FY25 SWE AV Election

SWE AV is excited to be bringing the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 election to our members to usher in our next officer team! Our goal for this coming FY is to keep up the momentum our section has been building to support our member’s growth and leave a lasting positive impact on our community. Interested in getting more involved with our Section? You’re in the right place!

Information Within This Page:
– FY25 Officer Nominees
– FY25 Officer Roles Available
– FY25 Election Timeline
– Officer Roles and Responsibilities
– Eligibility to Hold an Officer Position
– Officer Obligations
– Frequently Asked Questions
– Meet your Nominating Committee and Tellers

President Nominee: Sara Bertic
Company: Northrop Grumman
Title: Engineering Manager
Years of Experience: 10 years
Why she wants to be a SWE officer: “I have been wanting to get into more outreach for engineering/STEM.  I am passionate about sharing my joy for engineering with others to inspire them to get into the field.”

Secretary Nominee: Taylor Fazzini
Company: Northrop Grumman
Title: System Test Engineer
Years of Experience: 4 years
Why she wants to be a SWE Officer: “I’d love to continue serving on the SWE AV board this year because I feel like I’m just getting started. I enjoyed building out professional development programming for our members over the past year, and look forward to contributing even more to our SWE community in the AV. “

Treasurer Nominee: Joanne Ghika-Budesti
Company: Lockheed Martin
Title: Quality Auditor Integrator Staff
Years of Experience: 20 years
Why she wants to be a SWE Officer: “Being a part of SWE is important for me. I love being an engineer and feel very strongly about enabling women to be the most they can be. SWE accomplishes this through introducing young women to the idea and opportunity of pursuing Engineering as a career. By showing young women what modern day, female engineers look like, it dispels the nerdy image engineering has been associated with.”

SWE AV has many ways to get involved for the coming year:

Elected Positions:
President
Secretary
Treasurer

Appointed Positions:
SWENext Chair
Professional Development Chair
Membership Chair
Social Media Chair
Outreach Chair
Collegiate Outreach Chair
Scholarship Chair

Want to know more about what each position is and what the time commitment is like? Check out the Officer Roles and Responsibilities section below!

SWE AV elections will be carried out as follows:

April 24rd – May 5th: Call for Nominations period open for officer applications

May 8th: All candidates accept or reject their slated officer positions

May 9th: Preliminary Slate sent to members via email

May 10th – May 17th: Nomination by Petition period open for petitioner applications

May 20th: Final Slate sent to members via email

May 27th – June 7th: Election period open

June 13th: All candidates accept or reject their positions

June 14th: FY25 Election results shared to members

June 15th – June 28th: Officer transitions

President: Directs the business affairs of the Section, presiding at all monthly programs and board meetings. As the primary liaison to the public, the President is the interface for all external contacts and manages the distribution of outside requests to the appropriate officer. In this position, you will learn how to delegate work, practice speaking in front of a large audience, and see first-hand how the efforts of SWE Antelope Valley volunteers positively affect our community. Coordinates all activities of the Section at a high level and is responsible for guiding the Section to bring the best benefit to its members. The President’s position is a day-to-day job. The President also has fiduciary responsibilities to the Section, in conjunction with the Treasurer. Time estimate: 10-15 hours/month.

Secretary: Compiles and maintains board meeting minutes and action items. Sends members monthly newsletters. Maintains the email distribution lists of the section. Assists the board and chairs in publicizing and distributing event and section information. Manage website information ensuring all events are up to date, pictures from past events are showcased, and contact information is correct. Supports other officers and event execution, as needed. Time estimate: 7 hours/month.

Treasurer: Manages all Section funds and provides budget reports to the board. Maintains all bank accounts, records, and files necessary. Completes financial audits. Reports with Society headquarters and with state and federal agencies. Time estimate: 5 hours/month.

SWENext Chair: Coordinates, organizes, and executes outreach events with the local SWE Next high school sections that align with the SWE tagline: Aspire, Advance, Achieve. Activities include hands on events with high school groups. Coordinate with SWE AV professional members to support 1 large event per quarter minimum. Time estimate: ~ 5 hours/month.

Professional Development Chair: Coordinates, organizes, and executes professional development events such as technical tours, speakers, networking events, and career workshops. Coordinate 1 large event per quarter minimum. Time estimate:  ~ 5 hours/month.

Membership Chair: Coordinates, organizes, and executes member engagement events such as casual social events,  interactive events, and personal growth workshops. Research opportunities to diversify local companies represented by member population and identify ways to grow the number of members. Coordinate 1 large event per quarter minimum. Time estimate:  ~ 5 hours/month.

Social Media Chair: Manage social media information for upcoming events and showcasing events that have been held. Creates engaging content for social media posts and event flyers. Supports other officers and event execution, as needed. Time estimate: 5 hours / month.

Outreach Chair: Coordinates, organizes, and executes outreach events that align with the SWE tagline: Aspire, Advance, Achieve. Research outreach opportunities happening in the community to publicize for members interest such as Science Olympiad, STEM Conference for Girls, a STEM booth at the LA County Air Show, etc. Coordinate 1 large event per year minimum. Time estimate: ~ 5 hours/month.

Collegiate Outreach Chair: SWE AV was thrilled to welcome a collegiate SWE section that was established locally at Antelope Valley College in FY24. This Chair position will act as a liaison with the collegiate section to support their growth and development as well as facilitate networking and mentorship opportunities between the local collegiate and professional section. Time estimate: ~ 3 hours/month.

Scholarship Chair: Works with Treasurer to align annual scholarships to budget.  Coordinates all applications, reviews submittals, and awards scholarships. Organizes event for scholarship winner(s). Time estimate: ~3 hours/month throughout year and ~10 hours/month near scholarship deadline (month of March).

In order to be eligible to hold a Section Officer position, you must meet the below criteria:

1. Elected officers must be a SWE dues paying member (either personally or company sponsored)
   • Chair positions are not required to be dues paying members, but it is highly encouraged
2. Must be willing to devote a few hours a week of their free time to supporting the section’s needs and goals
3. Should possess the six SWE Leadership Competencies:
   • Communication
   • Self-management and development
   • Business acumen
   • Coaching/Mentoring and Sponsorship
   • Leadership abilities
   • Diversity and Inclusion

Each officer is expected to attend as many officer meetings and SWE AV events as possible. Officer meetings occur approximately twice month and SWE AV targets hosting at least one event a month. Additionally, each officer is responsible for planning and executing at least one event in the fiscal year.

Note on Membership Status: Currently active SWE memberships expire on June 30th, 2024. It is important that membership be renewed (either personally or company sponsored) prior to the end of June to enable taking over the officer position.

What is the difference between Elected and Appointed Positions?
Elected positions are the President, Secretary, and Treasurer, which are the positions required by the Society as part of each Section’s Section Agreement. Chair positions are appointed positions which are not voted on by the section.

Who gets to vote in Section Elections?
Those who are dues paying members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) are eligible to participate in the section’s voting.

Who selects the candidates to fill Appointed Positions?
The Nominating Committee selects the candidates to fill the appointed Chair positions to ensure these positions are selected without bias and with the best interests of the Section in mind.

What time period is Fiscal Year (FY) 2025?
FY25 spans from July 2024 to June of 2025.

How does the section determine how to run elections?
SWE Section elections are held in accordance with SWE society guidelines. This is documented by the Section Management Manual. This manual can be found here, if you’d like to learn more.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to SWE AV (swe.antelopevalley@gmail.com) if you have any questions about this process.