STANDING COMMITTEES | TASK FORCES | REPRESENTATIVES
Most committees also have their own pages with additional content, linked to in the below descriptions.
Standing Committees
Advocacy and Outreach
The Advocacy and Outreach Committee is comprised of two subcommittees: Advocacy and Outreach.
– The Advocacy subcommittee is responsible for promoting advocacy in response to legislative issues that may impact archives, diversity, and the role of archives and archivists within society. The Advocacy subcommittee will facilitate access to resources that will aid archivists in advocating for the profession and collections to administrators and institutional stakeholders. It also communicates news from the National Coalition for History.
– The Outreach subcommittee is responsible for advocating the importance of archives throughout the state of Ohio through programmatic planning such as Statehood Day, Archives Month, and the I Found it in the Archives platform for sharing archival discoveries.
See all blog posts tagged Advocacy and Outreach and Archives Month.
Contact the Committee Cochairs Sarah Aisenbrey and Jim McKinnon.
Members:
Sarah Aisenbrey (cochair 2024-2026)
George Bain, Ohio University Libraries, retired
Dana Best-Mizsak, Our Lady of the Elms School (2024-2026)
Connie Conner, Ohio History Connection
Natalie Fritz, Clark County Historical Society
Ken Grossi, Oberlin College
Jacky Johnson, Miami University
Christine Liebson, Case Western Reserve University (2023-2025)
Collette McDonough, Kettering Foundation
Jim McKinnon, University of Dayton (cochair 2023-2025)
Kristina Schulz, University of Dayton (2024-2026)
Educational Programming Committee
The Educational Programming Committee plans the Annual Meeting (spring), joint fall meeting with Ohio Local History Alliance, and professional development workshops. Activities include choosing a conference theme, solicitation and selection of session presenters, selection of plenary speaker, publication and distribution of conference announcements, and soliciting sponsors.
See all blog posts tagged SOA Spring Conference, Conferences/Meetings, Workshops.
Contact the Committee Cochairs Sara Mouch and Michelle Sweetser.
Members:
Rachael Bussert, Dayton Metro Library
Meghan Crawford, Capital University
Melissa Dalton, Preserve It, LLC (SOA President)
Matt Francis, Ohio Northern University (SOA Vice President/President-Elect)
Betsy Hedler, Ohio History Connection (SOA/OHC Liaison)
Angie Keltner, Dayton Metro Library
Riza Miklowski, Akron-Summit County Public Library (2022-2024)
William Modrow, Miami University
Sara Mouch, University of Toledo (2021-2023; cochair 2023-2025)
Nathaniel Ricks, Student (2022-2024)
Michelle Sweetser, Bowling Green State University (cochair 2023-2025)
Adam Wanter, MidPointe Library System
Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (JEDAI) Committee
In 2020, the Society of Ohio Archivists established the Social Justice and Black Lives Matter Task Force in response to social justice crimes and issues. This task force has moved to an SOA committee, the Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (JEDAI) Committee in 2023. The JEDAI Committee exemplifies SOA’s enduring commitment to addressing inequalities and ethics within the profession of archives and special collections. The Committee identifies, promotes, develops, and educates on relevant resources, efforts, and actions for SOA Council, committees, and membership.
See all blog posts tagged BLM or Social Justice.
Contact the Committee Cochairs Hannah Kemp-Severence and Nicole Sutton.
Members:
Devhra BennettJones, Henry Winkler Center for the Health Sciences Library, University of Cincinnati (2020-)
Meghan Crawford, Capital University (2024- )
Madeleine Fix, The Ohio State University (2020- )
Savannah Gould (2024- )
Austin Hall, University of Cincinnati (2024- )
Michele Jennings, University of Dayton (2024- )
Hannah Kemp-Severence, University of Akron (2023- cochair 2024-2025)
Arjun Sabharwal, University of Toledo (2023- )
Nicole Sutton, Columbus Metropolitan Library (2020-, cochair 2023-2025)
Niel White (2024- )
Marketing and Communications Committee
The Marketing and Communications Committee (formerly Public Information or PIC) is responsible for public relations and outreach for SOA through the process of generating content and maintaining the tools to communicate SOA information. Duties and responsibilities include managing the SOA website and social media accounts (Facebook, Flickr, ISSUU, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube), assisting in moderation of SOA Listserv, responding to SOA email inquiries, and documenting SOA events through photographs.
