Get Involved in the Leadership of Your Organization!
By Claire Kamp Dush, Ph.D. and Alan C. Taylor, Ph.D., CFLE, NCFR 2017 Elections Council Co-Chairs
Get involved in the leadership of YOUR organization! The vitality of NCFR depends on the dedication of its members to serve in leadership capacities at various levels of the organization.
Leadership in NCFR offers many benefits and rewards, including the following:
- The opportunity to share our knowledge and expertise in ways that will help to promote the welfare of families and children
- Status among and recognition by local, state, national, and international audiences
- Networking and professional development opportunities
The charge of the Elections Council is to identify people who are willing to commit their time and energy for leadership positions. Please consider how your skills and gifts might benefit NCFR. In turn, we are quite sure that you will gain valuable leadership experience and will grow personally as well as professionally. Here are two ways to be involved.
1. VOTE in Upcoming Elections (February 2018)
The Elections Council wants to encourage all members to vote in February 2018. We have submitted a nomination slate (ballots will be emailed to members in February 2018) for terms that will be filled at the end of the national meeting in San Diego, California, in November 2018. The nominees are as follows:
Elections Council (2018–2021) – (Two Positions)
- Shann Hwa (Abraham) Hwang – TX or Ani Yazedjian – IL
- Cassandra Dorius – IA or Vanja Lazarevic – CA
Fellows Committee (2018–2021) – (Three Positions)
- Francesa Adler-Baeder – AL or Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan – OH
- Spencer Olmstead – KY or Shawn Whiteman – UT
- Christine Proulx – MO or Elise Radina – OH
Inclusion and Diversity Committee Member-at-Large (2018-2021) – (One Position)
- Daphne Hernandez – TX or Robin Yaure – PA
Students and New Professionals Program Representative (2018–2020) – (One Position)
- Erin Lavender-Stott – VA and Kale Monk – IL
(serving as co-representatives)
2. NOMINATE YOURSELF OR OTHERS for February 2019 Slate (due Jan. 31, 2018)
The Elections Council wants to encourage all members to nominate someone for the February 2019 slate. As you think about who would serve NCFR well, please give serious consideration to nominating yourself as well as others.
Here are the selection criteria to help you decide whether you would be willing to be nominated and/or to identify potential candidates for the upcoming election:
Eligibility for Nominations
- Current membership in NCFR
- Knowledge and/or experience in areas reflecting broad trends in human development, Family Science, marriage and family practice, sociology, and related professions
- Knowledge and/or experience in leadership roles through sections, affiliate councils, focus groups, conference planning, publishing, public policy, or other committee work
Definition of Diversity
When identifying members to run for office, consideration should be given to a slate that is diverse in its representation of members, for example:
- Ability and disability
- Aboriginal, mixed, immigrant
- Age
- Bilingualism and multiculturalism/English language learners
- Body size and condition
- Customs and traditions
- Educational, disciplinary, or career status
- Ethnicity, race, national origin, or cultural identity
- Gender, gender identity, and gender expression
- Geographical background and location
- Marital status, relational status (including singlehood), and family structure or identity
- Objective and subjective worldviews and standpoints
- Political ideologies and affiliations
- Religion/no religion, spirituality and affiliations, and faith
- Sexual orientation, identities, and expressions
- Socioeconomic status, residential status, social class, employment, and national service
[Note: The aspects of diversity are listed alphabetically, but not in any order of priority.]
Keeping this in mind, we invite self-nominations and nominations of others for the following positions for the slate to be elected in February 2019. The terms for these positions will begin November 2019 at the end of the annual conference in Fort Worth, Texas.
Board President-Elect – 2019–2021 (President 2021–2023)
The president-elect shall assist the president, and in the event of the president’s absence, incapacitation, resignation or death, the president’s duties (general management of the business of the NCFR board) shall devolve to the president-elect. The president-elect will serve on the Board Audit Committee and be in charge of the Newcomers Welcome at the annual conference.
Board Member-at-Large – 2019–2022 (Two Positions)
NCFR board members are responsible for the overall governance of the organization on behalf of all NCFR members. They attend two face-to-face board meetings per year, along with regular conference calls and email exchanges. They take responsibility of maintaining contact with the membership and reflecting the needs of all NCFR members.
Affiliate Councils President-Elect – 2019–2021
The Affiliate Councils president-elect shall serve on the National Council on Family Relations Board of Directors for a two-year term and shall represent concerns of the members of the Affiliate Councils. This position shall assume the presidency of the Affiliate Councils for a two-year term following his or her term as president-elect.
Students and New Professionals Board Representative-Elect – 2019–2020
The Students and New Professionals board representative-elect serves a one-year term as a nonvoting member of the board. After serving their one-year term, this position will move to the position of Students and New Professionals board representative, to serve a two-year term as a voting member of the Board of Directors. During the one-year term, the SNP board representative-elect will learn about the organization and his or her role as the future SNP board representative by shadowing and assisting the current SNP board representative and SNP program representative.
Elections Council Members – 2019–2022 (Two Positions)
It is the responsibility of the Elections Council to prepare a slate of nominees for officers and members of the Board of Directors, Students and New Professionals board representative, Students and New Professionals program representative, Fellows Committee, Elections Council, and Inclusion and Diversity Committee positions, and to ensure that the policies regarding recruitment as provided by the NCFR Bylaws and the Elections Council Policies and Procedures are followed.
Fellows Committee – 2019–2022 (Two Positions)
The Fellows Committee shall review the applications from nominees for NCFR Fellow status. During the NCFR Annual Conference, they will discuss and vote on which nominees will be recommended to the Board of Directors for NCFR Fellow status.
Inclusion and Diversity Committee (IDC) Member-at-Large – 2019–2022 (Two Positions)
IDC members-at-large will serve to assist the IDC to respond to the needs and desires of NCFR members. The members-at-large will help the committee send updates on its work via web postings, NCFR Report, and other effective venues of communication.
Inclusion and Diversity Committee (IDC) Students and New Professionals Representative – 2019–2021
The Students and New Professionals representative shall act as a liaison between the IDC and the Students and New Professionals Leadership Council.
Annual Conference Program Chair-Elect – 2019–2020, Program Chair for 2021 Conference, Baltimore, Maryland
The NCFR conference program chair-elect is appointed by the NCFR Board of Directors. The Elections Council is interested in your suggestions for potential program chair appointees. Please feel free to suggest names along with your other nominations.
Again, become involved in leadership positions of our organization. Consider what your involvement will be and send nominations to Jeanne Strand at [email protected]. For additional information, please review our website, bit.ly/NCFRelections. Deadline for nominations is January 31, 2018.
