lifestyle

American Society of Panama Election Night at Rino's Restaurante
 
Thursday, 24 April 2008 at 7:00 P.M.


Buffet

Cold Station: Extensive Salad Bar including Pastas & Tuna Salad, Shrimps, Carrots, Olives, Cucumber and lots more Veggies. Vinaigrette or Salsa Roja Dressing.

Hot Station: Corvina a la Fiorentina, Chicken Breast Parmigiana, Sautéed Veggies, Parsley Rice, Beef Lasagna

Dessert: Maracuyá Mousse, Coconut Pie

There will be a pay as you go Bar available

For Your Entertainment we are offering a Live Show

Candidates

Dear members, here is the list of the members running for the AmSoc Board and information of procedures and instructions on how to vote. Please choose not more than 5 of those names listed below and follow the instructions below. Do not vote for more than 5 or your vote will not count. You can vote for less. You are choosing the members of the 2008-2009 Board. You are not voting for the actual Officer's like president, vice-president, etc. That will be done at the next Board meeting in early May following this election by the members of the new board prior to the Installation Night of 29 May:

The Society's governing body is the Board of Directors. There will be ten voting members and five alternate members elected to this body, and one member appointed from the US Embassy Staff. The Immediate Past President shall be an ex officio member of the Board, if not directly elected to the board.

The current Board has the following members:

The following are serving their first year and will be serving the 2nd year of their two year terms:

Charles Garcia Serving 1st of two year term

Eunice Greaves Serving 1st of two year term

Tom Lord Serving 1st of two year term

Rita Sosa Serving 1st of two year term

Sergio Davis is NO LONGER ON BOARD / Replaced by Alternate and we must vote a one year replacement to the Board.

The following are serving the second year of their two-year term and must run again to remain on the board:

The following are Alternates and must run again when this term ends:

Marilyn Johnson Alternate, installed as Temp Board member / term ends

Kathie Mattson Alternate, term ends (CHOSE NOT TO RUN)

Our By-Laws state we should have 10 permanent voting Board members, and 5 alternates.

This election will be to elect 5 permanent Board members and 5 alternates. That candidate which receives the sixth highest vote count will be automatically selected to serve the one year term which corresponds to the final year of Sergio Davis.

According to the By-Laws:

Section 4 - Organization

The Election Committee

This committee will be responsible for running the annual elections for the Board of Directors from the nomination of candidates to the announcement of the winners. Procedures are defined in Section 6 of these By-Laws.

The Committee will consist of five members. The Chair will be elected by the Board of Directors. The President of the Society will appoint a Past President and one member-at-large from the general membership to serve on the committee. The voting members of the Board of Directors will elect two additional people to serve on the committee. No member running for election or re-election may serve on this committee.

Section 6 - Elections

Board of Directors

The Election Committee in accordance with the following procedures will run the election of members of the Board of Directors.

The Society's governing body is the Board of Directors. There will be ten voting members and five alternate members elected to this body, and one member appointed from the U.S. Embassy Staff. The Immediate Past President shall be an ex officio member of the Board, if not directly elected to the board.

There will be a minimum of 15 nominees less the number of board members who are beginning the second year of their two-year term of office. Nominees must be Regular, Special, and Life or designated Corporate members in good standing of the Society and they must consent to having their names placed in nomination. Members who are currently serving or have served previously are eligible to run again.

The Election Committee will recommend and present a list of candidates to the Board of Directors. A majority of the voting members of the Board of Directors must approve the list recommended by the Election Committee.

The membership at large may recommend nominations to the committee for consideration. An individual nominated in writing to the committee by at least six members of the Society will be placed on the ballot. Nominations must be submitted to the committee prior to the April meeting of the Board of Directors.

The Committee will ensure that the candidates are aware of the requirements and responsibilities of serving on the Board. It will be responsible for acquiring and disseminating the curricula vitae of the candidates and for presenting the candidates to the General Membership. The Election Committee will prepare the ballots and conduct the election.

Members of the Committee will distribute and collect the ballots.

Each voting membership will vote for no more than five candidates and an additional number required to fill vacancies on the Board caused by the early departure of Directors. The ballots will clearly indicate how many individuals can be voted for. Ballots on which less than the allowed numbers of candidates are voted for will be counted as written. Ballots on which more than the allowed number of candidates is voted for are invalid and will not be counted.

Ballots by e-mail will be accepted provided they meet the defined standards outlined by the Election Committee.

One member of the committee will count the votes and another will tally them. The other three members of the committee will observe and certify the results.

