Ballot for Members of the SAA Executive Board

NOTE: We have 5 available seats and 3 candidates. All will be elected if they receive a simple majority vote.

Jim Coe – Current Board Member since 2009, (Distinguished Signature) Member since 2003

An SAA member since 2003, I have been a Distinguished Signature Member since 2017 – so I guess that makes me an old-timer! I was first elected to the Board of Directors in 2009 and I assumed the role of Jury Chair in 2013.

It has been during my decade on the Board that the SAA has undergone tremendous growth and transformation from a provincial New York-based club into the large and dynamic international arts organization we have become today. I take little credit for that growth; instead, what I am most proud of has been my role as Jury Chair in overseeing the refinement of rules and procedures to make the selection of each year’s Annual show as fair and as equitable as possible, and to open the show up to our incredibly talented younger artists and newest members. Each spring I examine the rules of previous years and tweak them to try and eliminate any remaining subtle tinges of bias, while also carefully selecting a panel of jurors that has a discerning eye and inherent understanding of our craft. And this year – due to limitations caused by the ongoing pandemic – we were forced to alter our process and jury the show remotely, with each juror viewing the work online on his or her own monitor. To our surprise, that was a huge change for the better, as jurors were able to take more time to consider and carefully examine each entry. It will be our standard procedure in the future. We expect to have multiple shows (in addition to reviving our big Annual) in 2021 and I look forward to helping organize even more opportunities for our members to exhibit their work.

I would like to continue to serve you on the SAA Board of Directors and I am asking for your support. I believe that our Society is on the cusp of breaking through the clutter of smaller arts groups into the ‘big leagues.’ I hope to help guide the SAA as we continue to grow and prosper in the coming years.

Cynthie Fisher – Current Board Member since 2015, Member since 1992

I have been a member of SAA since 1995. I work in eight different mediums, focusing on many international species and behaviors. I also have a degree in zoology which makes me very qualified in the fields of anatomy and accuracy of wildlife behavior and settings. My artwork has been used for over 30 years to raise money for conservation groups, and I donate thousands of dollars each year to these groups with my art sales. I am an avid birder and taxidermist, which also helps with critiquing artist applications, and have traveled all over the world, including 19 trips to Africa, in pursuit of references for my artwork. I hope to continue with the SAA board, help new artists improve their artwork, promote SAA, and educate art enthusiasts to appreciate and support our group.

Deborah Lafogg Docherty – Member since 2014

It’s an honor to be a part of this talented artistic community and I would be proud to represent my fellow members working with the Board of Directors. I have wanted to serve on the Executive Board for years, ever since I became a member. It would be meaningful for me to contribute to an organization that is doing and has done so much for the wildlife art community. I would like to help the organization grow and to offer more membership opportunities.

I offer my time, energy, and enthusiasm. Travel is not an issue for me. I also have an extensive background in advertising, fundraising, and computer skills. I have juried for the Florida Junior Duck Stamp competition (700 entries), and the 2019 Pastel Society of South Carolina’s Annual Online Exhibition (950 entries) and will be jurying for the 2023 Southwest Florida Pastel Society, Art of Pastel Exhibition this December. I have also served as vice president of a local art society with 150 members. My responsibilities included finding show venues, setting up shows, advertising, and working with businesses and the community.

Guidelines

  1. Voting open only to SAA Signature Members
  2. Please select those you wish to vote for and it can be all candidates this time
  3. This is for 2024-2026, 3-year Term
  4. NOTE: Candidates are listed alphabetically
  5. You should receive a confirmation notice after clicking the button when the page reloads.
  6. Only the Executive Director sees the cast ballots
For internal use only, not seen by anyone but Wes