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Nigel Jones
Bio Statement
I’m excited to see such a competitive list of candidates this year. I’m sure it’ll make for an outstanding board. I’ve been a fervent youth rights supporter my entire life, but this would be my second year as a NYRA board member. While on NYRA’s board, I’ve helped craft our long term strategic plan, met with like-minded organizations, discussed board reform, helped facilitate the greatest single-year augmentation of NYRA’s budget ever, lent a hand to our staff in our DC office numerous times, and I’m eager to apply what I’ve learned in the preceding year to the upcoming one.
Since Alex, our executive director, asked me to run for the board in August last year, I’ve been elected vice-president and have become president of NYRA’s Washington, D.C. chapter, have been appointed to our Budget & Finance committee, and was elected chairperson of the Annual Meeting Committee.
Additionally, my experience extends further than participation on NYRA’s board. I’ve been elected president of my class twice, and have played important roles on congressional and gubernatorial campaigns. I was the best performing debater on my varsity high school policy debate team, and have read countless youth rights related articles and books, including authors like Dr. Robert Epstein, Mike Males, John Holt, and many others.
NYRA has made great strides since our last Annual Meeting when this board was instated, for the organization and for youth rights. I hope to be elected again to help take NYRA and our cause even further.
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Questionnaire
1. Why do you want to run for the NYRA Board of Directors?
Last year, my answer would have involved greatly reforming our organization. This year, however, after my participation on NYRA’s board, NYRA is bringing in more money than it ever has and is apt to bring in much more, is teaming up with more rights-focused organizations, has obtained several tangible victories, and could soon reform the operation of its board and staff. NYRA has made such tremendous progress in the last year that substantial reform is much less necessary, although improvements are always possible.
Last year, I mentioned that NYRA should collect more members. We’ve got a message that resonates with many people, and sterling research and vehement supporters to back up that message. Having more members gives us a stronger fundraising base, and gives authority with other organizations and government, aligned or oppositional. There are many ways for NYRA to attract members, and I’d like to take advantage of them.
2. Are you familiar with the responsibilities of a non-profit board member? What prior experience do you have that you believe qualifies you to hold the position of director on our board?
I am very familiar with the role and responsibilities of a non-profit board member. My experience of actually serving on the board over the last year really helps me understand what’s necessary to be an extremely effective board member. Not only do I understand the role of a NYRA board member, but if the board reform proposals pass, I’ll have even helped craft the structure of NYRA board membership. My experience extends further than my extensive service for NYRA however, because I also learned a great deal about leadership and making decisions with others while president of my class.
I’ve also learned a lot about NYRA and have actually seen the development of many of our projects. For that reason, I know many of our campaigns and strategies intimately and will be able to effectively carry them out during my next term.
3. What have you personally done to advance NYRA?
Well, that’d be a long list. Even before I was first elected to NYRA’s board, I volunteered for NYRA and for youth rights generally, which is what led Alex, our executive director, to invite me to run for NYRA’s board in the first place. I couldn’t possibly write a comprehensive list of all that I’ve done for NYRA – and certainly couldn’t with our 150 word limit, but I’ve certainly been a beneficial actor in NYRA’s growth, and hope to earn your vote to help our organization grow much further.
4. What are your short and long term goals for NYRA? How do we reach those goals?
Another one of these questions that would take pages instead of 150 words. NYRA’s been taking in a lot more money than we ever have, and as a short term goal, I’d like to see NYRA spend it conservatively. It seems like we’ll be doing even better financially next fiscal year, but in order to grow financially, we’ll need to maintain the same frugal attitude that’s been such a beneficial aspect of our organization’s culture.
Long term goals are much more exciting, but I can’t stress enough that no rights-focused movement has ever succeeded without involvement from the oppressed group. NYRA needs to expand the number of young members and supporters it has in a serious way, and when we do that, we’ll truly be a social and political force to be reckoned with. I can’t stress enough the benefits of significantly expanding our youth membership.