The Committee Chair will present the results under three categories: Those individuals elected to the Board of Directors for a two-year term, those elected to a one-year term, and those elected to the Board as Alternates.

American Society Voting Procedures

Subject: Voting by e-mail or Absentee Ballot.

To vote, a member must have paid their dues for the year 2008. There is only one vote per membership; a family membership has one vote.

All are encouraged to attend the election night event and cast their vote in person. Those that cannot attend may vote absentee or by email.

To vote by paper absentee ballot:

1. Write the names of up to five of the candidates below or write-in candidates on a letter-size paper.

2. Fold and place the ballot in a sealed envelope.

3. Sign the envelope.

4. Hand-deliver the envelope to a member of the Election Committee before April 28, 2008.

To vote by e-mail:

1. Address your email to: canaltransit@pobox.com

2. Subject: AmSoc Vote

3. List in your email the names of up to five of the candidates listed below or write-in candidates.

4. Send the email before noon April 24, 2008.

Remember, only one vote per dues paid membership and five candidates per ballot maximum. The Absentee Ballots and e-mail ballots will be carried to the election event.

The Election Committee:

The Committee will consist of five members. The Chair will be elected by the Board of Directors. The President of the Society will appoint a Past President and one member-at-large from the general membership to serve on the committee. The voting members of the Board of Directors will elect two additional people to serve on the committee. No member running for election or re-election may serve on this committee.

2008

Election Committee members: Stephen Walling, Thomas R. Lord Jr., David Wilson Dr. Wayne Samuels, Rita Sosa, Chairperson.

Bios of candidates for 2008-09
AMSOC board of directors

Note: these biographies have been edited and condensed to establish uniformity in style and content by the Election Committee listed above.

1. Sandra Abell

Sandra Abell arrived in Panama as an infant and lived in Gamboa. She graduated from Balboa High School. She received a Bachelor's degree in Spanish and Secondary Education from College of St. Elizabeth. She received a Master's Degree in Education and Guidance and Counseling from the University of Oklahoma and started her teaching career in the secondary schools in New Jersey, returning to Panama in 1970 with her husband and son. She worked for Canal Zone School system at Curundu Junior High School as an English teacher, Developmental Reading Teacher and Coordinator of Reading Program. She held position of Registrar at Panama Canal College, as well as Test Center Coordinator, GED administrator, English as a Second Language Instructor and worked as the high school guidance counselor at the International School of Panama. She currently is working as a tutor. She has been a Board member and Secretary for the American Society under three presidents. She chaired AMSOC Dry Season picnics, Thanksgiving Dinners, Election Night events and is the coordinator of Religious Education, Lector, and Eucharistic Minister at St. Mary's Church in Balboa

She presently lives in Albrook with her husband, Richard.

2. John Beavers

John Beavers is presently a Board member of the American Society.

He was born in Chicago Illinois in 1950. Grew up in the inner-city and attended public schools. Entered the US Army in 1969 and spent a year and a half stationed at Fort Clayton, Canal Zone. During which time he met his wife Nelly who was a student at the University of Panama at the time. After being honorably discharged in 1972 he returned to Chicago and married his wife in 1973 and they had a son in 1974. He started attending college shortly thereafter and completed that in 1977. He has spent most of his working life as management in industry .

They moved to Panama in 2001 and live in the Chanis area. He joined the American Society in 2003 and was elected as an alternate Board member in 2004 and became a regular Board member immediately after the elections and has remained as an active member of the Board of Directors until now. The American Society has accomplished many good things during the last few years and he would like to remain as a part of the Board of Directors and continue to help in all of the Society's charitable efforts in Panama.

3. Phil Edmonston

Louis-Phillip Edmonston, born in 1944 (Washington, DC), is trilingual (English, French and Spanish), and a graduate of Canal Zone College and Bowie State College (Maryland). He is married and has a son, Michel. He spent three years as a US Army infantry medic (1961-64) attached to the 508th Airborne Division in Panama --- and is one of the few Americans ever elected to Canada's federal Parliament.

Phil is founder and past president for almost 20 years of the non-profit Automobile Protection Association (1968-1987), a former elected Board Member of Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports), an appointed Board Member of the Quebec Bar Association, and a colleague of Ralph Nader. He now resides in Punta Paitilla, Panama City, Panama (lemonaid@earthlink.net) and continues to write his annual Lemon-Aid guides (150 editions over 40 years). Phil is a member of Balboa Union Church, the Panama Historical Society, the Canadian Association of Panama, and the American Society, where he was Santa during the American Society's Annual Santa Day in Chilibre.

