In an ongoing series during CAA Steering Committee election time, we hear from another Steering Committee member, Amy Belotti.

If you are a CAA subcommittee member, you should absolutely consider running for Steering. Being a part of Steering allows you to extend your understanding of and your impact on our local professional network. In addition, you will be able to expand upon your leadership skills in an extremely supportive environment.

I relocated to Chicago in 2016 and immediately joined the Outreach sub-committee, as well as took on the position of co-chair for 2016's Chicago Open Archives. I joined the CAA Steering Committee the following year (2017). This evolution went quick; even I was surprised by it. But within a year I felt like I had a place in the Chicago archival community and was ready to do more. Having gained experience with the subcommittee and a flagship CAA event definitely helped me feel confident in my skills to serve on Steering. However, I also felt like I still maintained a fresh perspective as a new Chicagoan and thought, perhaps that could be a unique positive to bring to Steering and CAA overall. We need Steering members with all levels of experience and leadership, so be sure to consider all aspects of what you'd bring to the table. Having subcommittee experience absolutely brings you some valuable short-hand knowledge of how to be a part of Steering leadership, though.

If you’ve served on a subcommittee, please consider joining the Steering Committee. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, March 21. 

Feel free to contact Amy or other Steering Committee members with questions.