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2008 Candidacy Statements!

Below is a list of candidacy statements for those that have filed to run for a leadership position in the upcoming GPAC election.  Feel free to e-mail them with any questions!  Voting will begin on Monday, March 31st and will end on Wednesday, April 2nd.  More information about voting will be sent out in the coming week.  All current MPA and MPP students are eligible to vote.

If you have any questions, please contact Abel Sun (abelsun@usc.edu).

Candidates for President:

Christine Abboud, Andrew Erlichman, Nathaniel Meek

Candidates for Vice President:

Anish Banerjee, Yoko Igawa

Candidates for GPAC Ambassador:

Jorge Madrid, Jillian Manor

Candidates for GPSS Senator:

Fernanda Andrade, Brian Randol

Candidates for MPP Committee Chair:

Sarah Brennan, Tracey Katz

Candidates for Sacramento Campus Representative:

Nick Arevalo

Candidates for Treasurer:

Christine Schachter

Vacant: Alumni Relations Representative, International Committee, Marketing Committee, MPA Committee, Non-Profit Committee, Professional Development Committee, Secretary/Communications Officer, Social Committee Webmaster

President

Christine Abboud

christta@usc.edu

My name is Christine T. Abboud and I am currently a first year MPP student.  I am undertaking the challenge to run for GPAC president because I believe that under my leadership GPAC will continue to be a successful organization.  As a long-time participant in student government, I believe that my abilities coupled with my passion for GPAC will enable SPPD students to not only improve themselves, but expand their network.

Inclusive in my campaign platforms are:

-          Fusing together the incoming MPP and MPA into mentor "groups" as opposed to one-on-one matches

-          Including MHAs and MPL student representation

-          GPAC publication that will enable members to be published

-          Trips to policy think-tanks, consulting firms, non-profits, and business sector companies of interest

-          Outreaching to our MBA/ Law school, as well as other MPA/MPP programs at various universities

-          Volunteer programs within the community

-          Faculty luncheons

Andrew Erlichman
andrew.erlichman@gmail.com

Coming back to Los Angeles, I was as like so many others entering graduate school, discovering a new city, new people and a new life.  GPAC acted as a catalyst for interaction with strangers I now call friends and engagement in a school I have grown to love.  It has been an invaluable component in my graduate studies and I only hope to provide incoming students, and fellow classmates, the opportunity to make the most of their precious short time here at USC.

As President, I will actively work with the Executive Committee to reinvigorate GPAC as well as faithfully carry out the prescribed duties of the position.  I have taken on many leadership positions and feel ready to lead our organization.  I hope you allow me this opportunity again as GPAC President.

Nathaniel Meek

nmeek@usc.edu

My name is Nathaniel Meek and I am running for GPAC President.  GPAC is extremely important to me not only for social reasons, but because I believe it will be the legacy we as SPPD students and Trojans will leave behind when we graduate.  My goals as president are Transition and Development.  In order to aid transition, my plan is to help initiate a "blitz" designed to inform incoming 1st years about GPAC and get them committed to participating and performing leadership functions early and often through increased one-on-one communication.  To facilitate development, I propose the creation of MPA/MPP labs designed to quickly build upon our professional capacities in areas as remedial as Microsoft Excel, to areas as complex as GIS.  I believe I am a strong candidate for this position because of my current dedication to the program and my commitment to the legacy of GPAC.  Fight on!

Vice President

Anish Banerjee

anishuofm@gmail.com

A good Vice President is in charge of many things, among them planning, implementing and improving current programs.  I strongly believe that in addition, a good VP will aid the President in his efforts as well as act as a gateway between the E-Committee and the rest of GPAC.

I have been a delegate of the MPP Committee in my first year, and I have learnt a great deal about GPAC through this position.  While all in GPAC have great ideas to reform the system and implement new ideas, I believe that I can work with everyone in GPAC and beyond, to implement the new ideas, while remembering that we only hold office for one short year.  The short length of our term requires a high level of energy and enthusiasm which I will dedicate to this organization and make sure it attains its goals.

Yoko Igawa

Igawa@usc.edu

-          I will use my experiences this year as assets to continue building a strong community of leaders.

-          Being your current GPSS Senator, executive committee delegate and MPA committee delegate have really equipped me with insight on how I can strive to represent GPAC well.

-          I want to continue building on voicing MPP and MPA students’ input by promoting all lines of communication.

-          I want to increase transparency and make online videos of GPAC meetings and minutes available because every MPP and MPA student who cannot make those meetings are very important members too.