4. Robert H. Emerick

Robert Emerick has resided in the Republic of Panama for more than half of his life, coming to Panama to work with the Panama Canal organization in 1963. Prior to that, he worked in the United States as an engineering officer in the Navy, the director of a commercial shipyard, and an engineer in nuclear power plant construction. During the initial years of his 37-year career with the Canal organization, he served as Chief Engineer of a Canal dredge, an Industrial Engineer, Capital Investment Coordinator for the Company/Government entity, and Protocol Officer for several of the Canal's Governors. During the later years of his Canal career, Mr. Emerick served as a Panama Canal Treaty advisor, Ombudsman for the agency, and the United States Cochairman of the treaty mandated bi-national Ports and Railroad Committee. After his retirement from the Canal he was employed with the Panama Canal Railway Company to assist in the development and construction of the new modern railroad that now links the Pacific and Atlantic ports of Panama. He currently is President of two sister companies, International Marine Experts and Overseas Marine Certification Services, providing marine surveys and statutory certification services for international maritime companies and private yachts.

Mr. Emerick holds a Mechanical/Marine Engineer degree from the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and a Master of Business degree from Oregon State University. He holds the ninth issue of his US Coast Guard marine engineering license, and over the years commanded several Naval Reserve training divisions, retiring from the U.S. Navy with the rank of Commander.

Mr. Emerick has served for many years as a Board member of a number of organizations including the Ancon Theater Guild, the Panama Audubon Society, the Panama Canal Amateur Radio Association, the Balboa Academy, the Balboa Dive Club, and the American Society. He looks forward to continuing his involvement with activities that improve the quality of life in the Republic of Panama.

5. Cedric W. Gittens

Cedric Gittens has been on the Board of the American Society for many year. Cedric has served three consecutive terms as Coordinator of Events for the American Society which he enjoys very much. He recently retired as a Paramedic from the Alerta Ambulance Company after thirteen years of service. He previously retired from the PCC Fire Division as Captain/Training Officer at the Rodman Fire School. He served as Chairman of Disaster Preparedness for the American Red Cross at Ft. Clayton and certified Military and Civilian personnel in the skills of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and First Aid. He was awarded the Silver Public Service Award from the Panama Canal Comimission.

He served on the Board of Directors of the Ancon Credit Union for two terms and was President of the Rainbow City Civic Council for two terms. He serves as a lector at the St. Mary's Church in Balboa.

6. Aaron Jimenez

Aaron Jimenez is single, 38 years old, and comes from Bedford, Indiana. He attended Valley Forge Military Academy & he is a graduate of St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida receiving a Business Administration degree. From Jan 01-Feb 06 he was the Sales and Purchasing Manager Home Buyers Of Tampa Bay Tampa, Florida. He was the Sales, Purchasing and Marketing Manager for Coldwell Banker here in Panama from Feb. 06-Jan 07. He works in Panama as Licensed Panama Realtor.

7. Marilyn Johnson

I would like to run for a permanent position on the board of The American Society because for the past year I have been an active member of the board as an alternate. I am currently the chairperson for the membership committee, and organizing the first annual American Society Auction. I believe that I am an asset to the board and as a voting member I could be even more effective. My husband and I have lived full-time in Panama since April 2000 and currently live in Majagual/Veracruz. We lived on the island of Carenero, in Bocas del Toro prior to moving to Majagual last year. While in Bocas del Toro I was the co-owner of Buena Vista Realty, a successful company that established an excellent reputation in its business dealings. I helped to found and run BESO (Bocas Educational Service Organization), a charity organization established to help needy children and schools on the islands. I was a member of the committee that gathered the information and requests, and made decisions for the disbursal of the funds each year. For the annual BESO dinner/auction fund raising event I was in charge of acquiring items and setting up the silent and live auctions as well as participating on the committees for food, ticket sales, publicity, and prior to moving to Panama I was a successful real estate agent in California for 25 years. During the last six years that I lived in California I was the organizer for an annual art show featuring approx.100 artists. I was responsible for all aspects of that event; everything from arranging the date, choosing the artists and designing the invitations to helping the caterer plan the menu and overseeing the volunteer helpers.

