Leadership nominations for Exec Committee

KFTC 2021 (VIRTUAL) ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Friday, July 30 – Saturday, July 31

Nominations for KFTC, KY Coalition leadership positions

The KFTC Leadership Development Committee recommended, and the Steering Committee has approved, a slate of candidates for KFTC’s Executive Committee and the Kentucky Coalition Board who will lead KFTC through our organizational transitions and racial equity work, exemplify KFTC’s commitment to shared leadership, and who are highly qualified to fulfill the role. The committee’s work was also responsive to the Steering Committee’s recent change to KFTC’s bylaws, allowing for a co-chair on the Executive Committee, and with an eye toward KFTC’s Organizational Change Initiative. The nominees will be considered for election by members present at the Annual Business Meeting on July 31.

The Leadership Development committee’s process

The Leadership Development Committee developed questions to ask of candidates. They asked about work with KFTC and other organizations, identities that they carry, growing edges, how they approach conflict, their experience working across lines of difference, and their reflections on what makes change happen. The committee carefully reviewed these responses, along with information about who made the nominations, and any reasons given for nominations.

Then over the course of two video calls, committee carefully reviewed these responses and developed a slate of recommendations based on the candidates’ profiles, responses to questions, their involvement with KFTC and the broader community, information about who made the nominations, and any reasons given for nominating each person.

KFTC Executive Committee

KFTC’s Executive Committee has consisted of five officers who also serve on KFTC’s Steering Committee and who make necessary decisions between Steering Committee meetings. Four members of the Executive Committee were elected. The fifth position has been the immediate past chairperson. In their May meeting, the Steering Committee approved a possible expansion to the Executive Committee to 1) allow co-chairs, and 2) to allow for a vacant ImmediatePast Chair position to be substituted with a second At-Large position. This means that the Leadership Development Committee could put forth a slate of up to six members. This year, that would be up to two Co-Chairs, two At-Large positions, one Vice-Chair, and one Secretary-Treasurer who also serves as chair of the Finance Committee.

To serve on the Executive Committee, a person must be a current member of KFTC, may not be an employee or immediate family member of an employee of KFTC or the Kentucky Coalition, and may not serve more than two consecutive one-year terms in the same position.

The Leadership Development Committee strives to put together a diverse slate of four qualified candidates, taking into account a diversity of characteristics including gender, age, race, income, place of residence, level of involvement in the local chapter and statewide organization, and issue interests.

In addition to the above criteria, there are a number of desired traits the Leadership Development Committee keeps in mind as we consider individuals nominated to serve on KFTC’s Executive Committee. These criteria have been developed by the committee over time and revisited every year. We seek people who: • Are visionaries who connect under-served and marginalized folks together • Not only reflect the diversity of our membership (gender, age, race, income, geography, issue, etc), but reflect the diversity of who we envision our membership to become as we continue to imagine, envision, and change. • Are good financial advocates and fundraisers (an authentic person who is effective and willing to tell their own story and KFTC’s story, and to ask others to invest in our work) • Have a good working relationship with staff and

Executive Director • Demonstrate a commitment to KFTC’s vision

and values • Are knowledgeable about KFTC’s program of work (have experience working with a statewide committee and/or the Steering Committee and/ or a local chapter), and are able to see connections among our issues. • Listen well and build consensus • Are respectful and work well with others (not controlling or domineering) • See issues from others’ points of view and work toward consensus • Are good at thinking through complex organizational challenges • Are good at developing strategies and plans • Keep the larger picture in view and operate on the basis of what’s best for the whole organization • Stand up for what they think is best for KFTC but be willing to accede to others’ opinions • In this Organizational Change Initiative moment:

Have experience with KFTC to contribute for

Organizational change, committed to KFTC, committed to KFTC for the long haul.

Current Executive Committee:

The following is the current Executive Committee: • The chair is Cassia Herron. She has served two years and is not eligible for another term in that position. She would become the immediate past chair unless elected to another Executive

Committee position. But Cassia has decided to transition off the Executive Committee. • The vice-chair is Alan Smith. He has served two years and is not eligible for another term in that position. • The secretary-treasurer is Rebecca Tucker. She has served two years and is not eligible for another term in that position. • The at-large representative is Tiff Duncan. She has served one year and is eligible for another term in that position. • The fifth position on the Executive Committee is an unelected position filled by the immediate past chair. This position is currently filled by former chair Meta Mendel-Reyes.

