Online Ballot
 
I, the undersigned, hereby acknowledge that I am a member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) and hereby authorize Crystal Stewart Courtens, President, to serve as my proxy by attending and voting for me at the 2023 Annual Membership Meeting being held virtually on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 2:30 p.m.
 
Please complete each section to ensure your vote is counted. Before voting, please review the background materials found at https://nofany.org/2023-membership-meeting/ including board nomination bios and proposed 2023 policy resolutions. 
 
If you have questions, please call our office at 315.988.4000 or email policy@nofany.org.
 
Please only vote once! If you have mailed in a ballot, do not cast your vote online.
 

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* 1. Contact Information

Board of Directors Nominees

Board members come from the membership of NOFA-NY and may serve up to two consecutive three-year terms. Each year members are asked to submit nominations to the Board, which are then reviewed by the Board of Directors and voted on by the membership at the annual meeting. Nominees for the term starting February 2023 are listed below.   

Wes Gillingham is a current Board member in good standing and is willing to serve a second, three-year term starting in February 2023. Rebecca Heller-Steinberg has been nominated from the membership of NOFA-NY to serve as a new board member and is willing to serve their first, three-year term starting in February 2023. To learn more about the nominees, please visit https://nofany.org/2023-membership-meeting

There are currently 14 directors on the board, out of a maximum of 15 set by the Bylaws.  Four directors will be leaving the Board as their terms end in February 2023, leaving five open seats. Therefore both nominees may be elected to the Board if they each receive a majority of votes cast.

Please indicate whether you are in favor of or opposed to each nominee. You may also abstain from voting.

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* 2. Wes Gillingham - Second Term

Wes is a founding member of NOFA-NY. Presently he is the Associate Director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, a leader in NYS and in the USA in addressing public policies that have a negative effect on sustainable agriculture and the environment. In addition, Wes and his family own and operate Wild Roots Farm and live completely off the grid. Wes, Amy and daughter Iris have presented at NOFA-NY Conferences on various topics.

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* 3. Rebecca Heller-Steinberg - First Term

Rebecca is an herbalist, gardener, and plant nerd whose stomach led them to food and ag work. Rebecca is a current member of the NOFA-NY Equity Committee and worked for the organic certification arm of NOFA-NY for seven years. Prior to that, Rebecca ran a local food business, did gardening and local food education and promotion, and was an employee/board member/volunteer with VINES (an urban agriculture, community gardening, and food access non-profit in Binghamton, NY). She also loves to read and is part of a collectively run, not-for-profit bookstore.

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