2022 Board Nominees

Election of your new Board of Directors and Office Holders

At our first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 28, 2022, the full Board of Directors and Office Holders will be elected by our members.

Every member of ISCA is encouraged to review the nominees below so that you can make an informed vote at the AGM to elect the members who you believe will be best for the association. You can read their profiles and click to watch short videos, their CV, and other professional information.

How voting will work

ISCA members are eligible to attend the virtual online AGM and vote to have your say in who governs our association.

Each member will vote for one (1) candidate for each office holder position: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Each member will vote for nine (9) candidates for Ordinary Board positions. When votes are counted, the candidates who have been elected to Office Holder positions will be removed from the list and the five (5) candidates receiving the most votes will be elected as Directors.

Meet the nominees

Listed in alphabetical order.

Nominees for President

Tristan Claridge <span>(he/him)</span>

Tristan Claridge (he/him)

New Zealand

I am the current President of ISCA and Director for the Institute for Social Capital. I have a deep passion for social capital, and I believe the concept has great potential to be transformative... Read more

Tristan Claridge

I am the current President of ISCA and Director for the Institute for Social Capital. I have a deep passion for social capital, and I believe the concept has great potential to be transformative to a wide range of applications. I have been helping and supporting social capital researchers and practitioners for over 15 years, and ISCA has grown out of this passion. Since early 2020, I held regular social capital events with free and open access for everyone in the world. From these events and my website audience, a community of several thousand people formed, and with Jacob Spanke’s significant and ongoing support, ISCA was formed in 2021.

I am passionate about ISCA’s vision, and I believe I have the experience and drive to continue to lead our association. I believe ISCA can be a global leader and can facilitate our members to be leaders in their fields and help to improve the application of social capital.

I have over 20 years of experience researching and applying social capital to a wide range of contexts. I am a geographer and environmental scientist with a passion for sustainable development and poverty alleviation. I have a bachelors and masters degree from the University of Queensland in Australia. I take an interdisciplinary perspective by combining the lessons of economics, sociology, political science, psychology, urban planning and any other discipline that contributes to understanding the concept of social capital.

In my professional career, I have worked in consulting, training, university lecturing, project management, and event management. I have started and operated several businesses in a range of different industries, and I have a strong background in volunteer work for non-profit and community-based organisations. I am a facilitator, teacher, and consultant, and I am happiest when I am helping people and organisations.

Nominees for Vice President

Marion Cornish

Marion Cornish

Australia

As a director nominee, I am fully qualified as a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. I was also a founding director of the International Social Capital Read more

Marion Cornish

As a director nominee, I am fully qualified as a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. I was also a founding director of the International Social Capital Research Association in January 2022. Currently, I am chair of both the Membership and Nomination committees. I bring considerable professional experience to the role of director
I am a highly experienced University lecturer with a demonstrated history of leadership in the higher education industry. My specialisations are strategy, leadership, management, human resources and organisational development.
My industry experience includes senior roles as Human Resource/Industrial Relations Manager for Qantas Airways at Sydney International Airport and in the implementation of Airline Logistics. I have also owned and operated a training organisation contracting to the Australian public sector.
Since 2002 I have explored the links between strategic thinking and social capital in the context of not-for-profit corporate governance. My research has focused on the social capital of non-executive directors and Bourdiesian analysis of networks enacting symbolic power in the form of cultural and social capital, utilising unique networks known as director interlocks. The context is currently the Australian not-for-profit organisations operating in the social space of the disability services field.
In the director role, I believe that ‘passion’, to describe a general commitment to both the organisation and the cause supported by that organisation, is critical to sustaining the commitment of voluntary directors.
I also believe that the inclusive practices of open strategy and shared leadership are appropriate for the leadership of ISCA’s academic and professional members. The leadership of professional organisations such as ISCA requires a focus on cultural and gender inclusivity as a basic expectation.
I am a member of the following organisations:
• International Society for Third Sector Research
• Australian and New Zealand Third Sector Research Group
• Rotary International ( Youth Director)

Jacob Spanke <span>(he/him)</span>

Jacob Spanke (he/him)

Germany

My experience: I have cofounded ISCA and are the current vice president. I have 15 years of experience in NGOs and project management. Read more

Jacob Spanke

My experience:
I have cofounded ISCA and are the current vice president. I have 15 years of experience in NGOs and projectmanagement.

