The Mountaineers
As a volunteer-led organization, The Mountaineers continue to depend on initiative and leadership from our volunteers and we are humbled by the service provided by board and branch directors. We are grateful for all you do as members to elevate our mission and we value your participation in the election process for these organization-wide leaders!
UPdated November 15:
Voting has closed. We are please to welcome two new members to our board: Gabe Aeschilman and Martina Kozar. Please keep your eyes peeled to our blog in January 2018 for a deeper dive into all of the members of our board.
Elections
The Mountaineers Nominating Committee is pleased to present the following slate of candidates to the membership for consideration in the upcoming Board of Directors elections: Gabe Aeschilman, Martina Kozar, and Chris Spanton.
The Nominating Committee and the Board of Directors believe the candidates are the best slate for at-large directors for 2017. Each of these candidates is eager to serve The Mountaineers, and possesses the professional skills and personal commitment needed to further The Mountaineers' mission.
Nominations will also be taken from the floor at the Annual Meeting on September 26. Please join us for this meeting to hear about the state of affairs of The Mountaineers from our staff leadership and Board President.
HOW TO VOTE
Voting will open on Sunday, October 1 and close on Sunday, October 22. All active members and children over age 14 are eligible to vote. Duplicate votes will not be counted.
Online
The Mountaineers will be sending members an electronic ballot for the upcoming elections on October 1 (note: we've discovered that comcast.net emails often block our digital voting links. If you want to assure your participation, please update your email with us to be something other than Comcast). If you're a member in good standing and you do NOT receive an email from us, please check your junk mail or spam folders. Due to the nature of our online ballot, if you do not receive an email ballot for any reason, you will have to submit a paper ballot. This includes people without a valid email address or who share an email address with a family member.
Watch your email the morning of October 1st for your ballot. If you can't find it, we will have the link to the survey posted in an upcoming blog.
Voting has CLosed
By mail
Mail-in votes will also be accepted if postmarked by October 21. Paper ballots will be available after the September 26 Annual Meeting in the Seattle Program Center bookstore.
PLEASE MAIL TO:
The Mountaineers - BOARD ELECTION
7700 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
Board CANDIDATE STATEMENTS
The following board candidates possess the professional skills and personal commitment needed to further our mission: To enrich the community by helping people explore, conserve, learn about and enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Gabe Aeschilman
Member Since 2012
Gabe joined The Mountaineers after being encouraged to take the Crag Course back in 2012. After a few years of mountaineering in the Pacific Northwest, taking the Crag Course was a natural next step in unlocking many of the rugged peaks of the North Cascades. Gabe joined The Mountaineers Advisory Council in 2013 after working with the club on a number of issues helping get kids connected to nature. He became a Crag Leader in 2016 and is helping to lead up the Crag Course that initially brought him to The Mountaineers.
His love of wild places has overlapped into his professional career. Gabe is currently a Philanthropy Officer with The Wilderness Society helping develop relationships between people and their public lands. Previously, he was the Sr. Philanthropic Advisor with Seattle Foundation advising individuals, families and groups on effective philanthropic strategies, and leading the environmental grantmaking work. He received BA in History from California State University, Sacramento.
With strong ties to California, he often finds himself climbing at destinations along the West Coast with a special affinity for the North Cascades and High Sierra.
Martina Kozar
MEMBER SINCE 2005
Martina has served on the board since 2016, and serves on the Vision 2022 Committee. Prior to joining the board she was a member of the Advisory Council and Peak Society. She works at Amazon.com and is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Business School.
Martina has shared her passion for the outdoors by volunteering with the Peace Corps, Youth Enrichment Services (Boston), and is a past co-chair of Sierra Club’s Seattle Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO). Martina and her husband, Mike, love to explore the outdoors with their daughter and son, and are avid hikers, bicyclists, sailors and skiers.
Personal Statement: “The outdoors has always been an important part of my life and my family’s life. I am passionate about introducing youth to the outdoors, and ensuring
we protect our natural places for future generations to enjoy. I am inspired by The Mountaineers mission, the positive impact it has on our community, and its future.”
