soronc.org  ›  News  ›  Open General Board Student Seat!

Apparently we are having issues with accessing some of the pages on our website, including the Become A Boardmember page and the form to apply for a seat.

 

To apply for a Board Seat in the meantime, please email [email protected] with the following information:

 

Candidate Name: 
Number and Street: 
City: 
State: 
Zip Code: 
Email: 
Daytime Phone: 
Board Seat:

 

Candidate Statement (optional, but encouraged): 

 

 

 

Here is the full text normally found on the  Become A Boardmember page:

 

From time to time, SORO NC Board seats become available between scheduled elections. According to our bylaws, open seats can be filled by majority vote of our Board (although with the exception of our Student seat, Board appointments are only in effect until the next scheduled election). Appointments also may not be made 60 days before an election.

If you're interested in being considered for an open seat, please fill out the form below at least 10 days before our next monthly General Board meeting. Applicants definitely should attend that meeting and be prepared to answer questions from the Board.

Bear in mind that others may apply for the same seat. Don’t get discouraged. Focus on making the best case you can for your candidacy. Think about the skills you might bring to the Board. Do a little research on community issues. Try to attend a committee meeting. Read through a few past agendas to get a sense of the things we tackle. And remember, our committees are open to everyone—and they're where the real action happens.

Have questions? Email us at [email protected].

Why you should get involved

Simply put, serving on the SORO NC Board is a chance to give back and help shape our community.

What does the NC do?

Advocate and represent our community’s wants and/or needs to local government officials and entities; build partnerships with government so that government is more responsive to local needs; foster a sense of community; and decide how to spend the City’s annual financial allocation ($32,000 this year) for priority community activities and projects.

What are the Board’s responsibilities?

Help in outreach to community members; represent our community to government officials; make decisions that will affect our community; and participate in at least two meetings each month (the General Board meeting and a committee meeting of your choice). The more active you are, the more rewarding you'll find the experience.

Note that appointed Boardmembers must complete mandatory trainings within 30 days of being seated.

Helpful skills

Of course, all qualified candidates are welcome. In particular, we seek enthusiastic, hands-on candidates. And if you have other skills, this is a great place to let them shine: community organizing, web development, communications/PR, writing, design, video production, land use and planning, event planning, bookkeeping, law, emergency response and preparedness, transportation planning, etc.

Our representative seats

SORO NC has six types of seats: Zone Reps, Business Reps, Organization Reps, At-Large Reps, a School Rep, and a Student Rep. Most seats have four year terms, although appointments to vacated seats are only good until the next scheduled election. With the exception of the Student seat, you must be 18 to apply.

You also have to be a SORO stakeholder, which the City defines as "those who live, work or own real property in the neighborhood and also to those who declare a stake in the neighborhood as a community interest stakeholder, defined as a person who affirms a substantial and ongoing participation within the Neighborhood Council’s boundaries and who may be in a community organization such as, but not limited to, educational, non-profit and/or religious organizations."

Zone Reps come from each of our ten residential zones. You must live (i.e., a resident homeowner or tenant) within the corresponding zone of the council boundaries. You can see the SORO NC zones on our Mapping SORO page.

Business Reps must own, operate, or work in a business or own business property or residential income property within the Council boundaries. There are five Business Reps.

Organization Reps must officially represent organized groups of stakeholders, including (but not limited to) non-profit, faith-based, or service organizations within the Council boundaries. It’s helpful for candidates to provide a letter from the organization supporting your candidacy. We have three Organization Reps.

At-Large Reps have a looser definition: you simply have to be a SORO NC stakeholder. There are five At-Large Reps.

The School Rep is someone who works at a school or represents an official school booster organization within the Council boundaries. Like the others above, that single seat has a four year term.

The Student Rep is reserved for a student who attends school within our boundaries. Unlike our other seats, the Student School Rep is appointed by the Board to a one-year term, and must be between the ages of 15 and 18 at the time of the appointment.

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If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly anytime.

Thank you,