Board of Directors - Candidates

2022 Board of Directors Elections

Shape the future of our profession by casting your vote for the Board of Directors.

Voting will open on Thursday, August 4 for all full members of SRAI for the positions of Secretary and two (2) At-Large Board Members for the Board of Directors.

Voting will run through 11:59 PM PDT on Sunday, September 4, 2022.

Election ballots are sent via email to Full Members of SRA International. Please check your email inbox for the Board of Directors election ballot. If you are a Full Member of SRA International and did not receive a ballot, please contact elections@srainternational.org.

The following candidates are running for positions on the Board of Directors:

Secretary


jclaes_f.jpg Jason Claes
Manager Oncology Clinical Trials
TriHealth, Inc.

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I am currently the Manager for Oncology Clinical Research at TriHealth, Inc. and have nearly 20 years of experience from pre- to post and everything in-between. I have been an active member of the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI) since 2009. Being involved with SRAI, I've held various officer positions within the Ohio Chapter and the Midwest Section. I have also served as the chair for the International Bylaws Committee and Finance Management Certificate and a Track Co-chair. I have presented at several meetings both both local and international, and presented two posters related to process improvement in research administration management.

Serving as the SRA International Board Secretary, will allow me to help connect and communicate to so many that are either starting out in their career or are seasoned whom want to spread their wealth of knoweldge which is the true reason SRA International was established.

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bsteinert_f.jpg Bruce Steinert
Regulatory Manager
Medical College of Wisconsin

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I am seeking election to the office of Secretary. When I joined the Society of Research Administrators International nearly 30 years ago, it was the only US organization providing education for research administrators working outside a college or university. I owe much of my professional development to SRAI’s conferences and programs. Serving in leadership positions is the best way I know to give back to the Society and support its mission to train the next generation of research administrators. I was first elected to the Board as an At-Large Member in 2006, serving an extended term until 2010. In 2010, I was elected to the office of Secretary and have held that office through six consecutive terms. There is much work to do to keep SRAI viable and relevant in an ever-changing profession. I am seeking a seventh term as Secretary to continue guiding the Society into the future.

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mgarza_f.jpg Marcos Garza
Director of Medical Finance
Miller School of Medicine
University of Miami

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There are different paths a research administrator can take on their professional journey. Central or departmental, post award or pre-award, academia or industry, medical or campus. My 15-year career has taken me through all these roles.

I have been a member of SRAI since 2014 and have served on the Finance, Investment committees and the Diversity Engagement Inclusion (DEI) task force. I presented at our national meetings in New Orleans and San Francisco, and section meeting in NYC. I have been a panelist on two DEI coffee talks.

I want to be Secretary of SRAI because I want to support this organization that has given me so much. This is a time of change. The pandemic, remote work, and the demographic change in the workforce are all transforming research administration as a profession. I want to help SRAI address these changes so that it can continue to support our members.

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At-Large Board Member


kbone_f.jpg Karen Bone
Proposal Administrator
Florida Atlantic University

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Karen Bone, MA, is a Proposal Administrator at Florida Atlantic University in the Office of Sponsored Programs. She has been a research administrator for eight years, first as a Proposal Analyst at Texas Tech University and later as a Grant Coordinator at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute before moving to the central office. She has been active in SRAI since 2015 and has served as the Southern Section Secretary, President Elect, President, and now Immediate Past President and has been a Co-editor on the Catalyst since October 2020. She was the recipient of the John Robinson Travel Award and presented at the 2018 SRAI Annual Meeting in Orlando.

Karen is running for At-Large Board Member to facilitate and support flexible work in our field, help develop a career pipeline for research administration, and hold space and give voice for research administrators not in leadership positions within their organizations. 

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mjackson_f Marchon Jackson
Assistant Vice President
University of Maryland, College Park

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Marchon Jackson is the Assistant Vice President of Sponsored Programs Accounting and Compliance for the University of Maryland College Park. He is responsible for the financial post award sponsored program accounting, compliance, and cost accounting areas. Marchon received his Master’s in Business Administration from Howard University and his Bachelor of Science in Finance from DePaul University. He is the Society of Research Administrators International Northeast Section Past President. He serves on the SRAI’s Diversity Task Force, Finance Committee, Investment Committee, and as a distinguished faculty speaker. He is also an involved in the national research organizations of COGR, FDP, and NCURA. His career spans over 20 years, with expertise in post-award administration, financial and regulatory issues, and compliance. Marchon is running for the Board At-Large position so he can have a more significant impact on making the Society more inclusive, forward-thinking, and helping expand resources available to members.

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jmercer_f.jpg Jean Mercer
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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As the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, I am responsible for oversight of the proposal review and submission of proposal applications to external sponsors, review and negotiation of agreements for funded proposal applications, and financial management of sponsored projects. Over the last 25+ years I have had the opportunity to work in the research administration field at department, college, and campus levels.

As an At-Large Board Member, I want to help develop the next generation of research administrators and continue building upon the foundation of research administration. One area of focus for engagement that I really want to see SRAI pursue is helping individuals navigate our new work environments. The future of SRAI should not only include the development of the next generation of researchers but also help the research community find ways to navigate and manage the evolving compliance landscape .

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dpettitt_fDebbie Pettitt
Senior Grants Management Officer
National Institutes of Health

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Debbie began her Federal career at NIH in January 2007 as an administrative clerk. In August 2008, Debbie was selected as a Management Intern where she spent two years rotating throughout the administrative areas within NIH. In 2010, Debbie accepted a position as a Grants Management Specialist with the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, managing a diverse portfolio of grants.

The opportunities to volunteer and be an active member in SRAI are endless. I have volunteered for many things and served in several leadership positions. Serving as an At-Large Board Member will allow me the opportunity to give back to the Society that has given me so much and to assist in growing the future of SRAI by providing countless opportunities to share, learn, engage, and grow. It would be an honor to work alongside others who share the same passion for the future of SRAI.


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titus_f Kevin Titus
Business Director
Cincinnati Children's Hospital

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Kevin Titus has served one term as an elected At-Large SRAI board member and a one-year term as appointed Ad Hoc board member, representing Sections. He’s served on the Executive Committee and chairs the board’s Technology and Innovation Strategic Planning group. He’s served as President and Treasurer for the Midwest section. In 2012, he received the Midwest Section Newcomers Award. In 2016 he received the Annual Meeting Best Concurrent Session Award. He co-chairs the Distinguished Faculty committee and chairs the Clinical & Translational Working group.

Kevin’s been in research administration since 2008. In his current role as Business Director at Cincinnati Children’s, he oversees a variety of research grants from a diverse group of funding agencies at the nation’s second largest pediatric research institution.

He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Marketing and an MBA. He has also served on the boards for five different 501(c)3 organizations in the past.

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floris_f Floris van der Leest
Independent

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For more than 20 years, Floris was responsible for the development of Research Information Management Systems. Next to ongoing development of data harvesting, cleansing and reporting routines, he developed (web) applications to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of research administration activities.

Floris worked at James Cook University in Townsville, at Victoria University in Melbourne, both in Australia, and at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. From 2008, he has been an active member of research management societies, and since 2012 has presented annually at international conferences (ARMS, INORMS, SRAI). He is the President of SRAI’s International Section, an Ad Hoc Board Member and the architect of and driver behind VICRA.

His aim is to emphasize the word INTERNATIONAL in not only SRAI’s Vision and Mission, but also in its Strategic Priorities: Floris sees growth for SRAI through engagement with RMAs on other continents.

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