APS elections underway for board of directors and library trustees

By Michael Baadke

The American Philatelic Society has begun distributing ballots for its upcoming elections

APS members will vote for candidates who are running for president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and director at large for the society, as well as for two trustees for the American Philatelic Research Library.

Every position is contested in this year’s election.

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The first ballots have been mailed to members who receive the APS monthly journal, American Philatelist, online. Members who receive the printed journal in the mail will find the ballot included in the May issue.

The declared APS candidates have been identified previously in Linn’s Stamp News articles published in the issues of Oct. 5 and Oct. 26, 2015, and in the issue of Feb. 8.

Information about the three candidates for the two APRL trustee positions can be found in the box on this page.

The candidates for president are Mick Zais, a current member of the APS board of vice presidents; and Ken Nilsestuen, who is the current APS treasurer.

Two slates of three candidates are running for the board of vice presidents. One team consists of John Barwis, Alex Haimann, and Yamil Kouri. The other team brings together Patricia (Trish) Kaufmann, Jeff Shapiro, and Robert Zeigler.

The candidates for secretary are Mark Butterline and Stephen Schumann. Running for treasurer are Bruce Marsden and Edwin Andrews.

Four positions of director-at-large are sought by five candidates: Gordon Eubanks, Peter McCann, Rich Drews, Mark Schwartz, and Michael Bloom.

Two APRL trustee positions are to be filled by votes from the APS membership; those slots are being sought by candidates Kristin Patterson, Mark Banchik, and Steven Zwillinger.

The ballots must be completed and returned to the APS board of elections no later than noon on June 4. The ballot is attached to a preaddressed return envelope that requires postage for delivery.

On Aug. 6, the new officers and board members will be installed during the general meeting at APS Stampshow 2016, in Portland, Ore., at the Oregon Convention Center. 

Three vie for two APRL trustee positions

The American Philatelic Research Library has a board of eight trustees whose numerous duties include managing the affairs and properties of the library. Four trustees are elected to six-year terms by APS members — two every three years. Two others are appointed by the APS president with the APS board’s approval, and two are elected by a group consisting of founders, patrons, fellows, and Vooys fellows.

For the two trustee positions open for APS-member election this year, the candidates are Kristin Patterson, Mark Banchik, and Steven Zwillinger.

Patterson is a current APS director-at-large who is reaching the end of her second term. She has been a director of the Westpex show for the past eight years, chair of the Sequoia Stamp Club’s Penpex show for 11 years, and has also served as the Sequoia club’s president, director, and membership chair. She is a collector and exhibitor of revenue-related material.

Banchik is a former APS vice president and is the current vice president and former treasurer of the Collectors Club of New York. He is also past president of the American Air Mail Society, past president and current council member of the American Philatelic Congress, and has held other positions in stamp hobby organizations. He is an expertizer, author, and exhibitor.

Zwillinger is a current APRL trustee and a two-term APS director-at-large. He describes himself as a collector, exhibitor, judge, and writer, and is a member of the Burma Study Circle, India Study Circle, American Revenue Association, American First Day Cover Society, Southern Africa Association, American Topical Association, and the Royal Philatelic Society of London.

Additional information about each candidate can be found on the nomination applications at the American Philatelic Society's website.