-          I would be delighted to increase communication across all committees and make it an open, fun environment for all.

-          It would be an honor to be considered for this role because I sincerely and proudly believe in GPAC & what we, as MPP and MPA students stand for.

GPAC Ambassador

Jorge Madrid

jmmadrid@usc.edu

Greetings Colleagues,

My name is Jorge Madrid, and I am seeking to be your GPAC Ambassador for the 2008/2009 school year.  This position peaks my interest and plays well with my skills in bringing diverse groups of people together to achieve remarkable things.  I believe the primary responsibility of the GPAC Ambassador is to build relationships and coalitions with other campus groups to advance the goals and interests of the organization, as well as expand the social and professional network of its members. 

As we all know, USC is a fantastic place to begin building a personal and professional relationships for future success, as GPAC Ambassador I will seek to provide more opportunities and tools to do just that.

I look forward to a fresh and dynamic upcoming academic year, and hope that you will allow me the pleasure of serving as your ambassador.

Jillian Manor

manor@usc.edu

I’m Jillian Manor, a Master of Public Policy student running for GPAC Ambassador.  As ambassador I will attempt to organize social mixers and professional development events with other public policy and administration programs with nearby universities along with increasing SPPD interactions with students from the School of Education, the Marshall School of Business, the School of Social Work, and graduate programs.  I am currently the communications delegate for the Black Graduate Student Network at USC, which is comprised of members from almost every of the graduate department.  As a member of BGSN I have assisted with organizing a winter mixer with UCLA graduate students and a spring USC mixer where students from the schools of business, social work, engineering, and Annenberg attended.  I believe the contacts I have made with graduate students in other programs will aid in increasing GPAC’s interaction with students from other programs.

GPSS Senator

Fernanda Andrade

mfandrad@usc.edu

Objectives of Service

Fernanda Andrade is a candidate for Public Administration.

She is running for GPSS Senator because she believes firmly in the idea that the overall well-being of a community, especially GPAC, relies heavily on communication, the organization of routines and processes, which is why she looks forward to serving as GPSS Senator.  Through which Fernanda will be able to build on what her predecessors have accomplished in hope to continue the growth and evolvement of GPAC.  As GPSS Senator she will represent GPAC to the best of her ability in order to continue GPAC strong presence in the Senate and help foster enhanced communication within the various SPPD organizations.

Brian Randol

randol@usc.edu

My name is Brian Randol, and I am a first-year MPP student who is running for GPSS Senator.  As your Senator, I will fight to ensure that GPAC’s voice is heard in the Graduate and Professional Student Senate and the University community at large. I will do this by:

-          Making connections with other schools and departments in order to make GPAC a powerful presence in the larger University community.

-          Advocating so that yearly GPAC functions such as the Fall Reception and Spring Banquet continue to receive maximum funding.

Ensuring that the exceptionally diverse and talented MPA and MPP students have a representative who will not hesitate to speak "truth to power" so that we in GPAC continue to gain clout, renown, and, above all, our interests represented in GPSS.

MPP Committee

Sarah Brennan

sbrennan@usc.edu

I am running for MPP Chair because I am committed to GPAC’s mission of empowering students to take responsibility for improving student life.

As MPP Chair, I will:..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

-          Advocate for an MPP Board of high-profile policy leaders who serve as a resource for learning and networking opportunities (MPA has one, but we do not)

-          Campaign for a "one-stop shop" record of alumni willing to speak with students to maximize our networking database

-          Help expand GPAC’s professional, learning, and just plain fun events!

This year, I served as Delegate to the MPP Committee.  As a result of our advocacy, we worked with Dr. Musso on the first steps to facilitate an MPP Board. I am committed to learning what other improvements and suggestions you have.  As a current delegate, I have the institutional knowledge and relationships to start working right away on behalf of the MPP community.  Thank you for reading and hopefully, for your vote!

Tracey Katz
tkatz@usc.edu

Hi everyone, my name is Tracey Katz and I am running for MPP Committee chair. I was an MPP Committee delegate this year, so I got a taste of what the MPP Committee does. Something that we began to do this year was put together an MPP Advisory Board to, in part, help bring together alums and current students. I think that this is a great idea, and would like to see it become fully operational next year. I also think that it is important for the first and second year MPPs to interact more.  There is a lot that we can learn from each other.  The summer internship forum was very helpful this year, and I would like to see it happen again next year.  Thanks for your time and for taking the time to vote. 

Sacramento Campus Representative

Nick Arevalo

arevaloh@usc.edu

Together, let’s strengthen GPAC across the Golden State.

