Joshua Christ
-Professor of Theatre, Mt.SAC
-Head of the Technical Theatre 
-Theatre Department
​-Arts Division

I am seeking your vote for the position of Full-Time Director, MtSAC Faculty Association. I survey our current executive board, and the current candidates to fill positions on the board for next year, and see a distinct lack of professional diversity. I believe I can offer that diversity of thought, as evidenced by my background and experiences as a Theatrical Designer, a Career and Technology Educator (CE/CTE), and a member of the Arts Division. It would be my goal, as a Full-Time Director of the FA Executive Board, to bring creative solutions to lingering, underlying issues. 

Joshua, demonstrating his scenic design ideas for a full-length devised theatre piece with more than 50 collaborators, exemplifying the ability to both take the lead on a project as well as be creative when implementing the ideas of others constructively.

The Reasons Joshua is Running for FA Director:

1. I was trained as a collaborative artist first, and made a career for myself as a collaborative artist in the field. My entire adult life has relied on my ability to get into a meeting with a team, devise results, and produce those results. My approach to teaching and the business side of being a teacher is no different. Professional theatre (just like the work our FA does) is a product driven result, if you cannot produce the desired result for the intended audience, you are not adequately fulfilling the duties of the position. I can work to ensure the results are more acceptable for the various faculty populations I am a part of. 
2. I feel that small departments and divisions that are comprised of primarily small departments are under-represented on our Executive Board. It is generally more difficult for faculty from smaller departments to commit the time necessary to serve on the executive board, but I am committed to making the time, because it is important to have a voice who has the experience of being in and from a small department in the room as the needs of faculty are discussed.  Before MtSAC, I taught at Whittier College and at Concordia University in Chicago, and I was never part of a department with more than 3 full time faculty. I understand increased workload that individuals in smaller departments have to bare, just to keep up and accomplish department business, and will ensure that these needs are discussed. 
3. I also feel that there is not enough representation on the executive board for our Career Education faculty. Our CTE programs employ a significant portion of our faculty, and are composed of a significant portion of the students who leave MtSAC for the work force. This is represented currently by only one member of the FA executive board, and by electing me, that number would increase to two, giving the CE faculty a more proportional role in representation. 

Joshua's Strengths:

• Collaboration with diverse and large teams, each representing their own interests to create a final product that meets the needs of all interested parties.
• Remains calm under the pressure of deadlines, consistently meeting those deadlines even with the end goal changing (moving targets)
• Creative ideas and solutions to regular and persistent problems.
• Thinking outside of the box, giving tips / new ideas and challenging typical streamlined thinking
• Navigating the complex legalese and language oftentimes associated with edicts from the state and district, for example the strict requirements on Perkins and Strong Workforce Program. 
• Speaking truth to power and not being timid in relaying news that needs to be heard, regardless of if it will be welcomed, and doing so in a tactful way that is not disrespectful or demeaning