Shelley Mountjoy is a graduate student at George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, Virginia where she is President of the Secular Student Alliance (GMU) and Vice President of the Graduate and Student Professional Association. Off campus, Shelley serves as a leader of several local groups and has organized over 300 educational, activist, community service, and social events. In July of 2009, Shelley co-founded District of Columbia Atheists, Inc. (DCA); she is currently President. DCA is organized as a representative democracy and is the first and only formal organization for atheists in the Nation's Capital. She's currently writing a book with Christopher Arntzen (former head of GAYLAH) called "godless DC" which will be released in late 2010. Shelley is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Secular Student Alliance.
Shelley Mountjoy at the podium, 2010-10-02
Photograph : J. Jarry
To build a strong local group, it's essential to create a foundation that fosters membership growth and incorporates plans to sustain increasing activity. With a foundation in place, the focus will shift to the most effective ways to advertise local groups, determining which potential events are likely to be successful and locating venues to hold those events. We'll touch on conflict resolution and examine how our personal values as leaders can affect this process. Finally, we'll discuss how to create a culture of cooperation among local group leaders and the importance of leadership transitions.