Category Archives: SOA Leadership

SOA Election Results 2025

During the recent Annual Meeting at the University of Toledo, new council members were elected.

SOA would like to welcome the following new leaders:

Jennifer Long Morehart, Bowling Green State University, President (2025-2026)
Kristen Newby, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Vice President/President-Elect (2025-2026)
Shelby Beatty, Sinclair Community College, re-elected Secretary (2025-2027)
Darrell Blevins Jr., recent Public History graduate, Wright State University, Council Member (2025-2027)
Michelle Ganz, Dominican Sisters of Peace, Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (JEDAI) Committee Co-Chair with voting rights (2025-2027)
Hannah Kemp-Severence, University of Akron Archives and Special Collections, Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (JEDAI) Committee Co-Chair with voting rights (2025-2026)

A big thanks to the Nominating Committee. Also, thank you to everyone who participated!

Officer Transitions:

Jennifer Long Morehart, Bowling Green State University, transitions from Vice President to President. Thanks to Jennifer for her commitment to SOA.
Matt Francis, Ohio Northern University, transitions from President to Past-President. Thanks to Matt for his continued leadership.
Melissa Dalton, Preserve It, LLC, completed her term as Past-President. Thanks to Melissa for her work on Council.
Kristen Newby completed her term as Council Member. Thanks to Kristen for her continued service to SOA as she moves to Vice President/President-Elect.

For more information see the Officer and Council Member roster, Committees & Task Forces page, and the Nominating Committee page.

Spring 2025 Election of Council and Officers

SOA’s 2025 elections are now open!

Voting is open from May 1 through noon on May 16, 2025. Voting has now closed. ~~Please click here to access the ballot for the spring election~~. Candidate statements are included in the spring issue of the Ohio Archivist (starting on page 12) and online.

In order to verify that you are an eligible voter, we are asking that you provide the email address associated with your SOA membership. If you would like to change your email preference, please send an email to [email protected]. Please include the original email address and the one you’d like to change to.

Questions? Contact the Nominating Committee chair, Melissa Dalton.

Council Meeting Minutes from March 28, 2025

The Society of Ohio Archivists most recent leadership meeting minutes from March 28, 2025, can now be found on the Council Meeting Minutes page.

Interested in SOA over time? Also on that page are minutes dating back to 1997. In addition to documenting actions from the leadership meeting, minutes include reports from the treasurer as well as from committees and task forces.

Questions about minutes? Contact SOA Secretary Shelby Beatty.

SOA Constitutional Amendment – Revision Proposal

Revision Proposal

Edit (April 25, 2025): Thanks to member feedback, proposed language changes linked below to the SOA Constitution will be modified and presented at the annual meeting before voting takes place.

After reviewing our governing documents, SOA Council recently approved an amendment to the SOA Constitution to align the Constitution with current SOA Council meeting practices and Ohio’s Revised Code. The proposed language change, rationale, and information from the Ohio Revised Code can be found here. The amendment will be voted on by members during the business meeting at the SOA Conference (Friday, May 16th, 2025), with a majority vote in the affirmative being required for approval. If desired there will be time for discussion of the proposed amendment during the business meeting. I also welcome all thoughts and questions by email prior to the meeting.

Thank you everyone, and I look forward to seeing many of you at our annual meeting in just a few weeks.

Matt Francis

SOA President

Council Meeting Minutes from Feb. 28, 2025

The Society of Ohio Archivists most recent leadership meeting minutes from February 28, 2025, can now be found on the Council Meeting Minutes page.

Questions about minutes? Contact SOA Secretary Shelby Beatty.

Join us for Coffee Chat on April 8, 2025

Grab a hot beverage and join us for the next Society of Ohio Archivists (SOA) Coffee Chat on Tuesday, April 8th 2025, from 10-11am on Zoom! These casual gatherings are an opportunity for SOA members to network, share challenges and successes in their work, and bounce ideas off colleagues outside of the Annual Conference.

This quarter we will be sharing how we’re handling the challenges of recent federal legislation and the tumultuous political climate, from how this has directly affected your work to how you’re supporting your staff. Please register here to join the conversation! We will send a Zoom link to all registrants the day before the meeting. We hope to see you there!

Questions? Contact Kristen Newby and Jim DaMico, SOA Council Members.

Council Meeting Minutes from Jan. 24, 2025

The Society of Ohio Archivists most recent leadership meeting minutes from January 24, 2025, can now be found on the Council Meeting Minutes page.

Questions about minutes? Contact SOA Secretary Shelby Beatty.

Council Statement on Recent Federal Government Actions that Impact Archivists & Archives

The leadership of the Society of Ohio Archivists are deeply alarmed by many recent actions taken by the U.S. federal government, including, but not limited to:

the dismissal of Dr. Colleen J. Shogan as Archivist of the United States;
the mass dismissal of federal employees, including at the National Archives and Records Administration and the National Park Service;
the dismantling and attacking of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and work, including the erasure of transgender people from the Stonewall National Monument website;
the deletion and alteration of government websites containing vital records and data;
and the freezing of federal funds despite multiple court orders.

These actions undermine the invaluable work of archivists and cultural heritage workers across this nation and the state of Ohio, as well as the transparency, accountability, and integrity that are foundational to democratic governance.

SOA Council condemns these actions and the reckless nature with which they were undertaken, as they unnecessarily jeopardize the livelihood of dedicated professionals and damage our ability to preserve and make accessible the rich tapestries of our national, state, and local histories. We will continue to monitor this rapidly changing landscape, and will proactively work to provide support for the Ohio archival community in accordance with our core professional values.

As we move forward please feel free to contact the current SOA President Matt Francis with any suggestions, questions, or concerns and we encourage you to contact your federal representatives to make your voice heard.

United we stand.

Society of Ohio Archivists Council

Council Meeting Minutes from Dec 6, 2024

The Society of Ohio Archivists most recent leadership meeting minutes from December 6, 2024, can now be found on the Council Meeting Minutes page.

Questions about minutes? Contact SOA Secretary Shelby Beatty.

Call for Nominations: SOA Council 2025

The SOA Nominating Committee announces a call for nominations for:

Vice President/President-Elect,
Secretary,
Member of Council, and
JEDAI Committee Co-chair (2) (one is a 1-year term and the other is a 2-year term).

Self-nominations and peer nominations are welcomed and encouraged. We also encourage nominations from new professionals and/or individuals seeking to get involved in a professional organization for the first time. All positions are for two-year terms of office, except for the VP/President/Past President cycle, which is one year in each position (a total commitment of three years).

If elected, you must be a current SOA member in good standing by the beginning of your term and willing and able to attend monthly council meetings and business activities (virtually or in person).

The election will be held during the SOA Annual Business Meeting, which will occur during the SOA Spring Meeting on May 15-16, 2025. Prior to the election, candidates will be required to respond to a question printed in the Ohio Archivist.

More details about responsibilities and terms can be found in the SOA Constitution and Bylaws.

Please send nominations to committee chair Melissa Dalton by Friday, March 7, 2005. (Deadline extended from Friday, February 21, 2025.)

Questions? Contact the committee chair, Melissa Dalton.