Members of the University of Wisconsin student government selected its incoming leadership team for the next session in a Thursday meeting.
The Student Services Finance Committee elected its 20th session Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary, choosing representatives David Vines, Ian Malmstadt and Dylan Fiedler, respectively.
By a vote of 9-6, Rep. Vines defeated Rep. Jeffery Ehlers for the position of chair.
Vines, who has been a member of SSFC for the past two years, said while serving on SSFC, he has focused on outreach across the board for organizations funded by the committee. As chair, he said he will continue to make that a key emphasis.
“Outreach is the engine by which we are going to get anything done,” Vines said. “If we just look internally for answers, it will be much more difficult to pass legislation that will have an impact on the student body.”
Mari Vangen of the Campus Women’s Center spoke to the committee in support of Vines, mentioning that during the last session of ASM, Vines came in and worked hands on with the group.
Former SSFC Vice Chair Joe Vanden Avond addressed the committee to offer his support for Malmstadt.
Vanden Avond said Malmstadt had several working relationships with directors of non-allocable organizations, which he said would be vital for the next session of SSFC as the committee will look towards it’s work with these non-allocable organizations.
Malmstadt, who has worked with the directors of University Health Services, Recreation Sports, and the Wisconsin Union, said as vice chair he will act as a lane of communication between students and directors of the non-allocable organizations, and hopes to get started on working on with the non-allocable organizations as soon as possible.
“Just sitting down with a student that [directors] have spoken with before is really important and will be key in building trust between students and the directors of these non-allocables,” Malmstadt said.
Fiedler, new to SSFC, was unanimously voted secretary, running unopposed.
While Fiedler said he has not been a part of the committee before, he noted he has sat in on SSFC meetings this past semester, and is ready for what the position will bring.