My motivation:
I am passionate about social capital because it shows the value of the community + it offers a theory of middle range and connects several disciplines - both is needed in science. I want to create with ISCA a ecosystem where social capital research flourishes and where researchers and practioners get into a productive contact with each other.

Why should you vote for me:
- I am dedicated and hardworking.
- I like to get things done - that is important for ISCA in the moment
- I am a teamplayer and I like to ensure good team spirits
- I think ISCA was reasonably succesful in the last year and therefore it would be a good idea to continue.

If you have any questions, please get into contact with me any time!

Nominees for Secretary

Marion Cornish

Marion Cornish

Australia

As a director nominee, I am fully qualified as a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. I was also a founding director of the International Social Capital Read more

Emily Pitts <span>(she/her)</span>

Emily Pitts (she/her)

United Kingdom

As a current Director of ISCA I seek to continue to serve our members with integrity, diligence and commitment in the role of secretary. Since becoming a Director I have dedicated 1-2 days per week to ISCA... Read more

Emily Pitts

As a current Director of ISCA I seek to continue to serve our members with integrity, diligence and commitment in the role of secretary.

Since becoming a Director I have dedicated 1-2 days per week to ISCA, working mostly behind the scenes to create systems and processes to support ISCA to grow and flourish so that we can support members effectively. In this role I have undertaken secretarial tasks to a high standard on behalf of the Board and committees; managing data, writing organisational policies and procedures, managing project management software, co-managing volunteer recruitment and managing an international team online. Through this work I have demonstrated my skills in data management, report writing, copywriting, marketing, membership development, HR and volunteer management.

More broadly, I have experience in organisational development, marketing and communications, within education, creative industries and sport. At Womenclimb, a member organisation I founded and developed, I was responsible for all aspects of operational and strategic development. My current and previous experience demonstrate my hands-on practical skills in chairing and leading teams. This commitment to working hard for the organisation is important. ISCA is a new organisation which needs active, engaged Directors who can do the work required with integrity, to ensure it meets our members’ needs.

I am passionate about social capital and its potential to bring about positive social change. My vision for ISCA is to serve the needs of all practitioners, academics, students and others, providing opportunities for theory development and clarification, resources which support the varying needs of members and, crucially, a strong, vibrant and engaged community.

In summary, my knowledge of ISCA, my passion for the topic and my professional history serve as an excellent foundation to carry out the role of Secretary with commitment, skill and integrity, on behalf of you, our members.

Nicos Timotheou <span>(he/him)</span>

Nicos Timotheou (he/him)

Cyrpus

Dear colleagues-ISCA members, I am interested in serving as a member of the ISCA board of directors (BoD) for the following reasons: • I adopt and believe in ISCA's mission, vision, aims and values. Read more

Nicos Timotheou

Dear colleagues-ISCA members,
I am interested in serving as a member of the ISCA board of directors (BoD) for the following reasons:
• I adopt and believe in ISCA's mission, vision, aims and values.
• I have an intense interest in furthering the research on the concept of social capital (CS), especially in how it can be practically developed to benefit everyone and how it may be decreased or even destroyed in cases where it is exploited in a detrimental, adverse way.
• I am also interested in the relation between employing SC and social capitalism -in the sense of the participation of all employees in an economic entity's equity- which I believe can help increase productivity, innovation and value creation as well as individual employee welfare and happiness.
• I am a pensioner with very little professional activity and ample time to devote to ISCA.
• I have a long experience in project and program management, executive management, management consultancy and serving on BoDs of private enterprises, state-owned organizations (e.g., the University of Cyprus) and NGOs (such as the Cyprus Sections of IEEE and EBEN).
• I have personal experience in developing SC with excellent positive results while CEO of the 2500-employee state-owned Cyprus Telecoms and observed its SC destruction a few years later under a different BoD and Management with very detrimental effects for both the organization and its stakeholders (the employees in moral and income, the state in revenue and fame and the customers in delays of service development and quality).
• I honestly believe I can add value to ISCA and help realize its mission, vision and aims.
I wish ISCA every success in its noble mission and vision.
Nicos

