The LANGEA Bylaws state that a Director will be elected from the following Units/Location during every even year (2014) for a period of 2 years:
- 159th Fighter Wing
- 122nd ASOS/259th ATCS
- 214th EIS
- 236th CBCS
- JFHQ
- 61st Troop Command
- SAC
- 225th EN BDE
- 256th INF BDE
- 199 Training
- Recruiting and Retention
- 139th RSG
- Associate and Retired Members
So far, here is who’s running: Click Here
What do Directors do?
Directors are a part of the LANGEA Board that governs the operations of the Association. They vote on policies and direction of the organization, approved expenditures, authorize contracts, etc. They get 1 vote just like the President, President-Elect, and the other elected position on the board. It is an important job indeed and we need good people to run for these positions. You need to have the time to stay informed on matters that affect the Association, and be a leader in your respective unit to disseminate information, encourage others in your unit to get involved, and most importantly, provide your units concerns back to LANGEA during the Board Meetings (of which there are around 4 per year).
If I am interested in a Director Position, what is the process?
- It starts with filling out a nomination form on yourself. Click Here
- You will get a chance to speak in front of the Membership during the Business Session on Saturday, April 12th for a few short minutes and explain why you want to run for office and how you can best help the Association.
- You should also secure support from your unit since they are the only ones who will cast a vote for you. The reason for this is that the Army should not be electing the Air Guard Directors, and vice-versa. Equally, the Unit Director should be someone that the unit wants as their representative, so that is the reason that the Units decide who is elected, and not the membership body as a whole.
- Finally, if you are elected, you will be sworn in at the conclusion of the Conference and from that moment on, for 2 years, you will be an important part of the LANGEA Board. It’s not hard, and with our current momentum and a full time Executive Director to handle the day to day operations, it is a great position to hold.
- Throughout the 2 year tenure, you will learn new skills in leadership, how an Association functions, and what a huge advantage it is to have a Professional Organization at the ready to support our Soldiers and Airmen. To do things that your unit and the military cannot do, legislatively at the State and National level, and being involved in community events.
Today, we are nearly 2,500 members strong. As of January, Louisiana is the SECOND LARGEST National Guard Enlisted Association (in terms of membership) in the country. By the end of 2014, we expect our total membership to be near 4,000. Mississippi will be over 8,000 by December of 2014…..just sayin.
Putting our success into perspective, when EANGUS was founded in the early 1970’s, there was a small group of Guardsmen who traveled (at their own expense) getting other State Associations set up with Bylaws and IRS paperwork. One of those Soldiers was CSM Virgil Williams from Mississippi. If you looked at the State-by-State membership numbers today of other State Associations, they are dismal. Many states have less total membership than what Louisiana does in a single month.
It is time for a revival of State Associations, and I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that while LANGEA does not do everything perfect, we don’t have the largest Corporate Membership program (yet), there is room for improvement in State legislative efforts, etc., we do have one thing that no other state has right now: WE ARE GROWING! I believe that we are in a position to do what CSM Virgil Williams did so many years ago, and that is to help other State Association get their footing. To do what we are doing, both in technology and in leadership. We need good people at the helm in LANGEA in order to make that happen, and the Director positions are key to that success.
