CELJ Elections

The Council of Editors of Learned Journals is run by volunteers for scholarly journal editors, most of whom are also volunteers. We exist to help journal editors with their scholarly publishing passion projects, by sharing knowledge about how and why scholarly journals are published. We distribute this knowledge through members-only listservs, conference sessions, and mentoring events. This page directs members to vote for board members on a rotating basis, as outlined in CELJ’s by-laws.

Vice President Description

(2025 Elections)

The Vice President of CELJ has two main duties: (1) supporting the work of the organization in monthly meetings and at MLA, and (2) coordinating the annual awards. The full description of the position, including specific tasks and qualifications the election winner needs to fulfill, is outlined at the link above.

Vice-President Nominees

  • Lisa Ortiz-Vilarelle

    For the past three years as Editor of a/b: Auto/Biography Studies, I have benefited from the CELJ’s knowledgeable leadership and would like to make a greater contribution to the organization by joining its board. Two chief duties of Vice President will allow me to support and elevate our community-building contributions to the MLA convention and the six CELJ awards that recognize growth, innovation, and excellence.

    I see the conversations fostered during our MLA and virtual CELJ conference sessions as culminating events in the CELJ’s yearlong promotion of inclusive and collaborative scholarly editing. As outreach initiatives, they also facilitate access to a valued community resource – mentor editors who volunteer for “Chat with an Editor” sessions. My appreciation and aptitude for fostering mentorship are suited to this area of the Council’s work in which I would like to play a more active role.

    CELJ awards acknowledge the best practices advanced by member editors and their publications. The responsibility of coordinating portfolio review presents opportunities to encourage reflection on how nominees promote the values of the CELJ. I would like to reinforce the value of editors, design, special issues, features, and outreach that address systematic inequities in scholarly publishing. 

  • Jess Herdman

    As a deeply committed advocate for journals across North America, I serve as the Executive Director for the Canadian Association of Learned Journals, as well as the Managing Editor for three important journals in Canada (Canadian Journal of Development Studies; Intersectionalities: A Global Journal of Social Work; and Intersections: Canadian Journal of Music). I'm also a freelancer indexer, editor and designer (www.jessherdman.com). I am honoured to be part of the CELJ and I would be delighted to deepen the collaborations across borders and disciplines by mobilizing my own expertise and connections as well as by listening closely to my colleagues in our work to effect diverse, inclusive, accessible, and equitable CELJ strategic goals and priorities.

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