Nominees for Treasurer

Mark Chubb <span>(he/him)</span>

Mark Chubb (he/him)

United States

As the International Social Capital Association embarks on a historic transition to an organization with global reach and seeks to build influence by promoting greater understanding of this field and its study, I offer myself for service as on the board of directors. Read more

Mark Chubb

As the International Social Capital Association embarks on a historic transition to an organization with global reach and seeks to build influence by promoting greater understanding of this field and its study, I offer myself for service as on the board of directors. I bring extensive international experience in organizational governance, including current service as the chairman of the Board of Directors and Trustees of the Institution of Fire Engineers. This experience has prepared me to assist the ISCA in advancing its governance consistent with international norms and the expectations of a growing and engaged membership. Over my 40-year career, I have held senior executive leadership roles in public and private sector organizations for more than 25 years. In these positions, my responsibilities included strategic planning, budgeting, business development, financial accountability, staffing, risk management, and external relations. My interest in social capital emerged from my work as an emergency management practitioner and a disaster risk reduction academic. I look forward to serving the members during this important phase of ISCA's growth and development.

Nominees for Ordinary Director

You will be asked to vote for the nine (9) people who you would like to form the Board of Directors, including people you have already voted for for office holder positions (such as Secretary). If your preferred person is not elected to the office holder position, they can still be elected to the board as an Ordinary Director.

Mark Chubb <span>(he/him)</span>

Mark Chubb (he/him)

United States

As the International Social Capital Association embarks on a historic transition to an organization with global reach and seeks to build influence by promoting greater understanding of this field and its study, I offer myself for service as on the board of directors. Read more

Tristan Claridge <span>(he/him)</span>

Tristan Claridge (he/him)

New Zealand

I am the current President of ISCA and Director for the Institute for Social Capital. I have a deep passion for social capital, and I believe the concept has great potential to be transformative... Read more

Marion Cornish

Marion Cornish

Australia

As a director nominee, I am fully qualified as a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. I was also a founding director of the International Social Capital Read more

Jeff De Cagna <span>(he/him)</span>

Jeff De Cagna (he/him)

United States

Over more than 30 years, I have been on all sides of the association world: member, voluntary contributor, committee chair, board member, and advisor to boards and CEOs. Read more

Jeff De Cagna

Over more than 30 years, I have been on all sides of the association world: member, voluntary contributor, committee chair, board member, and advisor to boards and CEOs. My intrinsic motivation to serve on the ISCA Board of Directors flows from the belief that associations can make constructive contributions to addressing the world's wicked problems. As an association focused on social capital, I believe ISCA has the potential over time to become a uniquely-influential 21st-century societal institution that creates distinctive and meaningful value for its direct stakeholders and assists other organizations with applying social capital thinking and practice to strengthen their overall contributions and performance.

If elected to serve on the ISCA Board of Directors, in addition to my long experience working in and with associations, I will bring my background as a trained educator dedicated to the necessity of intentional learning, my expertise in stewardship, governing, and foresight, and my strong interest in renewing the beneficial impact of social capital in our turbulent world. In the earliest years of my association staff career, I also learned the importance of rolling up my sleeves and getting involved in the work that needs to be done, and I always will have that mindset as an ISCA Board director.

My personal commitment to ISCA Board service runs deep. Accepting board-level responsibility is a challenge at any time, and I have an exceptional level of respect for everyone who has made that choice during these last 2+ years of a global public health emergency, including the current directors and officers of ISCA. If elected to serve, their inspirational example will guide me as I collaborate with my new board colleagues to ensure our collective stewardship leaves ISCA better than we found it.

Edward DeJesus <span>(he/him)</span>

Edward DeJesus (he/him)

United States

As a young father in my teens growing up in the Bronx, N.Y., I had to make the decision to go to college or get a full-time rotating shift, fast food job. Read more

Edward DeJesus

As a young father in my teens growing up in the Bronx, N.Y., I had to make the decision to go to college or get a full-time rotating shift, fast food job. The problem - I would not be able to attend college because of the shift work the job required. When telling a good friend about hlmy predicament, I was advised, “Stop, I know someone who can help. You have another move.” Thanks to my best friend, and the social capital assets that I didn’t know I had, I was able to dodge the fast food job and get a full-time evening job working with unemployed homeless men in New York City and complete college.

