GATS Election 2023 – Update 01/09/2024

GATS Elections 2023 – Official Results Announcement

Vanakkam GATS Members, and a Happy New Year 2024!

We are excited to share the outcomes of the GATS Elections 2023. This year’s election was unique as several positions were filled through different processes.

Firstly, the following board members were selected through a detailed selection process, meeting specific criteria and requirements:

At-Large Director (3-year term): Krithika Bharathi
At-Large Director (3-year term): Sengodan Anbazhakan
At-Large Director (2-year term): Gokul Rajendran
At-Large Director (1-year term): Raji Perumal

Additionally, we had a set of positions where elections were held, but the candidates were uncontested as only one person applied for each role. These members have been duly elected to their respective positions:

President: Vathsala Soundarapandiyan
Vice-President: Sooryakumar Thoppan
Treasurer: Suresh Thayumanavan
Communication Director: Rajarajan Lakshmikanthan
Secretary: Sithanathan Anantharaman

We congratulate all members who have stepped into these vital roles, either through selection or uncontested elections. Your commitment and enthusiasm for serving Greater Atlanta Tamil Sangam [GATS] are commendable and greatly appreciated.

We are enthusiastic about the year ahead and look forward to the contributions and leadership each of you will bring to your roles.

Best wishes for a successful and fulfilling term!

Sincerely,
Ezhilan Ramarajan, Chief Election Officer
Palanisamy Veerappan, Election Officer
Baskar Innaci Arockiasamy, Election Officer
GATS Election Committee (2023)
Greater Atlanta Tamil Sangam

GATS Elections 2023 – Updates 12/13/2023

GATS 2023 Election – Call for Nominations
GATS Elections – Executive Committee (EC) 2024 & At-Large Director (BOD) 2024-26

Dear GATS Members:
GATS is pleased to issue the call for nominations for volunteers to serve the community in various official capacities in the year 2024.
We invite nominations for all Officer positions in the Executive Committee (EC) and for the upcoming vacancies for At-Large Directors serving in the Board of Directors (BOD).
Executive Committee (EC) Positions (Serving Year 2024):

  • 5 officer positions (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Communications Director) with 1-year service term.

At-Large Director (BOD) Positions: Serving years 2024 thru 2026.

  • 2 At-Large Director Positions with a 3-year term(2024-2026).
  • 1 At-Large Director Position with a 2-year term(2024).
  • 1 At-Large Director Position with a 1-year term(2024-2025).

Guidelines:
As per the guidelines in the current GATS By-Laws regarding election and voting procedures, nominations are invited from aspiring volunteer candidates willing to serve GATS in the EC and BOD.

Active GATS members in good standing, as per Bylaw Section 5.2, are eligible to contest in the elections.  Also, refer to the GATS Member Agreement (GATS Policies & Procedures – Article 5) that all GATS members must accept and abide by.

  • An active GATS member in good standing can be a volunteer candidate and can file a self-nomination only for a single post.
  • Executive Committee Candidates must be active members in good standing and who have been paid members of the Sangam for at least 2 consecutive years as of January 31, 2023.
  • Board of Directors positions requires at least 5 consecutive years of paid membership as of January 31, 2023.
  • Please refer to Article 3 of the GATS Policies & Procedures document for important election-related policies.

Please refer to the GATS Bylaw on the GATS website https://gatamilsangam.org/  if you need reference.

Nomination Form, Campaign Guidelines & Candidate Agreement:

Please use the following link for the nomination form, campaign guidelines, and candidate agreement. Fill out and sign the nomination form and candidate agreement.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Nx9z7hZhCtKKq8zeJl9Q4JlD3H30VlxD?usp=sharing

Before filing the nomination as a candidate, please ascertain that you have the interest and willingness to serve GATS without interruption in the year 2024 in the EC or till the year 2026 as an At-Large Director in the Board.  Proof of your membership payment(s) for the required consecutive number of years of membership should be attached to the nomination form, along with the required Candidate Agreement. The nomination should be sent to Election Committee at Electioncommittee@gatamilsangam.org

Some important dates you can look forward to in this Election:

December 1, 2023 – Nominations are open.

December 5, 2023 – Last day for Submitting Nominations to the Election Committee

December 9, 2023 – Last day for Withdrawing Nominations with the Election Committee

December 9, 2023 – Last day for submitting candidate profile and agreement to the Election Committee.

December 15-16, 2023 – Election Day.

Elections will be held this year in case of more than one candidate contesting for a single officer post in the Executive Committee member post or more than 2 contesting for the At-Large Director posts in the Board.  Online Voting will be used for GATS elections.  GATS members must have their valid and unique email addresses and mobile phone numbers for each adult member of their household in the GATS member database. GATS shall not be liable for any lack of or inaccuracy of information.

The Election Committee strongly recommends that all members update their household voter records in the GATS members database online. We request members follow the detailed instructions we will be sending soon in GATS newsletters.  GATS sends multiple reminders to keep your member profile current. GATS will not be liable if your voting rights are impacted due to incorrect or missing mandatory information in your membership profile.  Thanks for your understanding and kind cooperation!

Election Day is Friday-Saturday, December 15-16th, 2023.

The Election Committee will announce the results of the GATS 2024 Elected Executive Committee Members and Board Members to the GATS General Body members on December 17th, 2023, via the GATS newsletter.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Election Committee at Electioncommittee@gatamilsangam.org

Sincerely,

GATS Election Committee 2023
Ezhilan Ramarajan (Chief Election Officer)
Palanisamy Veerappan (Election Officer)
Baskar Innasi Arockiasamy (Election Officer)