IPMA Board Elections 2025

Have you ever considered running for the Board of Directors of the IPMA, or maybe you wanted to nominate another member and didn’t know for sure what the criteria are to be on the Board? We hope you have considered one or more of these options and we hope this article will clarify and possibly demystify the process.

Let’s begin with the qualifications to run for a board of directors position. In order to serve on the Board, you must have been a regular or lifetime member in good standing for one year and served on a Committee or Task force or as a Chapter Chair. Additionally, in order to run for President-Elect, which means you will be the President of the Association the following year and Immediate Past-President the year following, you must have already served on the Board.

Now that we are clear on who qualifies to run for the Board, here is how the process works. The Nominations Committee is tasked with seeking and reviewing nominations, evaluating candidates for eligibility for office, and presenting a slate of candidates to the Board. The committee works to solicit and confirm as many nominations from the membership and the current Board as possible each year. Those who accept the nominations will work with HQ to compile their history with the IPMA and their aspirations and goals for their tenure on the Board of Directors.

The Nominating Committee is chaired by the Immediate Past President. If the Immediate Past President is unable to serve as chair, it can also be chaired by another Board member who is not seeking election to the Board in the current year. As a rule, the Immediate Past-President is barred from seeking a seat on the Board for one year after leaving that position, making them the ideal person to chair this committee.

As for the remainder of the Nominations Committee, it is comprised of one regular member from each of the four North American Divisions, who are not seeking election to a Board position in that year. The members of the Nominations Committees are appointed by the Board of Directors. After the committee is appointed, the Board must notify the membership of the composition of and purpose of the committee. This notice and all other nomination voting notices will be distributed to the membership via individual emails and through News & Notes.

Once the candidates have been fully vetted, the committee submits the candidates’ reports to the Board of Directors. It is crucial at this stage of the nominations that we know how to count! The slate must be submitted to the Board at least ninety (90) days prior to the Annual Meeting, which is held during Conference. This year, since the Annual Meeting is on October 23, 2024, the slate must be presented to the Board by July 26, 2024. The committee will need to be convened no later than mid-June to allow the committee at least one month to evaluate the candidates and propose a slate to the Board for approval by July 26.

Once the slate of nominations has been accepted by the Board, the Executive Director prepares a ballot which is distributed by email at least sixty (60) days before the Annual Meeting. This year the elections will open on August 22. Our membership has 20 days to vote. Once the vote is closed, the Executive Director notifies the Board of the results as soon as possible and no later than fifteen (15) days before the Annual Meeting. The new board members will be installed at the Annual Meeting and will begin their term on that day.

That is how nominations and the election to Board works. It is a crucial part of the health and well-being of our association. As former board members and Past-Presidents of the IPMA, we encourage you to consider running for the board (you can even nominate yourself!) and to think about the various members you know who you think have the vision and energy to be one of the next leaders of the IPMA. It’s been a rewarding part of our IPMA journey. If you would like to discuss whether serving on the Board would be for you, please reach out to one of us or any other current or former Board member. We are more than happy to share our thoughts with you.