Millions of present day young adults, are not taught about the importance of social capital nor supported in developing it. Most of the youth who i work with don't regularly speak with gainfully employed family members about their occupations. I know the importance of labor market connections and want to see more young people, especially those from underserved communities, make the most out of every possible interaction with those who can share helpful career information, resources and support.

As a Director of the ISCA, I can contribute to building an organization with the potential to reach millions of youth with the message that my best friend told me long ago: “Wait, we know someone who can help. You have another move."
My skill sets in program/partnership building, marketing and fundraising will allow ISCA to successfully grow over the next three years. Much of the work I do at Social Capital Builders will inform our membership and serve as a beacon to raise awareness of the discipline which we support.

Mike Delaney <span>(he/him)</span>

Mike Delaney (he/him)

United States

I am Mike Delaney, a retired minister. I was ordained in an ecumenical and interfaith tradition known as the Disciples of Christ in 1981. Briefly, I will recap with you why members might vote for me... Read more

Mike Delaney

I am Mike Delaney, a retired minister. I was ordained in an ecumenical and interfaith tradition known as the Disciples of Christ in 1981. Briefly, I will recap with you why members might vote for me, mention why I am nominating myself, and summarize my relevant skills using Sidney Fine’s three types of skills. They are knowledge skills, self-management skills, and transferable skills.

For the last year I have been honored and humbled to be in numerous ISCA webinar audiences, and along with other participants, I have experienced being remembered by name by this organization’s leaders. There are not many places where we can convene in first time global gatherings, and at the same time be addressed personally. ISCA’s founders and facilitators practice an ethos of respect without pretense in engaging and bonding with all of us as social capital prospects and learners. Developing cultures which transcend barriers has been long overdue, and I believe I can make a passionate contribution and conviction to this movement.

Inclusion and belonging are so important because I must often work hard at adapting to my surroundings and my environment as a person with lifelong heart disease and being on the autism spectrum. The most important skill I offer as a nominee is my skill of self-management/self-regulation. In order to adapt to my ever-changing surroundings and the ongoing changes within me, I have needed to continue growing in my self-awareness daily, and learning to maintain my existing and developing my new relationships. It’s a lot of work, good work. As the gifted musician Gaylynn Lea has said, “I believe people with disabilities know what it means to need to self-regulate every day of their lives.” She is right. ‘Hanging-on’ and ‘fitting-in’ increase the heavy loads we bare already. However, any of us who have experienced being disconnected and isolated will welcome the weight of social networking as rewarding.

While all of us have more knowledge skills than we can begin to imagine, the relevant ones I possess and can contribute here would be the skills of listening and speaking I practiced during my days of serving as a Northern Kentucky University lecturer and adjunct professor in the Communication Department (2002-2008). Since creating and developing NKY SEL (Social Emotional Learning, 2018-2022), and recently being certified as a YOGA/SEL instructor (2022), I have grown immensely in my self-awareness and practices of breathing, along with heart, mind, and body mindfulness. In the end, hopefully I offer you the experience of someone who must labor continuously to be included, and with whom you feel like you must work less hard to be invited and for belonging.

Charlotte Felix-Faure <span>(she/her)</span>

Charlotte Felix-Faure (she/her)

France

Hello, my name is Dr. Charlotte FELIX-FAURE. I’m a passionate advocate for entrepreneurship and social capital, especially when they are inclusive, emancipatory and transformative! Read more

Charlotte Felix-Faure

Hello, my name is Dr. Charlotte FELIX-FAURE
I’m a passionate advocate for entrepreneurship and social capital, especially when they are inclusive, emancipatory and transformative!

I am a South African born woman, entrepreneur, founder, change maker, academic, singer, wife and mother, established in France for the last 20 years!.

‘I believe in empowering women, and the youth, through helping them to engage in daring entrepreneurship. And what is entrepreneurship without social capital anyway?!’

