The Northern California Joint Alumni Association of Chinese Universities and Colleges (JAACUC) held its 42nd president and vice president election at the South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center on December 8th. The only candidate for this election was Xie Zaoxun from Zhongyuan University who was elected as the president, and Huo Qinglai from National Taiwan Normal University who was elected as the vice president.
The outgoing president of the Joint Alumni Association, Tsai Hongkai, mentioned that the election held was for the 42nd president and vice president of the association. He expressed gratitude for the cooperation and unity of the team in this term, contributing greatly to the overseas Chinese community. He noted that many constructive suggestions were put forward during the election process and hoped that the next president would continue to uphold and promote the excellent traditions of the association.
Prior to the election, Xie Zaoxun delivered his campaign declaration, pledging to enhance the visibility of the Joint Alumni Association in the Bay Area community and establish closer cooperation with various organizations. He also expressed his intention to integrate the activities of member schools more closely with the association and provide greater support for school events to foster mutual development.
Huo Qinglai stated that if elected as the vice president, he would act according to the president’s instructions, listen to the advice of the board members and former presidents, and strive to organize various activities effectively.
Subsequently, the board members raised questions to the candidates regarding leadership abilities, innovative development, fundraising efforts, and attracting new members, to which Xie Zaoxun responded one by one.
The election procedures were explained by Fang Zhiqin, a Zhongyuan University alum, outlining the election rules, voting process, and ballot requirements. The election first determined the president and vice president, followed by the selection of the secretary-general, treasurer, and five executive council members. Voters lined up outside the meeting room to verify their eligibility and receive their ballots before entering. The votes were counted immediately after the voting ended, with former president Ye Yunhe and others serving as scrutineers on site.
Representatives from 21 member schools participated in the election that day. Xie Zaoxun and Huo Qinglai were elected as president and vice president with a unanimous vote of 20, while Wei Ling from Shih Hsin University was elected as the secretary-general with 12 votes, and Wu Guoting from Ocean University was elected as the treasurer unanimously.
Following his election, Xie Zaoxun expressed his honor at being elected as the 42nd president of the Joint Alumni Association, thanking everyone for the opportunity to serve. He hoped to make the association’s activities more diverse and engaging in the coming year, continuing the heritage of the predecessors while incorporating innovative thinking from younger members to enhance participation in events. He also wished for greater integration of the diverse cultures among member schools, closer interaction with the association, and the recruitment of more alumni from new member schools.
Huo Qinglai expressed his honor in serving the Joint Alumni Association and various alumni associations, pledging to work in accordance with the president’s instructions and listen to the feedback from everyone and former presidents to fulfill their shared mission.