Voter’s Guide 2023
For the General Membership Meeting on Saturday in San Diego (with FREE LUNCH)
Download VOTER’S GUIDE
BOUCHERCON 2023 – SAN DIEGO
VOTERS’ GUIDE
I. Bouchercon 2023- Board Member Nominations
Currently, there are vacant positions on the Board. The following person(s) submitted their names, were vetted and found acceptable to the Bouchercon National Board. They are presented here for General Member approval.
Christopher Chambers:
Christopher Chambers is chair of the International Conflict Resolution Center in
Washington DC where he engages in international conflict mediation under the auspices of the United Nations. He is a professor at Georgetown University. He’s also an attorney who practices through a minority owned technology company. His areas of expertise include intellectual property, contracts, and mass media law.
His first crime novels were Random House Angela Bivens hard covers: Sympathy for the
Devil (2001) and A Prayer for Deliverance (2003); since then he’s written five other crime and pulp novels. His short story “Leviathan” contended for a PEN/Malamud prize. He’s contributed to award-winning anthologies. Currently, his story “Envy” appears in the recent Witnesses for The Dead (Soho). Christopher Chambers is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. Chambers is a Washington DC native.
Kim Krabill:
I am an enthusiastic reader and mystery book collector who enjoys meeting authors and other readers to share our passion. I attended my first Bouchercon in 1993 and have gone almost yearly since then. I also regularly attend Left Coast Crime and have gone to several Thriller Fests and Crime Fests. I also helped Rae Helmsworth with organizing the San Francisco Bouchercon in 2010. I was the co-treasurer, but more importantly was responsible for organizing the Book room and book signings.
I am a Pediatric Cardiologist in Seattle and books are a good way for me to escape from the realities of medicine. Medical mysteries are the one genre I do not read. I have served my first term on the Bouchercon Board and I would like to continue to be a member on it. I want to represent the interests of the fans/readers to ensure that Bouchercon remains a great experience for all.
I look forward to being considered to continue to serve on the Bouchercon Board.
David B. Schlosser
David B. Schlosser is an award-winning editor as well as an award winning fiction and non-fiction author.
He previously served on the board of the Editorial Freelancers Association. He is a frequent moderator and panelist at such conventions as Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime, which he has attended regularly for 15 years. He also formed the organizing committee for Left Coast Crime 2024 in Seattle. In addition to managing and overseeing finances for multiple political campaigns, he has served as president of his Rotary club and as treasurer of his condominium association’s board.
Since the mid-1980’s, Schlosser’s fiction, non-fiction, journalism, and commentary have run in print and online newspapers, magazines, journals, and anthologies. After Schlosser launched his own consultancy, his first editing project was Through My Eyes by John Mora, which won the Latino Literary Hall of Fame’s 2004 Mariposa Award. He completed more than 150 non-fiction and fiction editing projects annually during the following decade and developed an expertise in the then-emerging practice of independent publishing.
He frequently lectures on writing and editing to maximize comprehension for non-native English speakers, and recently has delivered several industry speeches about his extensive research into measuring text readability for accessibility and reading comprehension on the internet.
A Kansas native who earned degrees at Trinity University and University of Texas he resides in the Pacific Northwest where he leads a user experience design team for a global tech company.
II. PROPOSED BYLAW CHANGES FOR BOUCHERCON 2023
If approved by the General Membership, these amendments will take effect at Bouchercon 2023. Here is a summary:
New Bylaws
A Add Vision, Mission, and Values statement to Bylaws
Proposed Text of New Bylaw:
Vision: To be the pre-eminent international destination for readers and authors to celebrate the mystery genre.
Mission: The mission of Bouchercon is to introduce, attract, and promote readers and authors by producing outstanding inclusive events to grow and sustain the mystery community.
Values: Bouchercon values diversity and the contributions of people of all backgrounds, regardless of their age, ethnicity, race, color, abilities, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We want to make a safe, inclusive, and welcoming community for everyone. We are committed to enforcing a code of conduct at all times, to fight discrimination, abuse and/or harassment of any type.
Bouchercon also seeks to boost marginalized voices and help build a strong, vibrant, innovative community that represents the diversity of our world. We are committing ourselves to learning from the past and working with everyone to build a better future. We will do this by listening to the needs of all our members, valuing their input, and pushing this organization to improve itself on representing the best ideals of equality, inclusivity, diversity, and community. (New Bylaws I.A., I.B., and I.C.)
B. Conflicts of Interest
Background:
A firewall to guard against conflicts of interest, the proposal prohibits Board members from being involved in judging or administering awards for which they could be nominated.
Proposed Text of New Bylaw:
To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, members of the Board will have no role in the judging of any awards bestowed at a Bouchercon convention, other than awards that the Board itself confers under the Standing Rules. Board Members involved in the selection process for an award will not themselves be eligible for that award. (New Bylaw III.A.3)
C. Replacement Convention Bid
Background:
If a Local Organizing Committee of an approved convention bid does not meet the financial and programmatic elements of the approved bid, thereby putting a particular year’s convention in jeopardy, the Board will be authorized to identify a replacement location and/or organize a Local Organizing Committee.
