WASHINGTON—ASAE has opened the call for association professionals and industry partners to fill open positions on the ASAE, and the ASAE Foundation Board of Directors to help lead the association dedicated to advancing the profession of association management. There are six open positions: Secretary-Treasurer and five At Large Directors (four At Large and one Industry Partner). All directors selected will serve on the ASAE Board and two of the four selected will also serve on the ASAE Foundation Board.

“I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to either apply themselves or nominate a fellow professional to serve on the ASAE Board,” said Elena Gerstmann, PhD, FASAE, CAE, Staff Executive, Corporate Activities, IEEE, Piscataway, NJ. “This is my final year serving as a director on the ASAE Board. I can honestly say my time was well invested, and I’m a much stronger leader having served on the Board. I’m thankful to be able to give back to the community, by serving ASAE and helping to lead our profession forward.”

ASAE, and the ASAE Foundation value and seek diverse leadership as defined by race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, appearance, geographic location, professional level, etc. It seeks leaders from all types and sizes of eligible organizations.

Interested parties should contact Carole Murray, CAP-OM, Senior Director, Executive Division & Board Operations, at cmurray@asaecenter.org. Nominations must be received no later than April 17, 2015.

There are many benefits of serving as a volunteer leader, including:

• Playing a significant role in advancing the profession;
• Having an opportunity to enhance the value of ASAE and the ASAE Foundation to the association community;
• Accessing up-to-date information about the challenges facing the profession; and
• Exchanging ideas and perspectives with other volunteer leaders.

The Leadership Committee has identified a number of desired attributes that will be part of the selection process for new Board members. Applicants should possess:

• Demonstrated leadership commitment and involvement with ASAE, the ASAE Foundation, and the nonprofit community. Examples include but are not limited to: service on an ASAE committee, section council, commission, task force and/or having obtained the CAE credential.
• Recognized leader in the association community. Examples include but are not limited to: serving as chair of an Allied Society; ASAE committee, section council, commission or task force; or philanthropic organizations.
• Relevant expertise in the disciplines of organizational management. Examples include but are not limited to: branding, fundraising, component relations, finance, international and strategic alliances.
• Commitment to participate in 3-4 board meetings a year. In addition, board members are asked to provide financial support to the ASAE Foundation, APAC (Association Political Action Committee), The Power of A Fund (previously AAA – Associations Advance America – Fund), and special events and/or campaigns.
• Positive leadership attributes, emotional intelligence, ability to work collaboratively and engage in appropriate debate and discussion when needed, and visionary and strategic drive.
• Demonstrated ability of new and innovative programs within their sphere of influence. Examples include but are not limited to: incorporating strategy, leadership, future focus, risk taking and an entrepreneur spirit.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sabrina Kidwai, APR, CAE, skidwai@asaecenter.org, 202-326-9505.

About ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
ASAE is a membership organization of more than 21,000 association executives and industry partners representing 9,300 organizations. Its members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world. With support of the ASAE Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession, and provides resources, education, ideas and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. For more information about ASAE, visit www.asaecenter.org.