8. William E. Mariano

I am interested and willing to become more active in the American Society of Panama. I have never had a resume but here is something about my history: I am a graduate of Columbia College (class of 1957) and Columbia Law School (1959). I started the practice of law in New York Sate in 1959 continuing the practice started by my mother and father. My wife, Cherie Gaines, is also a lawyer. I served 28 years as counsel with the New York State (NYS) Legislature. Positions included Executive Director and Chief Counsel for the Joint Legislative Commission to Recodify the Election Law; Chief Counsel for the Assembly Committee on Aviation; Executive Director, Senate Standing Committee on Election Law; Legislative Counsel to the Senate Majority Whip. I have also served on special legislative committees affecting major legislative reforms from 1953 through 1986. These activities included drafting the NYS Condominium Law, study of issues of campus unrest, recodification of professional licensing laws, divorce law reform, acted as liaison between Sate legislature and the 1964 World's Fair, study of New York City fiscal crises and many others. I served as an Adjunct Professor of Forensic Psychology at Pace University for 28 years in the Psychology Department. I have also taught as an Instructor at Mercy College teaching Health Care Systems and Management of Health Care Projects and similar courses including medical ethics.

In addition I have served as Executive Director or counsel for many diverse professional, trade and union associations such as the American Clinical Thermometer Guild; NYS Psychological Association; C.J. Jung Institute; Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland County Building Trades Association; the Condominium and Corporative Council of Westchester County (NYS); the Westchester Inter county Solid Waste Association; Save-a-cat League; International Ladies Cloak and Rainwear Association; and others.

9. Starr McCamant

My husband Steven Homes and I purchased property and moved to Panama 1 1/2 years ago. We are currently "growing" an International Center for the Arts on our 40 acres near San Carlos, where we offer free English and Art classes to our local community. We are very active to raising funds to complete construction for a library for our community of San Carlos.

International marketing professional, consultant, instructor, and artist. Previously resided and worked and taught in Art schools in Paris, France for 16 years.

Originally from San Francisco, CA. where I owned a business in Pal Alto for 13 years, doing design, public relations and art direction for major hi tech companies in Silicon Valley.

10. Genetta Staple-Ward

Genetta lives in Llano Bonito, Juan Díaz. She was with the Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts in Personnel-Administration, 1996-2005 and was with the Air Force Reserves, Massachusetts , Security Forces 1996-2006. She attended the Air Community College. She has received the Information Management Diploma 2005, and the Noncommissioned Officer Academy Certificate 2005. She attended Bay Path College, Massachusetts 2000, attended Fordham University, NY. in 1996. She also attended Panama Community College 1985 taking Computer Programing courses. She is a proud 1985 graduate of Balboa High School. She considers herself to be a great communicator. Computer knowledge (Windows, excel, power point) Languages: Fluent in Spanish and English. Speak some French. Lived 22 years in Panama City and 20 years in the US. She presently is owner and manager of her own restaurant in Rio Abajo, "Staples Restaurant" which keeps her quite busy. She says her reason for volunteering to be a part of the Board of Directors for the American Society, here in Panama, is the following: I will be bringing some of my ideas and experiences to the society in the hopes that I will learn and grow with a group of individuals who possess diverse backgrounds and experiences that combined will preserve the original reason for having an American Society here in Panama. I have strong belief that with my nomination I will contribute to the advancement of the society in to the future. Thank you!

11. Joe Pulvino

* Member of the American Society for 4 years

* Elected as alternate last year and replaced a permanent board member who left.

Presently serving as a permanent board member.

* I would like to be elected as a permanent member of the board to continue the work that has been started with the present board.

*Active in all charitable events and supports all activities.

*Active with the JFK School. Played Santa for 2 years at the school.

* Retired Engineer and Restranteur.

12. Pascale Schwander

Pascale is an Image consultant/stylist with years of experience in the fashion industry in Europe, Asia and United States. She has experience in retail, production, and events organization and is interested in providing anything from a quick closet editing session to a professional stylist for your photo shootings, in French, Spanish or English.

Pascale Schwander Taylor's specialties are in fashion advice, as a stylist, personal shopping, trends, interior design, events organization, runaway shows, fashion festivals, productions, retails, networking event organization.

She came to Panama to spend more time with her family. She was born and raised in the French part of Switzerland. Her father is Swiss and her mother Panamanian. She always came for the summer holidays in Panama and her mother insisted to speak Spanish at home. She has the 2 citizenships. Her parents are now retired and spend 6 months here and 6 months in Switzerland. Her mother is a surgeon and her father an anesthesiologist. They came 2 years in the 60's for their internship. Her parents like the warm and sunny weather when it's very cold in Switzerland. She says she has always loved the United States and lived the last 2 years in New York City. Her fiance is American. She loves the American culture. She recently joined the American Society of Panama and wants to actively participate and contribute to the organization by becoming a member of the Board of the American Society. She says she is an excellent organizer of events and skilled in getting people together and adds that she is very organized, always on time and with good interpersonal skills.

Dr. Charles A. Garcia

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