We will be electing members for the 2020-2022 NOW Board of Directors at this year’s national conference in Washington, D.C. Duties of NOW board members include exercising fiduciary responsibility to the organization, implementing conference resolutions, recruiting new members, helping reinvigorate chapters, assisting new chapters as they organize, participating in actions in their districts, reporting to the board on concerns within their district, and reporting National Board decisions to members in their districts.
BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES
- Attend a minimum of 3 regular board meetings a year (typically on weekends and occasionally other days), some of which are in-person, others via webinar or conference call.
- Fall: In-person (in Baltimore, MD, typically an orientation all day on Friday on the first meeting after the board election, Saturday all day, Sunday adjourns in the afternoon)
- Winter/Spring: Meeting in-person or via webinar (typically Friday evening for Hot Topics, all day Saturday, Sunday adjourns in the afternoon)
- Summer: In-person (typically the Thursday before the National NOW Conference)
- Ad hoc: special and/or executive session (confidential) meetings
- Racial Equity Training will be scheduled concurrently with board meetings
- Serve on National Board standing committees and other committees.
- Report regularly to members in their districts.
Please refer to Article VII of the NOW Bylaws for a full list of responsibilities.
Travel, meals, and lodging expenses for face-to-face board meetings are reimbursed (within guidelines) by National NOW.
BOARD ELECTORAL DISTRICTS
Six districts exist to ensure geographic diversity on the NOW Board. You will be a candidate for the district in which your state is located. Each district may elect two Board members, and if its delegation includes a person of color, it may elect a third Board member.
The districts currently comprise the following states:
- Pacific – Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington;
- Western – Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Utah, Texas;
- Heartland – Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin;
- Southern – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee;
- Eastern – Delaware, District of Columbia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia;
- Northern – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- You must be a NOW member in good standing for at least two years before the date of the election.
- You must have held an elected or appointed position in a local or state NOW chapter or the national organization.
- You must remain a resident of the electoral district from which elected in order to remain on the NOW Board.
ELECTION DATE AND LOCATION
The election will take place during the National NOW Conference (June 5-7, 2020) at the Capital Hilton, 1001 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036.
HOW TO APPLY
If you are interested in serving on the NOW Board, you must submit your name and information via this online form by 11:59 PM (Eastern Standard Time), Saturday, March 7, 2020. Those members who complete the form and are verified as eligible to run for a board seat will have their nomination information shared via the NOW website and through email in advance of the board elections.
District Nominating Committees (which, according to our National bylaws are comprised of the “State Coordinators in each electoral district or their designees”) will work with the NAC to verify every candidate’s eligibility for office.
Toni Van Pelt, President
Kim Villanueva, Elections Chair