Contact the Committee Cochairs Emily Gainer and Amber Bales.
Members:
Amber Bales, Ohio State University (2022-, cochair 2024-2025)
Janet Carleton, Ohio University (1999-)
Katie Gable, Kent State University SLIS (2024-2026)
Emily Gainer, Cummings Center for the History of Psychology (2020-, cochair 2024-2026)
Julia Teran, Case Western Reserve University (2023-2025)
Membership & Awards Committee
The Membership & Awards Committee has two primary functions:
1.) Recruiting and supporting new and renewing members;
2.) Supporting SOA awards.
In support of Membership, committee members identify events and/or organizations throughout the state in order to distribute membership literature. The committee is responsible for writing and updating membership literature, including the annual membership drive letter and membership brochure. It also maintains Internship and Volunteer Opportunities. See membership information for how to join SOA.
Do you know of a conference, event, or workshop to spread the word about SOA? The committee has everything needed to create an SOA promotional table. Items include tablecloth, signage, brochures, and pencils. Please contact the committee chairs to discuss tabling.
In support of Awards, committee members publicize the availability and standards of the awards, then select awardees according to the criteria set by SOA. SOA Awards are: the Merit Award, New Professional Scholarship Award, and Student Scholarship Award. The committee is also responsible for Ohio History Day involvement which includes judging for special SOA History Day Award.
See all blog posts tagged Membership, Awards & Scholarships.
Contact the committee cochairs Stephanie Shreffler and Helen Conger.
Members:
Devhra BennettJones, Henry Winkler Center for the Health Sciences Library, University of Cincinnati
Mark Bloom, University of Akron
Helen Conger, Case Western Reserve University (cochair 2023-2025)
Marsha Miles, Cleveland State University
Cate Putirskis, Ohio State University
Stephanie Shreffler, University of Dayton (cochair 2024-2026)
Julia Teran, Case Western Reserve University (2022-2024)
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee annually prepares and submits a slate of candidates for vacant officer positions and Council seats. The committee is made up of the immediate past-president (who shall serve as chair) and two additional members of the Society who are not on Council. Committee members must serve at least one year.
See all blog posts tagged Elections.
Contact the committee chair, Melissa Dalton.
Members:
Michelle Ganz, Dominican Sisters of Peace (2023-2025)
Sarah Lubelski, Congregation of St. Joseph Archives (2024-2026)
Melissa Dalton, Preserve It (Past President 2024-2025)
Strategic Planning Committee
The Strategic Planning Committee works with Council and is responsible for monitoring SOA’s mission, long-term vision, and development. The committee will track SOA’s progress towards reaching the goals and objectives laid out in SOA’s most recent Strategic Plan and aid in the development of future goals.
Membership will consist of the President, Past-President, and two Council-approved At-Large members. At-Large members will serve a 2-year term. An At-Large member term can be renewed once, upon approval by Council. At-Large Member terms will end in alternating years.
Members:
Melissa Dalton, Preserve It, LLC (Vice President/President-Elect 2022-2023 / President 2023-2024 / Past President 2024-2025)
Collette McDonough, Kettering Foundation (At-Large) (2021-2023)
Nick Pavlik, Bowling Green State University Libraries (At-Large) (2022-2024)
Amy Rohmiller, Kettering Health Dayton (President 2022-2023 / Past President 2023-2024)
Task Forces
The Bylaws Revision Task Force is undertaking a holistic review of SOA’s current bylaws with the hope of revising them to support increased democratization of organizational decision-making and the efficiency of SOA Council administration. The task force was formed September 2023 and will conclude its work by the annual meeting in May 2024.
Members:
Matt Francis, Ohio Northern University (chair)
Kristen Newby, Columbus Metropolitan Library
Jennifer Long Morehart, Bowling Green State University
Nicole Sutton, Columbus Metropolitan Library
Sasha Kim, Denison University
Sarah Aisenbrey, CPPS Archives
Representatives to Other Groups
Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB)
William Modrow, Miami University (2nd term August 2022-August 2025) | Group website.
Regional Archival Associations Consortium (RAAC)
Collette McDonough, Kettering Foundation (August 2021-August 2023) | Group website.
Last Updated on August 22, 2024 by Emily Gainer