I am a founder of:

‘Inclusive Entrepreneurship Academy', a community based organization working within South African townships. The main objective is to create contextualized and scientifically informed entrepreneurship educational models and tools to foster inclusive, sustainable and transformational entrepreneurship.

A South African interior design and fashion concept store brand, 'ITU Espace Design', based in France, established in 2009.

Tea, Cookies and Prayer, a tea, prayer and reading café since 2018.

I am a university lecturer and researcher in Entrepreneurship in France. And I am an experienced international sales, distribution, import/export, and retail professional and my interests lie in working in an environment that aims at improving the quality of life of people.

ITU Espace Design supports South African artisans, artists and designers in the interior design and life style markets by marketing and distributing their products to top international retailers, galleries, and museums.

Furthermore, I am a proud founding member of the International Social Capital Association (ISCA), founded in New Zealand. The ISCA is an international non-profit member-based association devoted to advancing the research on and the application of the social capital concept for the benefit of all.

REASONS YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR ME:

I believe in the power of Social Capital! And I plan to employ it to change lives in the townships of South Africa

I believe that to fully benefit from the power of Social Capital, there needs to be serious engagement, reflection, learning, exploring, and building awareness and partnerships.

I’m a self-starter, I have a can-do attitude, no task is too low for me. I believe in progress, I believe in people. I believe in collaboration and building networks. I have adequate experience in business, academia and associations on an international level. Most of all, I’m really motivated to serve this community!

Vote Charlotte!

Tara Jacobsen

Tara Jacobsen

Australia

With over 25 years’ experience in business growth, education and strategy, her skills in supporting organisations at all levels has been developed... Read more

Tara Jacobsen

With over 25 years’ experience in business growth, education and strategy, her skills in supporting organisations at all levels has been developed working with Monash, La Trobe and other global educators (vocational, workplace and tertiary) through change making projects. Tara has founded three education businesses in regional areas, one being a Registered Training Organisation. Tara has been the Program Designer and Facilitator on the USQ WiRE program.

Tara has previously held many board and chair roles in Australia at a local and national level in Australia. She is currently a business mentor for a number regional business chambers, mentor and judge on regional start-up weekends, business awards and innovation accelerator hubs. She is the Vice-President of Innovate Noosa and produces two podcasts the Importance of Being Human and On Track.

Tara lectures in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Strategy and Decision Making, Business, Leadership and Management for a number of leading Australian institutions and is currently undertaking her PhD on the impact of social capital on entrepreneurial outcomes in regional Australia.

Mario Marais <span>(he/him)</span>

Mario Marais (he/him)

South Africa

I live in a country with massive divides. Our youth unemployment rate is very high. The money that is available for development by the South African government is appreciable, with job... Read more

Mario Marais

I live in a country with massive divides. Our youth unemployment rate is very high. The money that is available for development by the South African government is appreciable, with job creation as the goal. Unfortunately, most of these funds focus on large infrastructure projects or technologically driven initiatives, of which the latest is the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Our President uses this concept in speeches and the government organisation that I work in, the CSIR (https://www.csir.co.za/), has had to adopt a 4IR strategy.

Given the shocking state of our education system, very few young people will be able to enter the 4IR job market.

The major focus is on the easy technical aspects of socio-technical systems and the “messy” social aspects are boxed into superficial “community participation” and “community development management” efforts.

Sustainable Development has been my research focus for the last 12 years and resulted in a PhD in Informatics. The focus was on the missing component of rural entrepreneur development in a broadband deployment project for rural schools, namely the role of social capital in supporting entrepreneurs supplying ICT-based services in rural communities. The value of the access to resources and the innovation creation via local relationships, is phenomenal.

My research and implementation have shifted to individual and regional level networks since this is where most of development spend occurs. I have joined the Network Weaving, Weaving Lab and Social Mapping communities to learn about facilitating the weaving together of individual personal and entity networks in a region. My mission is to stimulate research in social capital, social mapping and network weaving among global ICT4D and Community Informatics researchers and practitioners. A series of publications is planned. The first was “Network Weaving to Foster Resilience and Sustainability in ICT4D” in 2021. Let us work together!

