- Non Profit Corporation
- Mission Statement
- Origin & History
- Leadership
- Membership Information
- Membership Activities
LAKE ERIE CONFERENCE XV    SECRETARIAT INFORMATIONSECRETARIAT DESCRIPTIONOur staff is one of the most experienced of any conference nationwide, with some volunteers having served for 30 years. This is the advantage of a conference run by a corporation and not by a college or university - an institutional memory of more than 4 years, organizational stability, proven dedication to fostering consistent growth and development, and a wealth of knowledge. The vast majority of our staff volunteers have also served as either high school or college delegates (or both). Many have volunteered as staff at other Model United Nations conferences. A handful of the staff volunteers at the Lake Erie Conference are advisors at our Northcoast Conference. All of this activity allows our staff to continually hone their skills and keep on top of world affairs.
Our staff comes from a wide variety of age groups, educational levels, employment backgrounds, religions, and political affiliations. Our volunteers come from across the United States and Canada. Some have even flown in from other parts of the world to attend a conference. Our staff includes students pursing everything from an Associate's degree to a PhD. It also includes attorneys, business and finance managers, entrepreneurs, administrators, educators, social workers, health care providers, an economist, and more. We have liberals, conservatives, and independents.
There is no one type of person that makes up our staff. Each person is equally important and contributes to the conference in their own unique way. What binds everyone together is the desire to provide a valuable educational opportunity. For many, it is a way to give something back to our organization because it has helped them is some way or because they believe in our mission. For some, it is a way to experience a conference from "the other side of the gavel".
SELECTED STAFF BIOSBelow are brief biographies of some staff volunteers for the Lake Erie Conference.
John graduated from Jefferson Area High School in Jefferson, Ohio. He received a BA with majors in Political Science, International Relations, Spanish, and European Studies from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. He is currently pursuing an MA in Political Science with a specialization in Comparative Politics from the University of New Mexico. He currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his bull terrier, Milo, where he is a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Political Science. They divide their time between New Mexico, Ohio, and New York.
Shannon graduated from Midview High School in Grafton, Ohio. She earned a BA in Politics & Government from Ohio Wesleyan University. She is a graduate student at Kent State University. She currently lives in Willoughby, Ohio where she is the Model United Nations Consultant for the Cleveland Council on World Affairs. She also works for Circuit City and hates it! A fun fact about Shannon is that she is currently learning to belly dance.
Drew graduated from Woodland Hills High School in Pittsburgh and attended Edinboro University. He currently lives in Atlanta, GA where he is an In Flight Specialist for Delta Airlines. Because of his work, Drew has traveled to 45% of the world's countries.
Greg graduated from Bay High School in Bay Village, Ohio. He has earned the following degrees: BA in History from Ohio University; MA in International Relations with concentration in Conflict Resolution and Cross-Cultural Negotiations from Syracuse University; MBA in Strategy and Human Resource Management from Syracuse University; and is pursuing a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Syracuse University. He has worked in Japan as an English teacher, business development manager for a consulting firm, and Membership Manager for the American Chamber of Commerce. He currently lives in Syracuse New York with his wife, Mina, while he is pursuing his PhD. A fun fact about Greg is that he won 9 matches in a Sumo tournament at Waseda University. His team finished 3rd in the tournament.
John graduated from Liverpool High School in Central New York. He received a BA in Economics and Geological Sciences from Case Western Reserve University and a MA in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University. He currently lives in the Washington DC area where he works as an economist with the US Department of Transportation. In 2005, John spent three months with his backpack on an Around-The-World plane ticket. His travels took him to 19 different countries on every inhabited continent. In April 2008, John was a member of one of the choirs that performed during the Papal Mass at Washington Nationals Stadium.
Andrew graduated from Madison High School in Madison, Ohio. He earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and is currently pursuing a Masters of Urban Planning at Cleveland State University. He currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio where he is employed in the records storage and information management industry. He also performs with the North Coast Men's Chorus where he has just finished 4 years on their Board of Directors.
