feel the top three priorities for the Board of Trustees are to complete a successful search for Cornell’s 14th President, continue to build on Cornell’s mission and status as the leading educational and research institution in New York state, and to enhance a culture of trust and transparency within the Cornell community. I plan to use my position as a trustee to advocate for staff. I would share a perspective refined by many years of service at Cornell and a vision for promoting a culture of streamlining and innovation that President Garrett had just begun to establish. The day-to-day experience of an employee at Cornell can often times feel like one of being buried under complicated processes and forms, and one of the strongest contributions I can make would be to employ practicality, innovation, and insight aimed at improving the everyday lives of students, faculty, and staff throughout Cornell.

Experience: I have served and continue to serve on a number of committees across campus dealing with everything from process issues to large scale technical and budget-focused innovations. Serving on multiple committees has allowed me to build relationships across campus, and gain rich insight into the operational infrastructure of the University. I am a proponent of the idea of “One Cornell” and it is through these committee interactions that I bring a unique understanding of how to marry this idea with the day-to-day needs of our employees. We have so much talent in various corners of the campus. Finding ways to engage the wealth of knowledge and expertise in the decision-making process would be an amazing and exceptional challenge.

Community Involvement: As active as I am within the immediate Cornell community, within CALS and within the greater campus community, I am also active within my hometown of Berkshire. I grew up in Berkshire and my husband and I are raising our two sons there. There’s nothing I love more than to watch and cheer on my two boys playing football and wrestling. In addition, I take an active role in supporting our district’s sports programs and I am a member of the First Congregational Church of Berkshire, contributing to our Vacation Bible School. I also volunteer to chaperone multiple school field trips each year. In fact, I’m excited about chaperoning our 5th grade trip to Washington DC in May this year.

Special Interests: At home, my family and I recently started camping, and I encourage my boys to play outside as much as possible. Helping my kids make smart choices, both in life situations and nutrition-wise, is important to me, including making fitness a priority. Being an avid sports fan, I attend as many local games as possible. My kids attend the same school I did growing up, so my enthusiasm and loyalty for our sports teams is strong.