Rick Mask <span>(he/him)</span>

Rick Mask (he/him)

United States

In his current role as Senior Associate Dean of International Programs for Southern New Hampshire University, Dr. Mask leads the efforts of the online delivery of programs in Latin America... Read more

Rick Mask

In his current role as Senior Associate Dean of International Programs for Southern New Hampshire University, Dr. Mask leads the efforts of the online delivery of programs in Latin America and India and oversees SNHUs on-the-ground international partnerships at Vietnam International University and INTI International University in Malaysia.

In addition to his roles at SNHU Dr. Mask is also a leadership strategy consultant, the author of Social Capital 2.0 and a founding board member and the Treasurer of the International Social Capital Association. For the last decade Dr. Mask has been leading and developing teams through skills gained in the classroom and in the field. Dr. Mask focuses his work of growing human capital within organizations by utilizing neuroscience, the constructs of social capital and the principles presented in The Leadership Challenge. Dr. Mask guides organizations to an understanding of what it takes to lead others through the removal of personal barriers and the creation of true human connection.

In regards to higher education specifically, Dr. Mask has held various positions. Through his doctorate Dr. Mask worked as a teaching assistant at Capella University and at SNHU has worked as a face-to-face and online adjunct instructor, Associate Dean for SNHU Global Campus Business, Interim Dean, and Director International Online Programs.

In addition to a DBA (Capella University), an MA in Education Administration (Bethel University) and two BFAs (University of Tennessee), Dr. Mask has also completed various certificate courses through the University of Iceland, Harvard University, Dartmouth College, and MIT.

Geeta Mehta <span>(she/her)</span>

Geeta Mehta (she/her)

United States

Nomination Withdrawn
Dr. Geeta Mehta is an adjunct professor of urban design at Columbia University, and has worked on urbanism projects in twelve countries in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. Read more

Geeta Mehta

Dr. Geeta Mehta is an adjunct professor of urban design at Columbia University, and has worked on urbanism projects in twelve countries in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. She has brought the concept of Social Capital to the forefront at Columbia’s Urban Design Studios to deal with climate change and urbanism in a manner that supports local ecologies, communities and economies.

Geeta is the founder of Asia Initiatives, and the innovator of Social Capital Credits, a community currency for social good that has received several awards from MIT SOLVE, and the World Changing Idea Award from the Fast Company and many others. Women’s eNews recognized her as one of the 21 Leaders of the 21st Century.

Geeta is also the co-founder of URBZ: User Generated Cities (www.urbz.net), an organization that works with grassroots organizations to improve neighborhoods. They have done that in Mumbai, Geneva, Istanbul, Rio and Tokyo.

Geeta serves on the New York City Mayor’s Waterfront Management Advisory Board, and on the boards of the Center for the Living City and WomenStrong International. She served as the president of the American Institute of Architects’ Japan Chapter while she lived in Tokyo. She is also the co-author of six books.

More about her is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geeta_Mehta and at https://www.arch.columbia.edu/faculty/52-geeta-mehta

Emily Pitts <span>(she/her)</span>

Emily Pitts (she/her)

United Kingdom

As a current Director of ISCA I seek to continue to serve our members with integrity, diligence and commitment in the role of secretary. Since becoming a Director I have dedicated 1-2 days per week to ISCA... Read more

Marcelo Siles <span>(he/him)</span>

Marcelo Siles (he/him)

United States

I hold a PhD in Applied Economics from Michigan State University, where my doctoral dissertation focused on The Role of Social Capital in Michigan’s Credit Markets (1992). Read more

Marcelo Siles

I hold a PhD in Applied Economics from Michigan State University, where my doctoral dissertation focused on The Role of Social Capital in Michigan’s Credit Markets (1992). To my knowledge, it was the first dissertation on social capital in the area of Applied Economics and I have been working on social capital related research since. It allowed me to publish three books, one in cooperation with the United States Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC, 2003), along with publications in book chapters and academic journals.

For over 6 years, I was Co-Director of the Social Capital Initiative at Michigan State University, which included the participation of faculty, graduate students, and staff from 8 different colleges and 18 departments. After collaborating for a year, we agreed on a definition of social capital accepted by all the participant’s disciplines.

