CAPS Board of Directors Election Commences MONDAY, October 2, 2023.
The CAPS Board of Directors Election voting period officially commences on Monday, October 2, 2023, at 8 a.m., PDT.
Only MEMBERS can vote in the election.
This election vote is being held entirely online. Each eligible voting CAPS member’s individual ballot link will be emailed to them, exclusively at their private email address on file with CAPS, from the email address “invitations@mail.electionbuddy.com”. Please be sure to add that email address to your safe sender list in your private email, or begin checking your inbox and spam folders on Monday, October 2, after 8 a.m.
IMPORTANT: Ballots will not be emailed to State Employee email addresses, i.e. no emails ending in “.gov” will be sent a ballot. Please read on to find out how to update your email address to ensure you receive a ballot.
Additionally, a postcard with each eligible voting CAPS member’s exclusive voting link will be mailed to the mailing address on file with CAPS. An example of what the postcard will look like is depicted below. Please keep an eye on your mailbox next week! PLEASE NOTE: The postcard depicted below is a non-working example, only. Scanning the QR code of the example postcard below will not bring you to your ballot.
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Below you will find the list of candidates in contested seats for 2023-2025 CAPS Board of Director positions. Only contested seats will appear on the ballot. The candidates are presented in the order they were picked out of a hat:
| District I Director | ||
| Derek Schulz | CDFA – Orange | Environmental Scientist |
| Laura Radke | DTSC – Orange | Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) |
| District III Director | ||
| Esther Tracy | DWR – Sacramento | Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) |
| Kevin Tieu | CDPH – Sacramento | Research Scientist II |
| Director At-Large | ||
| Madison Boynton | SWRCB – Sacramento | Environmental Scientist |
| Carolyn Buesch | CDFW – Shasta | Environmental Scientist |
| Mia Roberts | CDFW – Yolo | Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) |
Article 8, Section 3(j) of the CAPS Bylaws state, “Any qualified candidate shall be elected by acclamation, without the need for balloting, whenever that candidate is the only qualified candidate whose name will appear on the ballot for that seat.” The following positions for the Board of Directors seats were unopposed. Thus, the following candidates have been elected by acclamation:
| President | Jacqueline Tkac | CCRWCB – San Luis Obispo | Environmental Scientist |
| Vice President | Rae Vander Werf | SWRCB – Sacramento | Environmental Scientist |
| Secretary | Hannah Johnson | CDPH – Sacramento | Research Scientist II |
| Treasurer | Itzia Rivera | DWR – Sacramento | Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) |
| District IV Director | Christina LaFave | CDPH – Contra Costa | Examiner I, Laboratory Field Services |
| District V Director | Monty Larson | CDFW – Humboldt | Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) |
| Supervisory Director | Daniel Ellis | SWRCB – San Luis Obispo | Senior Environmental Scientist (Supervisor) |
This list can also be viewed online: http://capsscientists.org/election-info/.
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Independent Election Administrator. This year, the Elections Committee has chosen an independent third-party, ElectionBuddy, to administer the balloting and tabulate the results of the 2023 CAPS Board of Directors Election. You can send questions or technical difficulties in this election to them directly at capsscientists@electionbuddy.com, starting Monday, October 2.
Eligibility. Only rank-and-file members are eligible to vote for members of the CAPS BOD for this election, as all positions that supervisory members are normally eligible to vote for have been filled by acclamation. Rank-and-File nonmembers who join CAPS prior to COB on October 13, 2023, will receive an emailed ballot. It may be too late for nonmembers who join after that date to receive a ba
How it Works. ElectionBuddy’s software only allows each eligible voter to vote once, so members can choose to use either their emailed copy, or to scan their postcard with a QR code. Balloting will close on October 17, 2023, at 5 p.m. (PDT), and results will be released as soon as practicable once the election ends.
Update your Information! Please verify that CAPS has your valid postal address and personal/private email address on file to ensure you receive your ballot in a timely manner. If your personal/private email address has changed or was never given to CAPS, please email CAPS with the information to: elections@capsscientists.org. To change your postal address to ensure you receive a ballot postcard with a QR code to your individual ballot, please fill out this online form https://capsscientists.org/members/update/.
CAPS Election Announcement, Sent to ALL CAPS MEMBERS June 5, 2023:
If YOU want to serve your fellow State Scientists, please consider running for one of the positions on the CAPS Board of Directors (BOD). All elected CAPS BOD members are unpaid volunteers who serve two-year terms. Necessary business expenses are reimbursed (in accordance with CAPS By Laws and Policies), while some officers have the option to claim a modest monthly stipend. The CAPS BOD typically meets quarterly on Saturdays. CAPS Committees meet more frequently, often virtually or by conference call. Time dedicated to CAPS is not considered compensable work time, and as such, most Board Members use vacation or annual leave to perform their Board duties; although when meeting with state management on official business, state time may be provided by the State. The volunteer nature of the CAPS Board of Directors helps keep dues low.
Election Process Begins Today! The deadline for filing a nominating petition for the 2023-2025 CAPS Board of Directors Election is Monday, July 31, 2023, by 5 p.m. (PDT). Completed nominating petitions should be emailed to elections@capsscientists.org. Incomplete nominating petitions, or nominating petitions received after the deadline will disqualify potential candidates from running. Go here to download a copy of the blank nominating petition and the 2023 Election Information and Campaign Rules Handbook, which includes the Election Schedule, and rules and procedures for the 2023 CAPS Board of Directors Election.
Positions subject to election include four Executive Officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer), five regional District Directors, two At-Large Directors, and one Supervisor Director. Qualifying candidates must have been a CAPS member for at least one year continuously and must have permanent state civil service status. Valid nominating petitions must contain the signatures of at least 10 dues-paying CAPS members, along with additional information for signature validation, including each member’s printed name, class title, department name, and last four digits of their Social Security Number. Supervisory members may only run for the supervisor’s seat on the Board. Balloting will be conducted by secret ballot. There is no filing fee.
Independent Election Administrator. This year, the Elections Committee has chosen an independent third-party, ElectionBuddy, to administer the balloting and tabulate the results of the 2023 CAPS Board of Directors Election. Ballots will be fully electronic.
Election process. Only dues-paying rank-and-file and supervisory members are eligible to vote for members of the CAPS BOD. Members will receive a link to their individual ballot at their personal/private email address on October 2, 2023. Members will also be sent a postcard to their home address currently on file with CAPS with an individualized QR code that can be scanned to access their personal ballot. Postcards will be mailed on October 2, 2023. ElectionBuddy’s software only allows each person to vote once, so members can choose to use their emailed copy or to scan their postcard with a QR code. Balloting will close on October 17, 2023, at 5 p.m. (PDT), and results will be released as soon as practicable once the election ends.
Update your Information. In order to participate, you will need to ensure CAPS has your personal/private email address on file, and a valid postal address. If your personal/private email address has changed, or was never given to CAPS, please email CAPS with the information to: elections@capsscientists.org. To change your postal address to ensure you receive a ballot postcard with a QR code to your individual ballot, please fill out this online form https://capsscientists.org/members/update/.