STAFF BENEFITSAny staff volunteer who incurs travel expenses to attend the conference will be fully reimbursed for those expenses, up to $150. LEIMUN will make every effort to ensure that staff volunteers do not have to pay for parking at the Crowne Plaza.
All staff volunteers will receive free hotel accommodations in quad rooms for three nights during the Lake Erie Conference. These nights are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Accommodations may also be provided to any staff volunteer who arrives on Wednesday. Staff volunteers requesting single or double rooms are required to pay 50% of this cost to LEIMUN prior to the beginning of the conference.
All staff volunteers will receive free dinner at the Professional Party on Thursday evening. Coffee and breakfast pastries may be provided on Friday and Saturday.
Letters of Recommendation and Certificates of Appreciation may be provided to all staff volunteers. The Secretariat and Board of Trustees will provide also provide personal recommendations or other documentation for anyone who requests it. Anyone who has served on the staff for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years will receive special recognition during Closing Ceremonies during the Northcoast Conference.
RULES & POLICIES QUIZZESThere are three different quizzes available to assist delegates, advisors, and staff prepare for the Lake Erie Conference. They can be accessed via Diplomatic Access. All LEIMUN Members, staff volunteers, and advisors or head delegates of registered schools will be provided with an ID and password to the Diplomatic Access area. Delegates may receive an ID and password by sending a request via the Contact Us page. The Basic Rules & Policies Quiz is highly recommended for all conference participants, especially those who are new to Model UN or to our conference. The Advanced Rules & Policies Quiz is recommended for all conference participants, especially those who are more familiar with Model UN and our conference. The Staff Rules and Policies Quiz is required for all staff volunteers and is recommended only for the most experienced advisors and delegates.
STAFF APPLICATIONLake Erie XV Staff Application Photos courtesy of LEIMUN participants |
John Dyrcz has been involved within LEIMUN since he first participated as a junior high school delegate in 1999. He joined the Northcoast Conference staff in 2003, while founding and debating with his college team. He has chaired a variety of committees, as well as serving as Parliamentarian and Special Assistant to the Secretariat. He has also served on the Advisory Council and as Director of Recruitment.
Shannon Hopkins has been participating in Model United Nations for 3 years and has been involved with LEIMUN for 3 years. She has participated as a delegate at our Lake Erie Conference, most recently as "Le Femme" Nikita Khrushchev on our Cuban Missile Crisis. She has also staffed the Human Rights Council at our Northcoast Conference. She will be serving as LEIMUN's Director of Recruitment for 2008-2009.
Drew Zoretich has been doing Model UN for 9 years and has been involved with LEIMUN for 5 years. He has presided over many Security Councils, served on the Elections Committee and Advisory Council, and as the Secretary-General in 2006-2007. He is currently serving as LEIMUN's Director of Staff Development.
Greg Laurence has been involved on the LEIMUN staff since 1990 (attending whenever he was not working in Japan) but began doing Model UN in high school. He has presided over a wide variety of committees, as well as participating on the A-Team and Emergency Simulation Design. He also served on the Senior Staff and Advisory Council.
John D. Giorgis has been involved LEIMUN for 12 years, but had began doing Model UN several years before. He debated at numerous conferences both at the high school and college level. He has presided over a wide variety of committees. He has also served LEIMUN on the Advisory Council, Rules Revision Committee, Bylaws Committee, Elections Committee, Handbook Committee, Governance Committee, and as Director of Research.
Andrew Zupcsan has served on the LEIMUN staff for over 10 years and has been involved with Model UN since 1992. He debated as both a high school and college delegate. He has presided over a variety of committees, as well as serving as Under Secretary-General, Secretary-General, and Director of Research. He was served on the Advisory Council, Handbook Committee, Governance Committee, Bylaws Committee, and Rules Revision Committee.