MassLandlords Elections December 2 through 16

MassLandlords, Inc. is a 501(c)6 nonprofit trade association. Our mission is to create better rental housing. We help owners rent their property. We also advocate for better laws. Each year we must elect a new director to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors hires, fires, oversees and guides the Executive Director, who carries out the mission. Members who pay dues directly to MassLandlords are eligible to vote and to stand for election to the board.

This year elections will take place online and at two physical locations in Massachusetts. Online voting will run from Friday December 2 through Friday December 16 (or until quorum is achieved). In-person voting will take place in Springfield on Thursday, December 8 and in Worcester on Wednesday December 14 at regularly scheduled meetings. All members in good standing as of Tuesday, November 22 may vote.

Our five directors serve five year terms each. In 2016 we say farewell to director Jane Gasek, whose term expires at midnight on December 31. Under our version of term limits, Jane may not run for re-election in this year, although she may run again in 2017. This leaves one seat open for election.

Our other directors are Mike O’Rourke (through 2017), Yvonne DiBenedetto (2018), Joyce Nierodzinski (2019), Pietro Curini (2020) and Russell Sabadosa, whose sixth seat was created by special member resolution and lasts until September 14, 2017.

All members with membership level “Digital”, “WPOA”, or “RHAGS” are eligible to vote. Members with membership level “MWPOA”, “SWCLA”, or “SPOA” have paid dues directly to a different legal entity. SWCLA, MWPOA, and SPOA members receive all MassLandlords benefits by contract with their local group, but are not voting members for the purpose of elections.

You Might Also Considering Standing for Election as Director

To stand for election as a director, you must be a Digital, WPOA or RHAGS member in good standing. You must provide us with a typed, proofread biography (200 words or less) and a statement of your vision for MassLandlords (50 words or less). Your biography must indicate your past volunteer experience with MassLandlords or local landlord groups (if none, say “none”) and when you first joined as a member. (If you do not provide this, we may edit your biography based on our records.) You may provide us with a picture (we encourage this).

Please declare your candidacy and submit materials to dquattrochi@masslandlords.net no later than close of business Friday October 21, 2016.

Details for Prospective Candidates

If you decide to run, be prepared to campaign. You may know other members in your local group, but we are now state-wide. You should take note of events in Worcester and Springfield and attend the October or November events to meet members. You can also use the message boards to communicate your message, but please don’t spam. The best way to become a known quantity is to contribute frequently to message board discussions about other topics.

There is no risk in running. If you aren’t elected, you still be invited to make meaningful contributions to MassLandlords. If there are specific issues you wish to campaign on, those issues will be heard, and that understanding will be incorporated in what MassLandlords does going forward, regardless of whether you win a board seat.

Remember that MassLandlords is powered mostly by volunteers and a few underpaid staff. We are growing quickly but there are some things we can’t yet do. Try to keep your message positive, optimistic, and focused on what’s possible. For instance, don’t promise to build a wall around Greater Boston Legal Services. They won’t pay for it. Also, if in the course of volunteering for MassLandlords you have received classified information, do not post that on the message board. Resist those two temptations and you will be well qualified for high office.

Let us know if you have any questions or concerns, we’re standing by to help.

Read our bylaws at MassLandlords.net/governance.