Ashley Lukach, the SA’s new chief returning officer will be using her expertise to help organize and advise students during this year’s byelections

Students voting at polling stations in the cafeteria at Casa Loma campus
Photo: Mick Sweetman/The Dialog

A new and highly qualified chief returning officer (CRO) has been hired by the Student Association (SA), to govern this year’s by-elections.

The SA is giving students the chance to run for a position to be on their board of directors, and with a new CRO the elections are being organized and will soon be underway.

“We are trying to do as much outreach (to students) as possible in order to let them know about the elections, both as voters and candidates,” said Ashley Lukach, the SA’s new CRO. “We are working hard to get organized so that everything does run smoothly and uses best practices from the previous years.”

Lukach has come to George Brown with plenty of experience in government, governance and elections.

She has organized four political campaigns at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels, and was previously the manager of a constituency office for the former Trinity-Spadina member of provincial parliament Rosario Marchese.

Lukach was also an advisor to an elected district council in rural Cambodia, where she worked with councillors and staff to improve their understanding and practices in good governance and administration, making her more than qualified to organize the SA’s byelections.

With five vacant positions to fill Lukach says “it is a great way to get involved, they will receive and honorarium for the position, and there are funds available; each candidate is allowed to spend $100 and they do get reimbursed from the Student Association.”

Lukach says this fund will help candidates with posters, photocopies, and other items that may be needed during the campaign period.

The five vacant positions are: Satellite (Ryerson) campus director, Waterfront campus director, health sciences representative, liberal arts and preparatory studies representative, and a women and trans representative.

Students must attend the campus, be enrolled in the area of study, or identify as a member of the constituency group to be eligible to run for the position.

Nomination packages are now available in the SA offices, and all nominations must be submitted to an SA office by Friday, Nov. 7.