María Josefina Saldaña-Portillo

Statement

I have been a member of LASA since I was a graduate student in the early 1990s, and though I belong to several professional Associations, I consider LASA my home. I have been in regular service to both the ASA and the MLA since my promotion to Associate Professor in 2003, and I look forward to the opportunity, if elected, to serve LASA in turn. I am currently a member of the Bryce Book Award Committee, and the position of Treasurer would continue my service to the Association. As LASA Treasurer, I will seek to execute the responsibilities of the office with good conscience and with transparency. I will familiarize myself with all the financial matters of LASA, monitoring the Operating, Reserve, and Endowment Funds to ensure the ongoing health of our Association. As a member of LASA's Ways and Means Committee, I view the role of the treasure as that of a watchdog, there to ensure that all our funds, but especially our Endowment Fund, are shepherded responsibly to ensure the greatest possibility of socially-responsible growth. Since the LASA treasure also serves as a member of the Investment Committee, I will bring a perspective of socially-responsible investment that is in keeping with the values and principles of our Association. In addition, I hope to encourage creative thinking in the Investment Committee, both in terms of campaigns for increasing contributions to our Endowment and for ways of spending our Endowment to ensure the growing diversity of our membership, across all intersectional and transnational constituencies.  I will faithfully attend all of the yearly and quarterly meetings, and keep the Executive Committee and the membership abreast of all significant developments therein. Thank you for your consideration and support.