5. What do you believe is NYRA's biggest challenge or weakness, and what will you do, personally, to help address it. Please be specific and realistic.
From women to LGBTs to African-Americans and to every other group that’s been oppressed in our country or society, no group has ever been handed their rights or appropriate social treatment by their oppressors on a silver platter; they each had to unite and demand fair political and social treatment. We absolutely will be no exception. As tremendously as our organization is performing, our movement is very much in its infancy, but has enormous potential. Our weaknesses all stem from the size of our active membership. The size of our fundraising base, our authority with governments and other organizations, and even the extent to which youth internalized oppression exists all stems from the size of our active membership, and youth – those most affected by youth rights – are the most likely to be our most active members. NYRA should invest more into developing a larger youth membership.
6. If elected, what will you personally do for the national organization? What projects or activities will you take leadership of? Please be specific and realistic.
While on the board, I enjoyed my role on the Budget & Finance committee and my chairmanship of the Annual Meeting committee. I would like to continue with those, and would like to continue working on projects I’ve started or joined with NYRA.
In addition to what I’ve already taken on for NYRA, I would like to see our supporters encouraged to more activity. Using the supporters we’ve already attained more effectively is not only a great way to keep our membership active and interested, but is a great way to expand our membership, because active members are more likely to spread our message. There are great reasons to develop a more active membership, and including but not limited to encouraging more email writing campaigns, getting members involved with more national campaigns, and by constantly building our membership, there are great ways to do so as well.
7. In your view, how is the role of a board member different than that of an active member or chapter leader? How would your involvement be affected if you weren't elected this year?
I care deeply about the development of the youth rights movement and would be involved with NYRA no matter what happens this election. However, I think the answer is apparent. Board members make decisions about the structure and direction of the organization, while active members advance the movement from within that structure and direction. I’ve had great fun establishing the structure and direction of NYRA this past year, and I’d love to continue.
8. If you served on the board last year, how would you assess your level of involvement? Did you follow through on promises you made during last year's election?
I was extremely involved in the board last year. I tried to make every board meeting, even the special ones that weren’t on the set board meeting schedule. Last year, I campaigned on earning our organization greater funding, and I think that’s been accomplished to a greater degree than any of us expected. I secured a position on our Budget & Finance committee and have asked our staff tough questions about where certain expenses came from in the budget and whether certain expenses were frugal or necessary. As chair of the Annual Meeting committee, I’ve suggested fundraising ideas that were approved by other committee members and will actually take place. I’ve also participated in votes to make fundraising easier for Dave, our Director of Development and Operations. I have no doubt that I’ve fulfilled my promise of earning NYRA more money.
9. Define "youth rights". Describe our mission and our vision in your own words.
I think that youth rights is so interesting, because so much of what we see with current youth treatment, we’ve seen with other groups in the past. We shouldn’t tolerate any sort of blanket oppression or unfair societal mistreatment. There are ethical reasons to treat youth fairly and equally, but I also believe in the competency of young people, and find the way that young people are treated totally unjustified. Additionally, there are economic reasons to treat young people fairly. Young people have the potential to benefit society hugely, if they’re only given the chance. Even though our opinion is the minority opinion, I’m absolutely confident that our movement has it right, and that we have to fight like hell to win a very different treatment for future young people.
10. With many qualified members running for the Board, what sets you apart? Why should you be elected?
I genuinely think that the job that I’ve done on the board in the past year makes me an asset to our board of directors, and I know that other board members feel the same way. I’m not suggesting that any incumbent deserves to be re-elected, but in the last nine questions and my personal statement, I hope I’ve illustrated the important role that I’ve played on this board. I would really appreciate another term that I could use to continue moving this organization forward.
This year’s income has broken NYRA records, and NYRA’s income is what I campaigned on last year. This year, I’d like to see our active membership expand, and I’d like to work with our other board members – who I believe share the same goal – to figure out how to do that most effectively.
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