Colin Ramsey
Election
Position
Name
Colin Ramsey
Candidate statement
Dr. Colin T. Ramsey. Associate Professor of English, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina.
SHARP has been central to my intellectual development going back to a paper on Paul Revere I read at the SHARP annual meeting of 1999, held at University of Wisconsin at Madison. My research interests are focused on American book culture in the 18th century.
I have served as Treasurer of the North Carolina State Conference of the American Association of University Professors and of the North Carolina AAUP Foundation. As SHARP treasurer, my first responsibility would be to continue our tradition of prudent financial management such that we can continue to robustly support the publications, conferences, prizes, scholarships, and other awards and activities that are the core work of the Society. Ultimately, I see the chief responsibilities of the treasurer as 4 fold: to protect SHARP’s existing assets and revenue streams; to deliver ready access to the Society’s funds in support of the organization’s work; to carefully maintain accessible financial records for the Society’s members and leadership, and, finally, if possible, to grow the Society’s assets and enhance its revenue streams so as to allow the organization to expand upon its already terrific work on behalf of international Book Historical scholarship.
In addition, and in close collaboration with the SHARP Executive Committee, I would also explore opportunities for developing additional sources of revenue, potentially through new fundraising appeals to individuals and organizations with allied interests in the book, and perhaps through collaborative development of an investments policy for the Society. Such a policy would likely include the continuation of the Society’s use of some safe and accessible investment instruments for modest portions of its reserve funds, such as high-yielding certificates of deposit. Also, if new fundraising efforts proved to enhance the Society’s already strong financial position, I would work collaboratively with the rest of the SHARP leadership to find creative ways to use such funds to further advance the society’s interests and mission.
SHARP has been central to my intellectual development going back to a paper on Paul Revere I read at the SHARP annual meeting of 1999, held at University of Wisconsin at Madison. My research interests are focused on American book culture in the 18th century.
I have served as Treasurer of the North Carolina State Conference of the American Association of University Professors and of the North Carolina AAUP Foundation. As SHARP treasurer, my first responsibility would be to continue our tradition of prudent financial management such that we can continue to robustly support the publications, conferences, prizes, scholarships, and other awards and activities that are the core work of the Society. Ultimately, I see the chief responsibilities of the treasurer as 4 fold: to protect SHARP’s existing assets and revenue streams; to deliver ready access to the Society’s funds in support of the organization’s work; to carefully maintain accessible financial records for the Society’s members and leadership, and, finally, if possible, to grow the Society’s assets and enhance its revenue streams so as to allow the organization to expand upon its already terrific work on behalf of international Book Historical scholarship.
In addition, and in close collaboration with the SHARP Executive Committee, I would also explore opportunities for developing additional sources of revenue, potentially through new fundraising appeals to individuals and organizations with allied interests in the book, and perhaps through collaborative development of an investments policy for the Society. Such a policy would likely include the continuation of the Society’s use of some safe and accessible investment instruments for modest portions of its reserve funds, such as high-yielding certificates of deposit. Also, if new fundraising efforts proved to enhance the Society’s already strong financial position, I would work collaboratively with the rest of the SHARP leadership to find creative ways to use such funds to further advance the society’s interests and mission.