SND polls still open (until 11 p.m. EST Dec. 15)!

SND members... now is the time! If you haven't already cast your ballot for SND's 2011 leadership, you have until 11 p.m. EST Dec. 15. Dig out your election notification email (it has the polling link and your password). You can call or email HQ for a resend if you can't find it. Or you may have to renew your membership in order to vote (there's still time). 

LINK: Still more questions and answers about the SND 2011 election from executive director Stephen Komives.

Secretary/treasurer candidate Colin Smith makes his case to SND members

"With only one day left to vote in the Society for News Design elections, I wanted to take this moment to strongly urge all SND members who have yet to cast their ballot to do so. And while your vote is important, your involvement is doubly so. SND, like the industry it represents, is evolving, and we need your help to continue to reflect not just the needs of the current membership, but those who have yet to join who will be working in jobs that have yet to be created. This is an exciting time for journalism and the need for clever, interesting and innovative storytelling, branding and navigation has never been more important. But this evolution cannot happen without your continued support and input... (more)"

Click to read more ...

Secretary/treasurer candidate Rob Schneider states his case to SND members

"Hi, my name is Rob Schneider, and I believe in the power of the Society for News Design. I know the impact and influence that it has had in my life. More importantly, I'm excited and optimistic about the power SND can have in the future. As an SND member, I urge you to vote before the Dec. 15 deadline so your voice can be heard...(more)"

Click to read more ...

2011 SND officers ballot announced

SND.org has announced this year's ballot of SND candidates and details of the election process:

Two highly skilled journalists have been selected by the Executive Committee for your consideration for the office of 2011 SND secretary/treasurer.

The candidates are Rob Schneider of The Dallas Morning News and Colin Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune.

We’ll also be asking you to cast your vote for President and Vice President.

The candidates are Steve Dorsey of the Detroit Media Partnership and Jonathon Berlin of the Chicago Tribune, respectively. They are both running unopposed. For all offices, there is also a write-in option.

Members will receive voting instructions soon via email through our elections coordinator, vote-now.com. The ballot will be open through Dec. 15.

Read bios of all the candidates and watch for election updates on SND.org.

Please join me in saluting all the candidates for their volunteerism and leadership.

SND's been here before; we can do it again

The Society for News Design faces many unique issues this year – an ugly and quite public upheaval in our leadership, plummeting membership, increased costs coupled with the long-term effect of the stock market on our investments, and then there’s the ripple effects of the newspaper industry’s own tailspin.

Clearly, we have our work cut out for us.

But SND began life during a time of extreme change: tools and technology were changing, the needs of the newsroom were in flux and the methods of storytelling were poised to grow by leaps and bounds. We've been here and we helped bridge the gap once before. We can do it again.

I'm running for vice president and need your vote so I can continue to serve the Society through this troublesome time, as I have for nearly 20 years.