The Georgetown University Student Association Senate voted in new staff and leadership members Monday evening, electing Adam Mortillaro (COL ’12) as the senate speaker for this academic year.

Mortillaro won by a significant margin against fellow senators Colton Malkerson (COL ’13) and Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13). Mortillaro received 13 votes, Malkerson received three and Gustafson received two.

In his pre-election speech, Mortillaro said, “It’s really been impressed upon me that there is a great deal of talent in this year’s body. There are many pressing issues, and I think the senate really owes these issues our full attention. We should adopt a process of efficiency and efficacy.”

The new speaker said that much emphasis was placed on the Finance and Appropriations Committee last year because of funding reform passed by the senate, perhaps at the expense of coordination between committees.

“There wasn’t as much communication as there could have been between the guys who hold the purse strings and everyone else,” Mortillaro said. “This year we want to create a climate of greater collaboration.”

He went on to underline the need to foster ties among the various GUSA committees: Housing Facilities and Technology, Finance and Appropriations, Community Building and Outreach, Academic Affairs and Student Life.

“If we create a system of openness between committees I think we can be, as a whole, more effective,” he said.

ortillaro also discussed other issues confronting the senate. One such issue is funding for the weekend Georgetown University Transportation Service buses, which depleted last spring.

GUSA President Calen Angert (MSB ’11), however, said that a solution for GUTS bus funding is on the horizon. “We are taking care of it. The contracts are in the process of being signed and the funds are pledged from a variety of sources,” he said.

ortillaro cited student engagement as another issue facing the senate. He voiced concerns over low voter turnout, and expressed hope that strategies like voting booths in Red Square – which, when implemented in 2001, yielded turnout of over 50 percent – might help students to feel more invested in GUSA.

Former Senate Speaker Adam Talbot (COL ’12) commented on the challenges he faced during his own term last academic year.

“Our challenge last year was to build the senate into a stronger institution with a real reason for being,” Talbot said. “As speaker I focused the senate on reforming the way that club funding works on campus and on bringing the student association to more of the campus community.”

The senate body also elected Ben Bold (COL ’13) to serve as GUSA’s vice speaker. According to fellow senator and interim speaker Chris Pigott (COL ’12), “[Ben] will be a great complement to Adam and will get stuff done.”

Heading this year’s Finance and Appropriations Committee is Gregory Laverriere (COL ’12). The six senators elected to participate in this year’s Finance and Appropriations Committee are Malkerson, Pigott, Tyler Sax (COL ’13), Nate Tisa (SFS ’14), Sandy Glassberg (MSB ’11) and Sheila Walsh (COL ’14).