I’m a first year MPA student from Sonoma County.  Before arriving in Sacramento last fall, I worked in Economic Development for several years, building coalitions across the wine country to deal with issues facing the economy.

If elected I will focus on strengthening the bond between the two GPAC campuses.  To do so I will:

-          Listen to the voices of all students who take courses in Sacramento and promote their agenda

-          Encourage inter-campus participation in classes, professional development programs and social networking events

-          Coordinate monthly professional development/social networking events around Sacramento (food, drinks, and fun)

I look forward to meeting more of you and I ask for your support for GPAC Sacramento Representative.  Together we can build an even stronger statewide GPAC.

Fight on!!!!

Treasurer

Christine Schachter

schachte@

The revised proposal for GPAC's re-organization structure is now available (see discussion thread). Feel free to respond to blog posting here, on GPAC's Facebook profile, or send your thoughts to gpac@usc.edu. We will also have a discussion forum on the revised proposal THIS THURSDAY (2/21) @ RGL 308 (5-6pm).

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The proposal would call for the Alumni Relations and Communications committees to be transformed into individual representative positions.  The Communications Representative would focus primarily on branding GPAC by creating flyers, constantly updating the GPAC board in the student lounge, and working with SPPD's Director of Communications.   The Alumni Relations Representative would focus on collaborating with SPPD's Director of Alumni Relations and working with committees on identifying alumni events and various initiatives.

Currently, the GPAC Ambassador serves as a liaison to other student organizations and also as a GPSS Senator.  The proposal would call for the responsibilities to be separated into two different positions.  The GPAC Ambassador would continue to work with other student organizations in identifying opportunities joint events.  The newly created GPSS Senator position would focus only on GPSS-related business, which includes attending general monthly meetings, participating in GPSS committee hearings, and strengthening GPAC's relationship with GPSS.

The proposal also calls for the Professional Development and Non-Profit committees to be consolidated into one committee.  The purpose behind this proposal is to emphasize the professional development of all interests, including the public, private, and non-profit sectors.

Congratulations to the new 2007-2008 GPAC Committee Delegates!

Executive Committee

Kristen Elderson
Yoko Igawa

Alumni Relations Committee

Christopher Granger
Josie Noah

Communications Committee

Brett Channing

International Committee

Leah Manuzon
Zhongnan Shao
Shixue Li

MPA Committee

Yoko Igawa
Nathaniel Meek
Jiajun Liu
Jorge Madrid

MPP Committee

Max Hunsaker
Christine Abboud
Anish Banerjee
Sarah Brennan

Non-Profit Committee

Chelsea Murdock
Richard Whipple

GPAC Ambassador

Christopher Granger
Andrew Erlichman
Fernanda Andrade

Marketing

Christopher Granger

Social Committee

Jill Manor
David Estrada

Goals

• Provide clear, consistent information to members and community
• Create structure for communication

*ALL information will go out through 2 people!!!! 

• Vice President, Abel Sun
• Secretary, Rebecca Grusky

*All info will be sent through the GPAC (gpac@usc.edu) email account 

• Weekly Updates
  • Sent out every Thursday by the Secretary: Rebecca Grusky
  • Includes announcements, event details, and GPSS updates
    • GPSS updates will be provided to the Secretary by the GPAC Ambassador or delegates by ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />3 pm Tuesday
  • Including Information in the Weekly Update
    • Email the information for your announcement or event to the Secretary at grusky@usc.edu by 3 pm Tuesday
    • If you would like the information to be in more than one update, please make a note of the duration for the announcement
• Email Announcements and Reminders
  • All event details will be put into a flyer template by the Communications Committee 
  • The information for your event including: date, time, location, and any important information (driving directions, map, contact information) should be sent via email to the Communications Chair, Lori Noto at lnoto@usc.edu, at least 2 weeks prior to your event. This way the announcement can be sent out and then again as a reminder in the weekly updates
  • After creating the flyer, the Communications Committee will submit it to the Vice President, Abel Sun at abelsun@usc.edu to send via the GPAC email account
  • Please include in your email to Lori with the event info if you want the flyer to be sent out to students in other programs (MPL, MRED, MHA, etc.) Lori will relay this info along with the flyer to Abel
• Print Flyers
  • After the Communications Committee has created your event flyer, and it has been electronically sent out, each committee is then responsible for having it printed out, and posting it around campus/RGL
  • All printing should be done in color if the flyer is in color, so to keep with the original intended design
  • No printing should be done in draft format, be sure that the print setting is an acceptable quality
• GPAC Board
  • The Communications Committee will be responsible for posting all things on the GPAC Board, this includes event flyer
• Event Photos
  • Please send all event photos to the Communications Committee chair, Lori Noto at lorinoto@gmail.com
  • If all GPAC members send the pictures they take to the Communications Committee, then all members will be displayed equally on the GPAC Board, flyers, and other communications materials
  • This will serve to prevent the same people from being on all GPAC materials
  • In order to ensure fast photo delivery, if sending more than 4 photos, please post your photos on the web first, and then send Lori the link to your photos. (Please use, yahoo photos, facebook, myspace, flicker, Kodak photo, etc.)
  • The faster you send the Communications Committee your photos, the faster you will see them up on the GPAC Board!
  • Please send us photos from all events you attend, not just the ones your own committee hosts