I played a key role organizing the first two international conferences on social capital, the first one at Michigan State University (1998) and the second in collaboration with ECLAC in Santiago de Chile (2001). The conference in Chile brought more than 400 international scholars and practitioners; as a result, we were able to produce a book on Social Capital and Poverty Reduction in Latin America, both in English and Spanish.

I have taught several courses related to social capital at Michigan State University and in study abroad programs in Mexico, Peru, and Argentina.
I participated in several research projects on social capital, both at domestic and international levels, which produced many papers published in reputable journals. My research experience and publications also gave me opportunities to present at domestic and international conferences.

Based on my background, I have vast experience in social capital related issues, which support why members should vote for my application to ISCA Board of Directors.

Jacob Spanke <span>(he/him)</span>

Jacob Spanke (he/him)

Germany

My experience: I have cofounded ISCA and are the current vice president. I have 15 years of experience in NGOs and project management. Read more

Nicos Timotheou <span>(he/him)</span>

Nicos Timotheou (he/him)

Cyrpus

Dear colleagues-ISCA members, I am interested in serving as a member of the ISCA board of directors (BoD) for the following reasons: • I adopt and believe in ISCA's mission, vision, aims and values. Read more

Linda Wendling <span>(she/her)</span>

Linda Wendling (she/her)

United States

Along with my academic credentials, a Juris Doctor and an LLM (post-doctoral master degree) in Environmental Law with a Certificate in Climate Change, I bring a couple of decades worth of organizational experience. Read more

Linda Wendling

Along with my academic credentials, a Juris Doctor and an LLM (post-doctoral master degree) in Environmental Law with a Certificate in Climate Change, I bring a couple of decades worth of organizational experience. I have been trained in operational / process excellence through the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology and am a trained quality examiner. The Excellence Framework has application to the non-profit sector that can drive improvement in fulfilling ISCA’s mission. My experience and talents in identifying synergistic inter-organizational, collaborative opportunities, professional writing, organizing conference agendas, along with my inter-personal and presentation skills, will serve the ISCA Board well. I have served on other non-profit, social concern boards and understand not only the need for vibrant interactions to spur progress towards the organization’s goals, but the delight that those interactions engender to further galvanize impactful action by building communities of knowledge and hope.

What does social capital mean to me? I believe it is my ethical obligation to embrace the humanistic approach to solving problems; to keep learning, keep working through difficulties, and keep believing that sustainable solutions exist in the face of adversity. This was clearly demonstrated when I was privileged to work at the Paris Climate Conference (COP21) as a delegate to assist Myanmar by preparing daily analysis of proceedings for their position papers for international negotiations. I cried as the announcement came that the Agreement had been signed by all Parties. That moment captured what is the essence of social capital – creating unity through capitalizing on the diversity of these communities to focus on a common goal for the benefit of every human being on the planet.

David Williams <span>(he/him)</span>

David Williams (he/him)

Australia

David is a multipotentialite with a background in project management in the construction and defence industries. He is now the Principal Specialist, Intelligence... Read more

David Williams

David is a multipotentialite with a background in project management in the construction and defence industries. He is now the Principal Specialist, Intelligence & Information Systems in a government agency. David has a Diploma in engineering, a Master’s degree in Project Management and is currently finalising a PhD in sociology. He is a Certified Practicing Project Director and a Chartered Project Professional. David also designs and delivers academic courses on project management and systems design at the research School of Management at the Australian National University after 7 years teaching at the University of Canberra. He is a Member of the Order of Australia and is the 2019 ACT Australian of Year - Local Hero. David has been a member of the Social Capital & Organisational Culture group for 2 years and is active in ISCA events. David is the President of the Australian Society for Knowledge Management, is on the Board of the Institute for Information Management, member of the Board of Education for the Australasian College of Podiatric Surgeons. As a result, he has extensive experience on how associations operate and he is able to bring that experience to ISCA.

Nomination Process

The Nomination Committee established a robust and transparent process for accepting and reviewing nominations for the Board of Directors. More details about the process can be found here.

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