Europeana Network Association invites the 2017 Members Council candidates to come forward

Over the last 3 years we have been working on making the Europeana Network Association a highly transparent, representative and collaborative body. We do so to encourage  professionals from various sectors to become active members of our vibrant community. Each year, our members can elect their representatives in the Members Council, who then speak and make decisions on their behalf when it comes to core Europeana activities.

I’m proud to have been one of them for the past three years, and as the Chair of the Association’s Governance Working Group, I am happy to  kickstart the 2017 elections today! From now until 13 November we are inviting all the Network Association members to come forward as Members Council candidates to fill at least 8 open seats. The current Members Council is composed of 36 representatives, 8 of which have to step down this year. As a result of the decision of the last Members Council meeting the amount of Council seats in 2018 will remain the same as in 2017.

What is in it for you?

Being a Councillor means formally representing the interests of the Europeana Network Association as well as those of your wider professional network in Europeana's decision making. You elect the Association’s Management Board, support creation of the annual Business Plan, put forward proposals and lead Task Forces and Working Groups that address issues relevant for Europeana and your community. In short, you help shaping the future of Europeana. You can actively contribute to an increased MC engagement within the Network by championing particular matters. In our monthly Network newsletters, each Councillor has the opportunity to speak directly to members and take on general ambassador role of Europeana. Take a look at the Councillor Terms of Reference to get an overview of all the responsabiltiies of a Councillor. You can find out more about the work of the Members Council over the past year in our blogs.

Who is eligible?

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and sectors relevant to Europeana as long as they are a member of the Europeana Network Association. If you’re not a registered member yet, there’s still time to sign up in order to run in this year’s elections - you can do so before 1 November!

Coming up next

Please send us your candidate profile and submit your candidacy via the button below by 13 November the latest, explaining why you are running, what you stand for, and what you wish to work towards. We will formally announce the candidates and kick off the campaigning on 20 November, inviting each candidate to promote themselves and the issues they wish to put forward. You can follow the campaign using the hashtag #EuropeanaElects.

The voting will begin on 6 December during the meeting of the General Assembly at the Europeana AGM in Milan. All Association members will then have until 14 December to vote for as many candidates as there are seats available. The voting process is entirely anonymous. During the voting procedure of the General Assembly, you’ll also have the opportunity to decide on other key matters, including the budget and policy for 2018, the 2017 annual report, and improvements in the Association’s Statutes.

The voting and elections procedures will be overseen by a Voting and Elections Committee, which consists of Councillors Barbara Fischer, Jef Malliet, Francesca di Donato, and myself. We will keep you posted and guide you through the elections until the announcement of the final results before Christmas. If you have any questions please get in touch with us at network@europeana.eu.

We are very much looking forward receiving your candidate profiles!