Student Association President Alexandra Curtis nominated Duane Ford, vice chair of the Student Life Committee, for vice president for the association’s 57th session.

During winter break, Curtis nominated Ford, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as seven others to cabinet positions, including vice president, chief of staff and chairpersons to the association’s committees. Nominees must be confirmed by the general assembly at the first SA meeting, which is scheduled for Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Maxwell Auditorium.

Curtis said she nominated individuals who she felt genuinely desired to both better and inspire the campus community.

“I’m here to lead SA, but I also want to help inspire the members … and I wanted to find people who had that same ability,” Curtis said.

During the vice president search, Curtis said she considered candidates who best aligned with her values and found that Ford matched her enthusiasm, desire for helping people and hard work.

As vice chair of the Student Life Committee, Ford served on the Food Services Advisory Board. He acted as a liaison between students and food services, working on projects such as relocating Pringles potato chips from the top rows of vending machines to the bottom rows, so the packaging doesn’t open when dispensed, Curtis said.

“It needs to be someone who is an extension of you and your values,” Curtis said, describing her thought process behind the nomination. “We have big personalities and I think that plays off very well in working together,” she added.

In addition to working as vice chair of Student Life, Ford served as Curtis’s campaign manager during her bid for president. Throughout the four-candidate race, Ford helped weather “mudslinging” from other campaigns and kept those who belonged on Curtis’s campaign “acting out of the utmost integrity,” she said.

Moving forward, Ford is coordinating a president’s summit for recognized student organizations. The meeting will serve as a forum for students to clear up confusion about the funding process for campus organizations, Curtis said.

PJ Alampi, a junior film major who ran for president in the fall and came in second to Curtis, was nominated to the Chief of Staff position. Alampi served as chair of the Student Life Committee in the fall, where he created the Food Services Advisory Board that Ford served on.

Curtis said she’s fielded concern from some who fear history is “repeating” by nominating a former presidential opponent to Chief of Staff. In April, Taylor Carr, a junior public relations major stepped down as chief of staff after being nominated to the position by Dylan Lustig. Carr lost to Lustig in the election for president of the 56th session. Carr told The Daily Orange in April that his job as chief of staff — advising the president and vice president had become “pointless.”

“Things have just gone the opposite of what I have hoped for. My job is pointless. The advising is mute and not needed,” he said at the time.

Curtis, who called Alampi one of her closest friends at SU, said Alampi ensured he wouldn’t depart early.

“When I talked to PJ, he assured me he wouldn’t leave, he loved SA,” Curtis said.

The remaining nominations for cabinet positions are as follow:

• Ivan Rosales was nominated as the chair of the Student Life Committee.
• Jenny Choi was nominated chair of the Academic Affairs Committee.
• Janine Savage was nominated Chair of Student Engagement.
• Cara Johnson and Colin Crowley were nominated as co-chairs of the Public Relations Committee.

Additionally, Lynde Folsom will return as Judicial Review chairperson and Stephen DeSalvo was re-elected in the fall to a second term as SA comptroller. Three remaining cabinet positions — recorder, parliamentarian and the Board of Elections and Membership chair — will be voted for by SA’s general assembly.

Published on January 9, 2013 at 6:58 pm

Contact Debbie: [email protected] | @debbietruong