Thank you for your interest in running for office on the SFWA Board of Directors! The following information will give you a good idea of what positions are available in the current election cycle, what holding those particular offices entail, along with explaining the duties and benefits of serving as a volunteer in this capacity.

There are particular requirements as dictated by our organization’s bylaws for each of the following positions, and you can find our bylaws here. As you read on, if you decide that running for office is right for you, make sure that you can meet the requirements, or ask the election committee to check for you.

The Board

The SFWA Board is made up of:

• President
• Vice President
• Chief Financial Officer
• Secretary
• Five (5) Director-at-Large Positions

In the current year, the President, Secretary, and three (3) Director-At-Large Positions are up for re-election.

General eligibility requirements for all positions include at least two years’ active SFWA membership in good standing, in addition to other requirements listed below.

President

Additional Eligibility Requirements: To be elected President, you must also have previous experience on the Board or other significant experience relative to the position.

• Attend all meetings of the Board.
• Represent SFWA and its interests in dealing with other corporations and persons.
• Receive quarterly reports from the Grievance Committee and the SFWA Ombudsman.
• Bestow the honors of the Damon Knight Grand Master and Kevin O’Connell, Jr., Service to SFWA awards.
• Take immediate, temporary actions appropriate to protect the purposes and interests of SFWA when SFWA’s harassment and conduct policies are reported to be violated. Report such actions to the full Board to determine if further action is warranted.
• Act as an advisory, non-voting member of the Board for one year following the end of their term.

Secretary

The requirements for seeking this job are:

• Give notice of and keep minutes for all meetings and actions of the Board, committees of the Board, and the membership.
• Keep updated master copies of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and the OPPM and make revisions, deletions, and amendments to them after Board votes and within the time limits designated in the OPPM. Report such changes to the Bylaws and the OPPM on the SFWA forums.
• Verify election counts.
• Maintain a file of staff and contractor contracts.
• Oversee the Volunteer Archivist, making certain that annual copies of SFWA Publications, news clippings, and promotional materials are archived.

Directors-At-Large

Directors-at-Large shall:

• • Familiarize themselves with SFWA’s Bylaws, Operating Policies and Procedures Manual (OPPM), mission statement, and the restrictions placed on 501(c)(3) public charity organizations.
  • Perform fiduciary duties for SFWA, including reading, understanding, and approving the annual budget, basic financial statements, investment strategy, tax filings, and the use of SFWA’s resources.
  • Facilitate communications with and represent concerns to the Board. To do this successfully, Directors should read SFWA Publications; participate in and/or monitor online discussions on the SFWA Forums, Discord, and outside of SFWA; and correspond with members and potential members when possible.
  • Act as liaisons for committees, reporting to the Board and the membership on committee activity, and otherwise facilitating the committees’ work.
  • Vote on issues in a timely manner; contribute to discussions and advise the President and Vice President on decisions, including appointing committee chairs and commissioners and hiring SFWA staff.
  • Consider and propose potential changes to the membership requirements, if needed.

 

Okay, Now What?

Still interested?

Great! The next step on your path to running for office would be to submit your name to our current Elections Committee Chair, Matthew Johnson. You can reach him at elections@sfwa.org. He will go over your eligibility and be able to answer or find someone who can answer any further questions you may have.

Once your eligibility has been confirmed via a check of our membership database, you will be asked to provide a platform. This platform will be linked to on the ballot as well, for those members who do not use the membership discussion boards. Every member who chooses to participate in the elections will be able to see the reasons why you have thrown your hat into the ring. The more detail on what you’d like to see the organization accomplish and how you’ll ensure that if elected, you’ll be able to shepherd those processes, the better.

Timeline

The current timeline for our election process begins January 15.

Should you wish to run for SFWA office, please contact Matthew Johnson at elections@sfwa.org. All statements of intent and platforms should be posted by 2/15.  You must have your eligibility validated by the election commission and SFWA Executive Director BEFORE posting your platform.

• Official call for candidates 1/15
• Platforms posted 2/15
• Voting link posted & optional paper ballots mailed 3/14
• Ballots counted after 4/11

The Election Committee is made up of:

Matthew Johnson – Chair

Maurice Broaddus – Member

Peng Shepherd – Member