Chelsea Hollidge appointed as new AMS Vice-President (Operations)

Hollidge to replace former Vice President Brian McKay following his resignation earlier this month

AMS Vice President (University Affairs) Palmer Lockridge (left) and President Jennifer Li (centre) stand with Chelsea Hollidge (right) following her appointment as Vice-President (Operations).
Image by: Joseph Cattana
AMS Vice President (University Affairs) Palmer Lockridge (left) and President Jennifer Li (centre) stand with Chelsea Hollidge (right) following her appointment as Vice-President (Operations).

President Jennifer Li and Vice-President (University Affairs) Palmer Lockridge didn’t have to go far down the alphabet, or the hallway, to find a new member of their executive.

Effective immediately, Director of Media Services Chelsea Hollidge will be leaving her directorship to replace Brian McKay, who resigned August 18, as AMS vice-president (operations).

With the change, Team JBP has now become Team JCP.

“I’m very excited,” Hollidge told The Journal. “It’s been a wild ride but I’m very excited to support Jenn and Palmer and the rest of the team.”

Li shared in the excitement with Hollidge.

“Palmer and I are really excited… to have Chelsea on the team and for her to be able to step into the role. We’re very grateful that she is willing to step up,” she said.

In accordance with the AMS Constitution, Li and Lockridge maintained the authority to appoint a member of the society to fill the vacant office, pending the approval of assembly.

“Based on conversations with our staff and with certain administrators, we recognized that there was a need to fill the office before the start of the school year,” Li said.

“For Palmer and I, it wasn’t just about filling the role based on our needs and our desires, but that the staff and the team that would work under the Vice-President (Operations) felt like they could work with that candidate.”

Li told The Journal in their consultations with various head managers, directors and members of AMS Assembly, Hollidge’s appointment received widespread support.

During her time at Queen’s, Hollidge has also been an assistant manager for used books and school supplies at Tricolour Outlet, SMART head manager, WalkHome service staff and a volunteer with Studio Q.

According to Hollidge, her transition will start right away so she can be prepared for the start of the school year.

“I’ve had some experience integrating into a role like this before,” Hollidge said, referencing her previous transition from SMART staff to head manager.

In terms of her new appointment, Hollidge said she already has some goals in place.

“In our goal plans we did have specific outlined goals for sustainability, [we’ll be] looking over those, seeing where we’re at and how we can actually contribute to sustainability for the rest of the year,” Hollidge said. 

“In media services, I definitely had goals for those services that I would still love to see through. [But] moving forward I do have to switch gears and focus on the whole student body, which I’m very excited about.”

Now as the Vice President (Operations), Hollidge wants to support each individual service in the AMS reach their goals.

“I really respect the passion that head managers have for their services and I think that’s how I relate to them and can be the best support to them,” Hollidge said. “When it comes to making tough decisions and being an advocate for them at higher levels, I really do respect that passion and want to be an advocate for them.”

According to Hollidge, her replacement for Director of Media Services remains uncertain, but the media services head managers — Walkhome, Studio Q and The Journal — are “very capable and prepared to be a little more autonomous” in the interim.

“We don’t have a concrete answer as to when or how we’ll be replacing that role, but in the past there have been directorships that have remained unfilled and I know that the head managers are comfortable with that as well, should that be our decision.”

This isn’t the first time that a directorship has been left empty due to internal shuffling of roles in the AMS. Last year, Brandon Kim, ArtSci ’16, prematurely left his role as the AMS Director of Hospitality and Safety Services to assume the role of TAPS Head Manager. In 2015, Tyler Lively, ArtSci ’16, left his post as Retail Services Director to become the Academic Affairs Commissioner.

“Every year there’s been a different circumstance and that’s the toughest part,” Li said about the vacant director positions. “We’ll have conversations with the Board and figure out what works on that side of the AMS, but I don’t think we’ve really come to a decision yet.”

Hollidge will be officially ratified at Assembly on September 21st, but will be assuming her new responsibilities effective immediately.

Tags

AMS, AMS executive, Chelsea Hollidge, Jennifer Li, Palmer Lockridge, Team JBP, Team JCP

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