Dear Workplace Learning Professional:

Every September, members of the ASTD-Cascadia Chapter vote on a new Board of Directors. The Nominating Committee has opened the recruitment process and is actively seeking nominees for all board positions.

The current Board is committed to having a recruitment process that is more open and transparent than in previous years, including the opportunity to have more than one person running for a position. They charged the Nominating Committee with developing guidelines, criteria and forms to support the whole board recruitment and selection process.

The board has developed a new, more streamlined board structure that is expected to be more strategic and flexible. This new board structure also allows for more robust volunteer opportunities at a higher level without a board commitment. We believe that new board members and high level volunteers invigorate leadership and improve what the Chapter provides for members so we encourage your participation in this process. We are looking for energetic, creative, and passionate people who want to learn and bring their unique leadership to the chapter.

Benefits of Being a Board Member

• Be part of a group with rich workplace learning knowledge where you will teach each other and learn from each other.
• Shape the focus and operations of the Chapter.
• Learn about Nonprofit management.
• Learn about recruiting, training, and retaining volunteers.
• Network with local business leaders and key leaders in our industry.
• Opportunity to attend ASTD National’s Advanced Leadership Conference in Virginia to fine tune your leadership skills.

Nomination Process

Here’s how the nomination, recruitment and selection process will work this year:

1. The Nominating Committee consists of Kelly Orehovec, Chapter President; Melinda Laubscher, President Elect; Sheryl Alstrin, Past President (2006); Lillian Tsai, Director of Diversity and Inclusion; and Shelby Gramling, Member of the Outreach Committee.
2. To nominate yourself or someone you think would serve well on the Board, please complete the nomination form and return it directly to me by Friday, August 21. Click here for a sample of candidate statements and bios from last year.
3. An information session will be held at the August 18 board meeting at Standard Insurance to help people learn more about the Board and to help finalize any decisions about whether someone would like to submit their nomination. Attending this information session is not a requirement so please feel free to attend only if it would be helpful to you. Check out the website for more details about where and when the board meeting will be held.
4. The Nominating Committee will review nominations against against the board leadership competencies and specific VP roles.
5. The Nominating Committee will determine who best meets the requirements and competencies and will notify all nominees of the final decisions by early September at the latest.
6. The final nominees will be submitted to a vote by the Chapter membership during the month of September.
7. Onboarding activities will begin in early October.
8. The term of the new board starts November 1 and runs through October 31 of next year.

Board Positions

All board positions are open and multiple candidates are encourage. The positions include:

• President
• President Elect
• VP of Interest Groups
• VP of Programs
• VP of Member Services
• VP of Communications
• VP of Finance
• Secretary

Board Requirements

Some basic requirements for serving on the board include:

• A minimum of a one-year commitment beginning November 1, 2009. The expectation is that prospective board members will serve two years.
• Be willing to learn various aspects of chapter operations and volunteer management including Chapter history, policies & procedures, current practices and bylaws.
• Maintain current Chapter and National memberships (the Chapter will provide a partial subsidy for the National membership)
• Have Internet access and an active email account that accepts multiple attachments
• Have access to software such as MS Office (i.e., Word, Excel, etc) or something compatible.
• Be able to attend all Board meetings and various programs.
• A more detailed list of the board commitments can be found here.

Be assured that the Board of Directors will actively support you. We are a dedicated and cohesive leadership team who are looking for outstanding volunteers! I encourage you to call me at 503-285-4893 if you have any questions. You can also call any of the board members if you have questions.

Kelly Orehovec
President
ASTD-Cascadia Chapter
kelly.orehovec@gmail.com

PS. Be sure to register for our regional conference, The Evolution of Learning, Sept. 23-24. Check out the details here.

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