2024 Board Nominees

Election of your new Board of Directors and Office Holders

At our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 11, 2024, the available seats on the 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 their say in who governs our association.

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

Each member will vote for three (3) 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 two (2) candidates receiving the most votes will be elected as Directors.

Meet the nominees

Listed in alphabetical order.

Nominees for Vice President

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 Ordinary Director

You will be asked to vote for the three (3) people who you would like to form the Board of Directors, including people you have already voted for for office holder positions (such as Vice President). If your preferred person is not elected to the office holder position, they can still be elected to the board as an Ordinary Director.

Jeff Donaldson <span>(He/Him)</span>

Jeff Donaldson (He/Him)

Canada

My professional and personal life is grounded in the power of human relationships to change the course of society, to protect the vulnerable and to argue for the fair allocation of scarce resources. Read more

Jeff Donaldson

My professional and personal life is grounded in the power of human relationships to change the course of society, to protect the vulnerable and to argue for the fair allocation of scarce resources. I work in the disaster and emergency management field, both as a professor and entrepreneur. As a veteran, I've seen the power of social capital, leveraged for good across the globe. I champion preparedness, the idea that with an investment of time and effort, building a community of trusted relationships, we can create a better society, more resilient and robust in the face of climate change, economic, political and ideological conflicts across the globe. I wish to serve on the board to continue my work in growing the reach of ISCA, to introduce social capital into new fields, and to continue broadening the membership of the Special Interest Group on Disaster Resilience within ISCA. Voting for me means supporting a long term commitment, with an intent to be part of this board for a decade, to create stability and trust.

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

Gyanendra Rawat

Gyanendra Rawat

India

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.

Six submissions were received in 2024. Unfortunately, several of the nominees were not members of the association and, therefore, are not eligible to serve on the board. Following the review process, only four of the nominees are eligible for election.

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