Important Contact Information:

Lauren Carter (lwcarter@usc.edu)
Abel Sun (abelsun@usc.edu)
Rebecca Grusky (grusky@usc.edu)
Lori Noto (lnoto@usc.edu)

If you are a current student or graduate, contact first-year delegate Abel Sun (abelsun@usc.edu) for alumni contact information.

If you are an alumni, contact Abel Sun (abelsun@usc.edu) regarding the following information. Your information will be provided to members of GPAC and also for GPAC to stay in touch with you. Also, please pass on this information to other alumni.
- Name
- Program/Year
- Current Occupation
- Current Title
- Policy Interests

There are many ways to contribute to the School of Policy, Planning, and Development. You may already be involved and not even know it!

- Coordinate a speaking event.
- Host a dinner party with peers.
- Organize a service project.
- Form an athletic team.
- Plan a tour of City Hall.
- Write an article for publication.
- Form a study group.

Mission

Building a community of leaders at SPPD.

Vision

Consistent with the mission of SPPD, GPAC is committed to enhancing the following aspects of our school:

Community:
Developing life-long social and professional networks of students, alumni, and faculty.

Governance:
Providing opportunities for leadership.

Place:
Contributing to the unique culture of SPPD, USC, and the surrounding community.

Culture

We commit to creating a culture that promotes:

Collaboration:
Among the stakeholders at SPPD,

Diversity:
Of opportunities reflecting the needs, values, and goals of our members; and

Accountability:
To our school, our society, and each other.

Executive Committee

Jordana Cammarata (MPP)
Rebecca Grusky (MPP)

Social Committee

Lauren Carter (MPA)
Lori Noto (MPA)
Michael Galvin (MPA)
Nate Kayhoe (MPP)
John Hargreaves (MPA)

Alumni Relations Committee

Shafiq Meyer (MPA)
Jennifer Tsuda (MPP)
Abel Sun (MPA)
Pear Utrapiromsuk (MPA)

MPA Committee

Alex McClain (MPA)

Non-Profit Committee

Jennafer Tryck (MPA)
Luppine Reppert (MPA)
Jennifer Breckheimer (MPP)

Communications Committee

Lena-Prudence Sneberger (MPP)
Beena Patel (MPP)

MPP Committee

Cathleen Baker (MPP)

Professional Development Committee

Kate Kuykendall (MPA)
Jessica Monge (MPP)

International Committee

Sze Chan (MPA)

Marketing Committee

Suzan Luu (MPA)
Andy Mean (MPA)
Syldy Tom (MPA)
Tina Yesayan (MPA)
Marc Nakhla (MPA)

Staff Advisor: Carol Rush, Associate Dean

Executive Committee

President: Julayne Austin
Vice-President: Puna Chai
Secretary: Noemi Gallardo
Financial Officer: Yuliya Guzman

Communications Committee

Chair: Katie Mack
Co-Chair: Kelaine Conochan

Social Committee

Chair: Erika Heeb
Co-Chair: Mike Fernandez
Co-Chair: Aaron Pratt

Professional Development Committee

Chair: Derek Larsen
Co-Chair: Peter Littleton

Alumni Relations Committee

Chair: Chris Meyer

Non-Profit Committee

Chair: Kassandra Tribble
Co-Chair: Megan Birney
Co-Chair: Ashlee Harrison

Marketing and Fundraising Committee

First Year Delegates:
Suzan Luu
Syldy Tom
Tina Yesayan
Andy Mean
Marc Nakhla

International Committee

Chair: Joanne Wang
Co-Chair: Bonnie Phuong
Co-Chair: Rumiko Yamauchi

MPA Committee

Chair: Chris Rhodes
Co-Chair: Kimberly Jo

MPP Committee

Chair: Heather McDonald

Sacramento Representative

Chair: Winnie Lu