It is time to cast your vote in the 2024 ASI Board of Directors election.
ASI is pleased to announce this year’s slate of candidates for positions on the Board of Directors. The Nominations Committee had several goals when working to put together the slate of candidates, all of which focus on securing a strong future for ASI. These goals include the development of a strong Board of Directors that will function well as a whole while also representing the diversity of ASI members and their views; broadening the number of people who are included in ASI leadership at all levels; and ensuring that ASI will continue to have active members with board experience who are willing to take on future leadership roles at the highest levels. We believe the candidates presented here will help achieve all of these goals, and that they will work diligently to further the mission of ASI.
The following candidates have agreed to serve and, if elected, will take office at the ASI Annual Meeting on June 22, 2024.
Biographies and vision statements appear below. Click on the individual names for more information.
President Elect
Director at Large (Two positions are open in 2024)
————> Click here to complete your ballot. <————
DEADLINE FOR VOTING IS 5 PM PACIFIC TIME, April 22, 2024.
Candidate Biographies and Vision Statements
Jen Weers (Candidate for President Elect)
Biography
Jen Weers started her indexing career in 2013 after staying home with her small children. Prior to that she worked in advertising, public relations, and marketing. During her stay-at-home tenure, Jen served on three boards: her church and two nonprofit organizations called The Drawer and Cure JM. Her service allowed Jen to stay engaged in marketing and serve her surrounding communities in leadership roles. Jen joined ASI even before her first paying job and took advantage of the ASI training program to learn the trade. Since then, she has indexed hundreds of books on a variety of topics including business, DIY, scholarly, history, and culinary, but finds herself mostly indexing religion and theology material. She has indexed everything from a monograph on public restrooms (her first project) to the study notes of the Bible (her most recent).
Jen is a past leader of the Upper Midwest chapter, the webinar and online learning chair since 2021, and an ASI board member from 2021 to 2023.
Jen lives in a suburb of St. Paul. She is married with three adult children, the youngest graduating from high school this spring. She is an artist at heart and enjoys structured art and craft projects like paint-by-numbers and quilling.
Vision Statement
My life compass is the idea of equality for all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. I appreciate the focus ASI has put on diversity in the last few years and hope to continue to grow our membership and professional growth opportunities using my family’s motto of, “all are welcome, no exceptions.” I love everything about being an indexer and have no doubt that I would no longer be indexing if it weren’t for the training, continued education, encouragement, and colleagues ASI provides. I truly look forward to continuing to serve this organization.
Kevin Gunn (Candidate for Director—three-year term)
Biography
Finishing his MA in Philosophy at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, Kevin pursued his MLIS at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. As part of this degree, he was first introduced to indexing, and enrolled subsequently in the course. Kevin has indexed books periodically over the years and finally decided to open his own business in 2022. Kevin indexes books in the humanities and social sciences and he would like to expand into children’s literature.
Kevin lives in Columbia, Maryland with his wife (who is a children’s librarian) and their son. His interests include reading books in philosophy, politics, religion, and management.
Vision Statement
As a director-at-large, I would be committed to continuing the value that ASI offers our members. ASI's programs, conferences, and webinars have been delightful. Engaging with fellow members, sharing knowledge, and contributing to an organization that has significantly impacted my professional journey over the last few years, is something I look forward to with great anticipation. As a director, I would like to contribute to this environment by supporting the continuous professional development of current and aspiring ASI members, and reinforcing our commitment to excellence in the field of indexing.
Mylinh Hamlington (Candidate for Director—three-year term)
Biography
Mylinh Hamlington started her indexing journey January 2023 and started indexing professionally May 2023. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Educational Studies from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master of Library and Information Science from Denver University. Formerly a Manager of Youth and Family Services at a public library system, she considers herself a generalist in indexing topics with special interests in education, children and families, cultural studies, Black studies, social justice, popular culture, and topics pertaining to diversity, inclusion, and equity.
Mylinh is a member of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of ASI as well as the founder and co-moderator of the Indexers of Diversity discussion group. She lives near Los Angeles, California with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs. When not indexing she enjoys crafting, reading, playing board games, and watching reality television.
Vision Statement
As a newer indexer, the resources and support provided through ASI have been invaluable to me. I hope to utilize my perspective and background to assist ASI in attracting, educating, and advocating for new professionals in the field while also supporting the organization in their ongoing work as a resource for current members. I look forward to connecting with fellow indexers and serving the indexing community through ASI.