The Student Government Association (SGA) wrapped up its spring 2024 executive leadership committee election March 1. Of a student population numbering more than 4,000, only 49 ballots were submitted, according to SGA administrative assistant Lisa Laughlin. This equates to roughly 1% voter turnout from the student body.
Only one name was on the ballot for five open officer positions. Several candidates did, however, run successful write-in campaigns.
Lillian Sellers, a junior political science major, secured the top spot as the 2024–2025 SGA president. Sellers currently serves as the vice president of external affairs.
In campaign material on her Instagram page, Sellers indicated that she wanted to “expand collaboration with student groups and organizations” and “advocate for accessibility inclusion of all students on campus.”
Katie Huston, a junior English secondary education major, was elected to the position of vice president of internal affairs. She is currently the vice president of finance, having been appointed to fill the vacant seat in November.
Huston will be succeeded by Nathan Garber as vice president of finance. Garber, who was the only candidate to submit a petition to be on the ballot prior to the election, won the position with 73% of the vote.
Garber serves as a member of the SGA Budget and finance committee, which he will oversee next year. The B&F committee is in charge of crafting the SGA operating budget, which distributes student activity fee revenue to student groups.
The vice president of external affairs position will be filled by Natalie Nichols, a sophomore communications, journalism and media major. Nichols will be in charge of SGA’s outreach to the campus community and marketing the organization to the student body.
Ella Zinn, who serves as the Class of 2026 senator in the 2023–2024 SGA, was elected as the next vice president of student groups.
The 2024–2025 ELC will be sworn in alongside the senators elected later in the semester during SGA’s last meeting on April 25.
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