Dear TARO representatives,

1.) The TARO Steering Committee is wrapping up its NEH Planning Grant, and would like to take steps to formalize its committee structure while working toward writing an implementation funding grant. Please see the TARO Bridge Governance Plan online here. Comments are welcome and will be accepted through September 30, 2016. Please submit comments to the TARO list or to the current TARO co-chairs, Amy Bowman (a.bowman@austin.utexas.edu) and Amanda Focke (afocke@rice.edu).

2.) TARO would like your participation in forming the next TARO Steering Committee. To that end we ask for nominations as described in the Bridge Governance plan:
 “Steering Committee members may be nominated until two weeks before an election. Self­-nomination is permitted. Candidates for the Steering Committee will provide brief statements detailing their reasons for running and provide a summary of their qualifications to the Nominating Committee. These statements will be distributed electronically to TARO members at least one week prior to the elections.  For the formal vote in October, each member institution may submit one vote (ballot).”
Nominations accepted (by this online form) until October 7, 2016,
the slate will then be distributed, with online voting opening Friday Oct 21 ending Friday Oct. 28, 2016 (also by an online form).

Thanks so much for offering any feedback on the governance plan and for nominating candidates for the Steering Committee,
TARO co-chairs, Amanda Focke (afocke@rice.edu) and Amy Bowman (a.bowman@austin.utexas..edu)
Current list of steering committee members: https://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/admin/staff.html