Proposed Text of New Bylaw:
In the event that the Local Organizing Committee is unable to meet financial and program elements in its approved bid, and subsequently cannot show evidence of a viable Bouchercon convention at least two years prior to the event year, the Board may choose a replacement location and/or Local Organizing Committee. (New Bylaw III.A.4)
D. Removal of a Board Member
Background:
In extreme circumstances to protect the membership and organization and to uphold
Bouchercon values and Code of Conduct, a Board member may be removed by a seventy-five-percent supermajority vote of the Board.
Proposed Text of New Bylaw:
A Board member may be removed from office for cause upon a supermajority vote of at least three-fourths of the members of the Board present. (New Bylaw IV. E.)
E. Definition of Year
Background:
For operational, financial and legal clarity, this new bylaw defines a Bouchercon year as the period between consecutive Bouchercon conventions.
Proposed Text of New Bylaw:
For the purposes of these Bylaws and all Bouchercon operations, year means the period between consecutive Bouchercon conventions. (New Bylaw VI .F.)
Amended Bylaw and Rule:
A. National to Assume Financial Oversight of Annual Conventions
Background:
Currently the volunteer Local Organizing Committee is responsible for overseeing and collecting convention income as well as accounting for its convention expenses. This amendment would shift responsibility for overseeing and managing convention income and expenses to the National Board. The Local Organizing Committee will still be required to adhere to an approved Board budget and financial policies.
Old Text – Existing Bylaws:
V.E. Each Local Organizing Committee is responsible for all the expenses associated with holding its Annual Event and acknowledges that Bouchercon and all other Local Organizing Committees have no liability for covering event deficits.
V.J. After the Local Organizing Committee has paid all expenses for its Annual Event, any funds remaining must be turned over to the Board for the purposes established in the Bylaws and Rules.
Proposed Text — Amend Bylaws to Read:
National is responsible for all the income and expenses associated with holding an Annual Event and assumes all convention contractual liabilities. (Amend to Remove and Replace Bylaw V.E. and Bylaw V.J.)
B. Online Anthony Voting
Background:
Over the years Bouchercon has moved from paper ballots to online voting. Voting online is accurate and more efficient. Roughly less than 1% of Anthony voters still use paper ballots, and accommodation for the paper ballot method is time-consuming and requires special handling. Electronic devices, including personal phones, iPads, tablets, etc. are convenient and compatible with current Bouchercon software. Attendees without electronic devices, or a comfort level for online voting, will have access to official devices in the registration area and someone will be available to assist.
Old Text – Existing Rule:
The Local Organizing Committee shall prepare and distribute at check-in one ballot to each Member registering for the entire Annual Event; day pass registrants would not receive an Anthony ballot unless the Local Organizing Committee decides. “Guest of” membership, memberships in the name of corporation and memberships in the name of fictitious persons are not allowed to vote. A registrant is allowed only one vote even if they are registered under their real name and one or more pen names.
Proposed Text — Amend Rule to Read:
The Local Organizing Committee Chair may determine whether to allow paper ballots for Anthony Award voting. If online only, accommodations will be made by the Local Organizing Committee to ensure each Member has access to voting electronically, either on their personal devices or on an official device secured in the registration area. Day pass registrants would not receive an Anthony ballot unless the Local Organizing Committee Chair decides to do so. A registrant is allowed only one vote even if they are registered under their real name and one or more pen names. (Amend Rule II. C.2.)
III. Approval of location for Bouchercon 2027
The Board recommends this bid proposal and asks your approval for the 2027 Bouchercon Convention be held in Washington DC.
Approval of Washington DC, as the location of the 2027 Bouchercon Convention
Currently, we are putting forward our formal 2027 bid with the venue of the historical Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert Street NW, Washington, District of Columbia. The hotel, originally built in 1930 with a combination of art deco and classical architecture, is located in leafy Woodley Park, one of the best neighborhoods for walking, driving, and access to the Metro subway and bus use in the city. This prestigious hotel, which has hosted thirteen presidential inauguration balls, offers over 830 Rooms and 100,000 square feet of meeting space, and a vast attached garage. Additionally, the Omni has an overflow agreement with a nearby Hilton (1000 rooms). Early Omni contact indicates a willingness to provide deep discounted convention room rates, room concessions and complimentary hotel considerations. The hotel will be solely occupied by our Bouchercon convention.
One of the elements we are most excited about is the opportunity for fan attractions including event organized side trips to the International Spy Museum, the Library of Congress as well as the federal organizations/agencies that oversee criminal justice, national intelligence, and law enforcement. In addition, the adjacent Rock Creek Park offers convention-goers 1754 acres of greenery for healthy exercise and contemplation. The National Zoo is steps away from the hotel.
Members of the local chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America and Malice Domestic have already expressed interest in participating as team members on the Local Organizing Committee (LOC).
Finally, we have identified charities that exemplify the mission and values of Bouchercon and which the LOC will contribute designated funds.