Why are we having another election for the Caucus Officers?
The Caucus must have leadership. Caucus Executive Committee recommends and presents the eligible, best qualified, and willing candidates for the Officer slate to Caucus Members for election each year to lead the Caucus.
What is the role of Caucus Officers?
Caucus Officers provide the administrative leadership to the Caucus Committee so it can fulfill its mission to serve the residents of Lake Forest by identifying, vetting, and recommending the best qualified volunteers to serve on boards and commissions and elected positions in Lake Forest municipal government without bias or agenda. Officers, like other Caucus Committee Members, have only one vote during Caucus Committee meetings.
Who is the proposed slate?
- Joe Oriti, President
- Regina Etherton, Vice President
- Dale Tauke, Secretary
- Fred Brewer, Treasurer
- Jennifer McGregor, Fundraising
- Mark Pickett, External Communications
- Armando Guzman, Internal Communications
Why are these the most qualified Officer candidates?
Five of the six Caucus Committee Officers eligible for President per the Bylaws do not want to serve in that role. This leaves one eligible member – Joe Oriti – to serve as President. Joe is also, in the judgment of the Caucus Committee, the best qualified to serve as President. All Officer candidates have demonstrated the skills (leadership, problem solving, project management, finance, technical, marketing, communication, collaboration, teamwork, etc.), experience, dedication, and willingness to serve.
Why should you vote for these Officer candidates?
Officer recommendations are merit based, just like the process the Caucus Committee uses to recommend volunteers for appointment to Lake Forest municipal government board, commission and elected positions. These are the eligible, best qualified, and willing Caucus Committee members to do the work.
Why isn’t there a vote for each Officer candidate individually?
A strong Officer team is optimally constructed by considering the skills and abilities of candidate members together, not individually, and selecting members who will make the team stronger by utilizing their collective strengths. The Caucus Committee has the deepest insight and clearest perspective into this to determine who is eligible, qualified, and importantly willing to serve as the next Caucus Officers, to ensure that the duties of the Caucus Committee are fulfilled on behalf of all Lake Forest residents.
Were other Caucus Committee members considered for Officers?
Yes. Some of the Caucus Committee members who would be eligible for non-President Officer positions have chosen not to take on this significant responsibility, for varying reasons. Some are fairly new to the Caucus Committee and don’t yet have the requisite experience. Others, who have not demonstrated the requisite skills to execute the responsibilities of Officers, would not be good candidates to take on the more demanding responsibilities of an Officer.
Why are most of the Officer candidates from Ward 4?
Officer recommendations are merit based, not geographic based. Where one lives in Lake Forest has no bearing on an individual’s ability to do the work required of Officers – to lead, create strategy, communicate, market, fundraise, maintain websites and technical systems, etc. The Caucus Committee does not make decisions – or take action – based on biases influenced by the geographic location of Officer – or any Caucus Committee member – housing.
Why are the Officer candidates largely unchanged from the previous slate?
These are the eligible, best qualified, and willing Caucus Committee members to lead the Caucus and do the work. They have the time to do the work. Only one person is eligible – and willing – to be President. Joe Oriti is also, in the judgment of the Caucus Committee, the best qualified to serve as President. This is the leadership team that has the skills and experience to help him fulfill the Caucus mission.
Why should you come out and vote to support the Caucus and these candidates?
To help sustain the wonderful quality of life we have in Lake Forest. The Caucus for over 90 years has helped make Lake Forest great by identifying, vetting, and recommending the best qualified volunteers to serve on boards and commissions and elected positions in Lake Forest municipal government without bias or agenda. The Caucus keeps partisanship out of Lake Forest municipal government.