Frequently Asked Questions

There are two vacancies on the 2025-2026 Board of Trustees. ASPHO is seeking candidates for the positions of Vice President and one Trustee at Large. 

Diversity is a key value in ASPHO’s Leadership Development work. ASPHO seeks leadership diversity in terms of age, ethnicity, gender, specialty, institution size and practice setting, among other criteria. 

Trustees-at-Large are elected to serve a three-year term and are eligible to serve one additional consecutive term in office. The Secretary-Treasurer serves a three-year term in office and is eligible to serve two additional consecutive terms in office. The Vice President, President, and Past President serve one-year terms in each office.

Beyond the criteria outlined in the Society’s bylaws including a regular or international member for three (3) years prior to the time of nomination, the Board approved seven (7) points of diversity and six (6) leadership competencies to evaluate board candidates. Because potential candidates don't always know what the committee looks for in a board member, ASPHO has made its selection criteria very clear.

Points of Diversity include primary specialty, practice setting, primary responsibility, institution size, career stage, gender, race/ethnicity
Competencies for at-large Trustees include: 

Organization Awareness and Knowledge (ASPHO)

• Aware of strategic goals, structure and culture inside the organization to identify potential organizational problems and opportunities
• Understands and uses organizational policies and culture to meet goals and solve problems of multiple constituencies
• Understands the impact of trends with the association and the community as a whole

Integrity/Responsibility/Accountability       

• Requires fairness and honesty in all dealings and puts the interests of the organization ahead of personal interests
• Applies discretion and discernment by keeping private confidential discussions
• Preparedness, demonstrating readiness for meetings and conversations; demonstrates follow through on assigned responsibilities and duties
• Passionate support and commitment to the organizations’ mission and values

Team Orientation

• Works effectively with team or work groups to accomplish organizational goals
• Takes actions that respect the needs and contributions of others
• Contributing to and accepting the consensus; supports group decisions
• Seeks and values diversity of thought from others; especially those different from oneself

Decision Making/Problem Solving

• Commits to an action after considering pros/cons/alternative courses of action that are based on information and takes into consideration resources, constraints, and organization value.
• Employs knowledge-based decision making as well as organizational aspiration as a guide for decision making
• Aligns the interests of multiple diverse stakeholders in analyzing problems

Strategic Visioning and Direction Setting

• Can imagine a desired future state and is able to convey the vision to others
• Considers the social, environmental, governmental, and other social systems and is aware of how they shape future direction
• Uses influencing skills to collaborate across boundaries and build a vision with others
• Focuses on big picture (or long-term strategy) rather than short-term administrative issues

Communication

• Communicates with others openly, respectfully, and with care
• Demonstrated ability and desire to listen to all points of view with an open mind
• Capacity to deliver concise and clear messages

Volunteers bring viewpoints and knowledge which, when blended with the knowledge and skills of ASPHO’s experienced staff, are essential to the organization's continued success. Review the job descriptions for both at-large and officer positions.

Although board members must be willing to invest time in preparing for and thoughtfully participating in board meetings, the time commitment is not onerous. ASPHO’s Board meets two times a year in person for two half days and holds 3-4 additional 90-minute virtual meetings each year. Trustees are expected to attend the ASPHO Conference, serve as a board liaison to two committees or working groups and miscellaneous other educational programs and activities. 

It is recommended that members review the competencies sought for Board members as well as the job description of the position. A ‘Call for Nominations” is held each fall outlining the specific characteristics and competencies being sought to diversity the Board. During this time, candidates are asked to complete a survey including their contact and demographic information, past ASPHO volunteer involvement, and describe how you can provide leadership based on the competency areas that have been identified. Candidates for the Board are asked to complete a disclosure agreement and made aware of industry employment.

Due to the individualized information being sought from candidates and descriptions of how they can provide leadership based on the competency areas, only candidates for Board positions may apply. If you know of an individual who meets the criteria and who might be willing to serve on the ASPHO Board, we hope you’ll encourage them to complete the candidate application.

ASPHO’s development of Board competencies and goal to ensure diversity in our leadership may mean that your skill set and demographics were not aligned with the needs for this particular year. ASPHO encourages members to re-apply and read the criteria identified for a specific year. There are always myriad volunteer opportunities within ASPHO and the volunteer applications are open year-round.

The call will open in October and candidate applications are due on or before Monday, December 16, 2024.

For more information about the leadership development process, or about nominating criteria, send your inquiry to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .