FY25 Election Timeline & Information

Hi, everybody! I am excited to announce that we are beginning the Election Process for the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year. This post will detail the timeline of the election for everyone, detail the application process, provide the necessary documentation, and then finally link to the application. If you have not participated in an RHA election before, please make sure to read all of the available material to get proper context and information.

Election Timeline:

11/29: Application for the Executive Board is live.

2/14 @11:59pm: Application for the Executive Board closes

2/16 @11:59am: Candidate Information Page is published.

2/16 -2/20: Platform Reviews

2/21 @8am: Candidates are required to submit materials for Election Night.

2/21 @7pm: Election

Application Process:

All applicants for all positions must have the following actions done by their respective dates:

  • Submit an application that is fully, correctly, and intentionally filled out.
  • Submit a slide deck for an 8 minute presentation.
  • Attend Legislative Council on Feb. 21st 7pm – later.
  • Have not campaigned in any capacity.
  • Prepare for questions about RHA contributions, experience, knowledge, and intent.

Election Documentation:

Position Descriptions (Information within the Position Descriptions is subject to change)

Constitution

Policy Book

Exec Position Presentation: Will be uploaded at a later date.

Application Link:

Make sure to fill out every required question with a true, intentional, and helpful answer.

Make sure to save your answers separately, as Qualtrics has been known to delete answers upon refreshing.

Director of Programming Vacancy Election

Following Executive Order 22-01, Executive Order 22-02, and the provisions outlined in our Governing Documents, applications are now open for RHA’s Director of Programming position, which is currently being filled in an interim/appointment capacity by Gabe Gauderman.

Interested candidates should fill out this application by 4:00pm on Wednesday, September 15; more details regarding the RHA Elections procedure can be found in our Elections Code and/or by contacting RHA’s current Executive President at rha-president@housing.gatech.edu.

Executive Order 22-02: Interim DOP Appointment

Last Monday, I announced the resignation of RHA’s elected Director of Programming and explained the need for an emergency application and appointment process to fill the new vacancy. I’m excited to announce that the first round of the search process—an internal search—yielded four qualified applicants for the position. Following careful consideration of each candidate’s application, resume, qualifications, commitments, and energy for the position, I’m pleased to announce that a further search is not needed and Gabe Gauderman will serve as RHA’s Interim Director of Programming, effective immediately, until the first Legislative Council session of the Fall 2021 semester.

Gabe has previously served with RHA as a Hall Council Officer in the Third Street community during the 2020 – 2021 academic year and has a demonstrated history of achievement and excellence in the residential landscape. The recipient of this past year’s Meetings Coordinator of the Year award and leader of the Hall Council of the Year, Gabe has engaged in nearly every facet of RHA and contributed immensely to developing the residential student experience in his community. Both outside and inside RHA, he planned 18 events during his first year at Georgia Tech and has worked first-hand with RHA’s Permanent Improvement process, which the Director of Programming currently oversees. Gabe understands the scope of the organization and, I’m confident, will be able to meaningfully contribute to not just his roles and responsibilities as Director of Programming but also the larger development and success of the organization. A great resource for running successful and engaging meetings, planning events, building community, advertising initiatives, engaging residents in submitting bills and attending Hall Council, pursuing large-scale projects for his residence halls, and collaborating with diverse groups across campus, Gabe Gauderman will be a great addition to our team.

When it comes time to do so, I hope that the Legislative Branch will support this decision emphatically. I’ve made this decision with the support and advice of the rest of the Executive Board and believe that this is the best decision for the protection and successful operation of the organization.

Respectfully signed,

Bryan M. Gomez, 2021-2022 Executive President

Executive Order 22-01: DOP Vacancy and Appointment Process

On April 26, 2021, RHA’s elected Director of Programming (DOP), Maria Costa, amicably resigned from her position for personal and medical reasons. Because RHA’s Legislative Council is not currently in session—and won’t be until Fall 2021—and per Article VIII, Section C of the organization’s Constitution, I, as the Executive President of the organization, have the authority to appoint an eligible candidate as an interim officer to fill the vacancy of the Director of Programming position.

Until an interim is appointed, I shall fulfill all duties and responsibilities of the position. Once an interim is appointed, they will remain in the position until the first Legislative Council meeting of the Fall 2021 semester, which is tentatively scheduled for September 2021, during which elections for the position will be held and the Legislative Council will formally elect a successor to the position. It is my intent to appoint an interim who fully plans on and will commit to serving in the elected Director of Programming position for the entire 2021-2022 term, in addition to their role as an interim DOP.

Although, come Fall, the Legislative Council will formally and constitutionally have the right to elect a new successor to the position—different from the interim officer appointed—I strongly recommend and encourage that the Legislative Council treat the election as a confirmation, formally electing the candidate who was appointed as an interim and not another candidate who may run for the position. The situation that is before us—of a vacancy that must be filled by appointment while Legislative Council is out of session for at least four months—is unprecedented, and the organization will benefit from as little turnover as possible. Over the next four months, the interim Director of Programming that I appoint will receive comprehensive training, contribute hundreds of hours to the organization, and begin planning campus-wide programming for the entire 2021-2022 academic year. By the time elections are held in Fall 2021, it is my belief that there will be no better candidate for the position than the interim officer that has been appointed.

To fill the vacancy for the Director of Programming position, I will conduct an internal search for a successor candidate starting Monday, April 26, 2021. This internal search will last no longer than a week; if, after one week, an internal search has not yielded an adequate interim, I will begin an external, resident-wide search for a successor starting Monday, May 3. This external search is to last, at most, two weeks. If, by Monday, May 17, an adequate successor has not been identified, the search for an interim will be called off, and the position will remain vacant until further notice, with the Executive President fulfilling all duties and responsibilities of the position until election proceedings can resume, per the normal methods, once Legislative Council is back in session.

Respectfully signed,

Bryan M. Gomez, 2021-2022 Executive President