Leadership

The Society of American Mosaic Artists is governed by a member-elected volunteer Board of Trustees responsible for the policies, programs, and fiduciary well-being of the organization.

The board and dedicated member volunteers are supported by our Executive Director, Dawnmarie Zimmerman,  who is responsible for strategic guidance to the Board, management of staff and independent contractors and the execution and administration of programs.  She is assisted by and Operations Manager, Chris Forillo.  They can be reached at: mailto:info@americanmosaics.org

SAMA Board

The thirteen trustees are drawn from the spectrum of the mosaic community and the board can include artists, aficionados, writers, educators, and suppliers. They serve a three-year term and may be reelected for one additional three-year term. The board convenes every six weeks by conference call and face-to-face twice a year at an annual board retreat and in conjunction with the annual conference.

Officers of the board, elected by the trustees, include the president, president-elect, vice president, secretary and treasurer. They form the Executive Committee of the board, which meets every six weeks. The executive director also participates in the meeting.

SAMA Officers President :  Shug Jones  Vice-President:  Gwyn Kaitis Secretary:  Yvonne Allen Treasurer:  Jim Penak   Board of Trustees Yvonne Allen Karen Ami Dianne Crosby Susannah Dryden Shug Jones Gwyn Kaitis Jim Penak Sharon Plummer Hillary Sloate Advisory Board The advisory board members support the board of trustees by bringing additional expertise, view points, and information to the board's decision-making process. Advisory board members participate fully in board meetings, but do not have voting power. They also serve on various committees. Monica Agnew Julie Dilling Kim Emerson Brian Felix Committee Chairs Education - Hillary Sloate Exhibitions - Karen Ami Finance - Jim Penak  Governance - Dianne Crosby Nominations - Yvonne Allen Membership – Yvonne Allen PR - Gwyn Kaitis Publications - Susannah Dryden  Scholarship - Julie Dilling Sponsorship - Sharon Plummer Web - Julie Dilling Staff Executive Director – Dawnmarie Zimmerman Operations Manager – Chris Forillo Groutline Production - 2B Creative, Barbara Coots and Barbara Dybala Webmaster – Bill Buckingham Conference and Special Projects Graphic Artist - Tim Stassines

Becoming A Board Member

Board members are elected by the membership each year at the annual meeting held during the conference. The nominations committee collects the names of people interested in serving on the board, conducts interviews, and recommends a slate of nominees for a vote by the membership. Proxy ballots are mailed to the Membership approximately one month prior to this meeting.

Each year in December, the nominating committee solicits names of candidates to fill upcoming board vacancies. Criteria for nomination include: expertise as needed by SAMA to execute current programs, past volunteer work with the organization, and conference attendance. Interviews are conducted and a slate of nominees is recommended for a vote by the membership. Mid-year board and officer vacancies may be filled by a vote of the Board of Trustees and ratified at the annual member meeting.

If you are interested in a board position, please provide your resume accompanied by a letter of interest to the nominating committee at nominations@americanmosaics.org  at any time. We look forward to hearing from you!