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Annual Affirmation Elections Approaching

Randall Thacker
Randall Thacker

November 3, 2014

by Olin Thomas

Affirmation is led by an Executive Committee consisting of a President, Senior Vice President, and Vice President, in conjunction with a Board of Directors. The President is directly elected by all current members and the two Vice Presidents are appointed by the President.  Each year, a call for nominations is made during the late summer, and nominations closed this year on October 15. Ballots are mailed in November to all members who financially supported Affirmation during the previous year.

This year we are trying out a new system of electronic voting. Your mailed ballot will have instructions on how to vote online and we strongly encourage you to use that system. Should you need to mail your ballot back, please ensure it is postmarked no later than December 1.  All online votes are due as well by 11:59 p.m. December 1.

There is a single candidate this year, but you may also write in a candidate if you wish. Randall Thacker’s statement of candidacy is published below. Pursuant to the bylaws, votes will be counted by Affirmation’s Corresponding Secretary and two other current paying members. The results will be announced in December.

If you have questions about your membership status or have recently moved, please contact Corresponding Secretary Olin Thomas by email at [email protected] or by phone at 703-864-5527.

 

Randall Thacker

Randall Thacker

Declaration of Candidacy: Randall Thacker

Dear Affirmation Family,

It has been an honor to work with you again during the past year as Affirmation President. We’ve had another amazing year in which our community of LGBT Mormons, Families & Friends has grown in number by leaps and bounds and has also grown in its capacity to fully meet people where they are in their journey and support them unconditionally. We are all stronger when we respect one of the first laws of heaven – agency – and are inclusive and supportive of all paths.  We truly are blessed to have each other to lean on and learn from as we navigate the joys and complexities at the intersection of LGBT and Mormonism.

In 2014, we not only had a beautiful retreat in historic Nauvoo and a record 450 people attend our annual conference in Salt Lake City, we also crossed international borders to México and held the first conference there in over a decade.  We also published a new Spanish website – www.afirmacion.org – helping LGBT Mormons who speak the 2nd most spoken language in Mormonism.  In the coming year we will continue our international outreach by holding gatherings in Chile, Argentina, and Europe; and our new Portuguese website, which is currently being developed, will also go live in early 2015.

Our wise Board of Directors and our energetic Leadership Team of more than 60 volunteers have given of significant time, money, creativity, and energy to serve you.  I am tremendously blessed to work with all of these selfless and Christlike sisters and brothers.

November is the month when you have the opportunity to vote for your Affirmation President. I look forward to the potential opportunity of serving another year as your President and hope to receive your vote of confidence. Let’s continue to move forward and extend our reach to the individual who needs our love and support and more broadly to the many thousands of LGBT Mormons, families and friends worldwide who are still looking for our support.

Sincerely,

Randall Thacker
President
Affirmation: LGBT Mormons, Families & Friends

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