KFTC 2021 (VIRTUAL) ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Friday, July 30 – Saturday, July 31

Nominees for the KFTC Executive Committee positions

CO-CHAIR: Tiff

Duncan has served on the Executive Committee for one year in the At-Large position. She’s also been an active leader in the CKY Chapter, serving on the Democracy Team, as the Steering Committee Representative, and as the alternate before that, and consistently helping with fundraising, tabling, and phonebanking. Tiff has also participated in the KFTC Academy, and lends support to KFTC’s statewide issue work. Additionally, Tiff has been instrumental in hefty organizational work, like the Organizational Change Initiative and the IBB process with the KFTC staff union. Tiff brings a strong anti-oppression lens to her leadership at every level. She has both anchored and supported important pockets of disability justice work at KFTC, and she’s supported the CKY chapter in growing its racial awareness. Her insights are valued across the organization, as are her high expectations for KFTC, her thoughtfulness, and her collaborative approach. Tiff identifies as “fat, black, woman, cisgender, 33.”

CO-CHAIR: Alan Smith

has provided consistent, insightful, and reliable leadership to KFTC for many years, and has served as Vice Chair for the last two. He is an active member of the Southern Kentucky Chapter and has been dedicated to the chapter since he began to get involved right around the time the chapter was founded. Alan has served on the Economic Justice Committee and Voter Empowerment Strategy Team, and has served on the Steering Committee for three years and the Kentucky Coalition Board for one year. He’s continued to support statewide issues by participating in events like A Seat at the Table and Hear Our Health. Locally, he was active on Voter Empowerment Strategy and Voter Registration efforts, fundraising, and athome lobby meetings. Alan identifies as “a white, middle-class, middle-aged, cisgender, straight, nondisabled, Southern male,” “a recovering racist/sexist/ homophobe. And a dad, a nurse, and a curmudgeon. And though I wasn’t born here and didn’t move here until I was 22, I am a Kentuckian.”

VICE-CHAIR: Rebecca

Tucker has served on the Executive Committee as Secretary-Treasurer for the last two years, and this year, Rebecca has also served on the Executive Leadership Transition Team. Previously she’s served as the Madison County Chapter Steering Committee Representative and alternate. She’s been a valued leader, asking quality questions and moving the work forward. Rebecca has also been active on KFTC’s Economic Justice Committee and Leadership Development Committee, and is an active supporter of local work, helping to plan chapter fundraisers, guiding and participating in local Democracy Team and issue work, and supporting Madison County’s interns and student workers. Rebecca has also served on the board of the Ampersand Sexual Violence Resource Center.

SECRETARYTREASURER: David

Miller is an active member in the Cumberland Chapter, and serves on the Steering Committee and the Leadership Development Committee, where his participation is valued and respected. He’s also been involved in the Poor People’s Campaign, serving as one of the Tri-Chairs. David has shown up (sometimes with his toothbrush) to plan, support, participate in actions, phonebank, and lead songs. He is the Director of Justice Initiatives at Union College, an ordained minister, and has been involved in the efforts to bring LGBTQ inclusion to the Methodist Church infrastructure. This year, David’s also served on the Executive Leadership Transition Team, where he’s encouraged and offered resources for alignment with OCI and KFTC’s ambition for our next 10 years. David identifies as “white, male, cishet, middleincome, over-educated, and Christian,” and has a track record of using his privileged identities for justice, equity, and belonging.

AT LARGE MEMBER:

Kathy Curtis has been an active member of the Big Sandy Chapter since 2006. She’s served on the Economic Justice Committee, and participated in the KFTC Academy and the Just Transition Cohort. Last year Kathy served as Steering Committee Alternate, has participated in OCI, and continues to serve on KFTC’s Executive Leadership Transition Team. Kathy also has extensive experience in other community efforts. She was actively involved in Grow Appalachia, Community Farm Alliance, co-founded Appalachian Roots, and has hosted a radio show on WMMT telling the story of food and farming in the mountains. And, Kathy has recently been elected prioress of an ecumenical monastic community of women in the Benedictine tradition, the first nonCatholic in that community to hold that position. Kathy identifies as “a white (Scotch/Irish), CIS female, raised in Florida in the 50’s and 60’s, living in eastern Kentucky on Shawnee and eastern band Cherokee land. I am third generation low wage earner and second-generation single parent.”

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