As you have just heard from our President, the 2010 election is
now underway. With JAT’s 25th anniversary this year and
the momentum the current Board has built up, it is an exciting
time for JAT. We hope that this translates into a hotly
contested election.

As mandated by JAT’s new bylaws, the Election Committee
consists of three people. This year, we are Wendy McBride, Yoko
Kawabe and Gary Roberts.

Four director positions and one auditor position are to be
filled in this election. Following is an update on the
composition of the Board.

The current Board comprises Helen Iwata, Charles Aschmann, Fred
Uleman, Phil Robertson, James Phillips, Chris Blakeslee, Peter
Durfee and Manako Ihaya. The auditors are Emily Shibata-Sato and
Wolfgang Bechstein.
Of these, Helen Iwata, Charles Aschmann, Fred Uleman, Phil
Robertson (directors) and Emily Shibata-Sato (auditor) are
incumbents and not up for election.

James Phillips, Chris Blakeslee and Peter Durfee have reached
the end of their first terms and are able to run again. Manako
Ihaya and Wolfgang Bechstein have served four out of the last
six years and are not able to run again in this election.

The election schedule is as follows. Be aware that the timeframe
has changed from previous years. Please refer to the latest JAT
bylaws concerning elections at http://jat.org/about/bylaws/#a3.

*March 1 (00:00 JST)—March 7 (23:59:59 JST): Submission of
candidate statements
Members seeking to stand for election should fill in the form at
the following URL:
https://jat.wufoo.com/forms/jat-2010-board-candidacy/ in English
or Japanese (up to 300 words or 600 characters).

In addition to the usual personal info on background etc., the
statement should provide some indication of how the candidate
envisions JAT evolving (or standing pat) toward the future. A
digest of the candidate statements will be sent to the JAT mail
list and posted on the JAT website at the start of the polling
in the second week of March.

Per the bylaws, candidates will need to supply full name,
gender, nationality, address of current residence, home
telephone number, and e-mail address. Candidates must have been
JAT members for the entire year preceding the deadline for
submitting candidacy statements. For further info, again, we
recommend taking a look at Section III of the JAT bylaws at the
link above.

*March 9 (00:00 JST)—March 19 (23:59:59 JST): Voting
period
Votes will be cast at a Wufoo site to be announced shortly. Each
member may cast five votes in this election; that is, one vote
for or against four candidates for director and one vote for or
against one candidate for auditor. This is a change from the
last election (again, please refer to the latest bylaws).

As soon as possible after the close of the election, but no
later than March 31 (20:00 JST), the net votes for each
candidate (sum of positive and negative votes) will be posted to
the mailing list. Complete ballot breakdown info for each
candidate will be available on the website for those interested.

Active candidacy participation in this election is vital for
JAT’s continuing evolution and greater effectiveness in
serving you, the members. More importantly, PLEASE VOTE.
There’s no reason not to! JAT is here for you.

Wendy McBride
Yoko Kawabe
Gary Roberts
2010 JAT Election Committee