AANYAA ROLES & DUTIES
There are six officers in the AANYAA Cabinet: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Continuity Officer and Alum-At-Large positions were established in 2024. Each of these officers holds their position for two years.
In order to offer continuity and growth in meeting alumni needs and programming, the election period for the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary is held in the off-year from the election period of the Alum-At-Large and Continuity Officer terms. (For example: 2023-2025 Cabinet Officers: Pres, Vice, Treas, Sec; 2024-2026 Cabinet Officers: Alum-At-Large, Continuity Officer.)
The Academy provides a liaison, employed by the Academy, to the AANYAA.
The AANYAA cabinet elects/approves persons holding volunteer positions on the Advisory Board.
The persons holding Cabinet positions must reside within convenient transportation distance of New York City, with the exception of the Continuity Officer, which may be held remotely. The Advisory Board is not limited to any geographical region.
The persons holding Cabinet and Advisory positions will maintain a current profile on the AANYAA website.
PRESIDENT
The AANYAA President presides over meetings and keeps order, clarity and efficiency in discussion and debate. The President liaises with the Academy’s Director of Alumni Affairs in their duties. The office of the AANYAA President participates (2008-2011; 2021-ongoing) on the Academy’s Board of Trustees (note: there is no financial commitment expected from the AANYAA President in order to participate on the Board of Trustees); the AANYA President participates on the Academic Committee of the Academy’s Board of Trustees.
The AANYAA President acts as a liaison/messenger between the Alumni and the Academy, and empowers Alumni to share their own messages with appropriate audiences. They lead the AANYAA Officers, volunteers, and AANYAA Advisory Board with plans of action and help facilitate said plans through discussion, organization, and delegation.
The AANYAA President is the public face of the AANYAA and shall make efforts to attend Alumni happenings (both AANYAA-sponsored and events put on by Alumni that are not associated with AANYAA) as well as some/selected Academy-sponsored events like the Thesis Exhibition, Open Studios, and/or Tribeca Ball in order to connect with students and alumni.
The AANYAA President does NOT represent specific political views of the Alumni and while in office will not personally/publicly take a political stance that is not in alignment with the Academy’s bylaws. The President is not in charge of facilitating operations which fall under Academy departments (for example: alumni discounts for CE, exhibition proposals).
This is a volunteer position.
This position must be held by someone convenient to the greater NYC area.
VICE PRESIDENT
The Vice President shall assist the President in the performance of duties and shall carry out the duties of the President whenever the President is unable to perform them.The Vice President’s key feature is a desire to serve the Alumni community and support the AANYAA President’s initiatives.
The Vice President identifies and analyzes areas in which improvements may be beneficial, not just to the AANYAA community at large, but also to the AANYAA as an organization. The Vice President may be a mediator between differing ideas, and does this by advocating for considerate and professional practices towards every participant.
The Vice President is a friendly, approachable beacon for the AANYAA and will be present at committees and events, as directed by the needs of the occasion.
This is a volunteer position.
SECRETARY
The Secretary serves as the custodian of the AANYAA’s activity records. The Secretary works directly with the Director of Alumni Affairs to accurately record, organize, and express an effective archive of all AANYAA activities.
The Secretary works with the Director of Alumni Affairs to maintain a calendar for workflow, scheduling and communications across all ongoing projects among AANYAA officers and project leaders. The Secretary drafts communications (publicity) to Alumni, is responsive to alumni inquiries, offers advice, and facilitates networking opportunities.
The Secretary updates the AANYAA social media pages with alumni news and events. The Secretary position is to be perceived as an “open and accessible” resource to Alumni.
This is a volunteer position.
TREASURER
The Treasurer serves as the custodian of the financial health and identity of the AANYAA. The Treasurer works closely with the Academy's Director of Alumni Affairs and the Chief Financial Officer to organize and communicate the finances of the AANYAA.
The Treasurer drafts the annual budget, tracks expenses spent and reconciles budgets, advises on policies related to spending and reimbursement, and develops financial models for specific initiatives such as residencies or exhibitions (including aspects such as the total cost, costs per person, potential revenue streams, etc.).
The Treasurer also participates as a visible AANYAA representative in initiatives such as attending Crit Nites, contributing ideas, and participating in the website.
This is a volunteer position.
CONTINUITY OFFICER
The Continuity Officer has: Desires to serve the Alumni community and must be able to attend bi-monthly meetings via zoom. The Continuity Officer serves as “parliamentarian” in meetings to preserve clarity and efficiency in discussion and progress initiatives. The Continuity Officer has the same voting rights and privileges as all cabinet members. The Continuity Officer works directly with the Secretary to accurately record, organize, and express an accurate archive of all AANYAA activities.
This is a volunteer position.
This position may be held by someone who does NOT live in the greater NYC area.
ALUM-AT-LARGE
The Alum-At-Large: Desires to serve the Alumni community and must be able to attend bi-monthly meetings via zoom. The Alum-At-Large must have a positive attitude and work well with others. The Alum-At-Large has the same voting rights and privileges as all cabinet members.
The Alum-At-Large participates in and offers floating support to the Cabinet’s execution of initiatives. Especially key for the Alum-At-Large is visibility at AANYAA events.
This is a volunteer position.
This position must be held by someone who lives in the greater NYC area.