Gale Yamada - Regional Election Candidate Statement/Bio
Statement of Interest
Working at the University of Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it is easy to feel isolated. I had heard of NCURA in the past but thought it was for only the senior administrators of the university. It was very rare, and still is, for University of Hawaii departmental level administrative personnel to attend out-of-state conferences. After attending my first NCURA national meeting in 2003, I found a world of resources. I subscribed to publications, attended online tutorials, and purchased DVDs of webinars to be shared with my department colleagues. However the most valuable resource I gained from NCURA was the support and guidance from the other members from universities across the country. I was not isolated any longer.
It took me several years to really understand that NCURA is a volunteer organization and the participation of all the volunteers who make this a truly amazing organization is inspiring. I would be honored if you give me the opportunity to serve as your Secretary-Elect/Secretary for 2011/2012. I have served as secretary for various civic organizations in my community so can offer practical experience in this role. I have also volunteered at the registration desk at both the national and regional meetings therefore I have an idea of the tremendous responsibility for the registration and preparation of the regional meeting. I would like to help make the upcoming regional meetings more successful than ever.
During this difficult economic time, we need to make the best uses of our resources. Yet we need to do all we can to expand our services and to provide assistance to more research administrators. I would like to work with others in Region VI to reach out to new members and returning members, increase communication and the sharing of information, and constantly strive to develop new ways of how NCURA can best serve its membership.
Brief Bio
Gale Yamada has worked at University of Hawaii at Manoa since 1981 in departmental administration. She is currently an Administrative Officer at the Institute for Astronomy, responsible for all aspects of research administration at department level, including proposal processing, financial accounting, human resources, procurement including subcontracting, reporting, compliance, and closeout. She has been an NCURA member since 2003. She has served as Evaluations Co-Chair at the Regional Meetings in 2008 and 2009 and is a current member of Membership and Volunteer Committee for 2010. She has served as a Discussion Leader on foreign travel at the national meetings in 2008 and 2009.