Elections & Appointments

2026 Nominations are Open!

Join the OAPA Board of Directors!

It is recruitment time for your next Board of Directors of the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association. 

Please consider nominating yourself or someone you think would make a great board member. We are taking nominations for Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and 2 Members-At-Large.

We are looking for volunteers to help OAPA as an organization move forward in a way that benefits and supports our profession locally and nationally, as well as helps our jurisdictions navigate new legislation, new concepts, and initiatives. The OAPA Board of Directors is a great team of people who will become not just colleagues but also your friends. Please consider submitting your nomination today!

Nominations are due by Friday, September 26.

Learn More About the Open Positions

Submit Your Nomination Today!

General Election Information

Elections to the OAPA Board of Directors take place annually. Terms for elected positions last two years (with the exception of Board President) and are staggered, so each year the roster of open positions changes. The election process is facilitated by the Elections Committee, which consists of the Board Vice President, Secretary, one At-Large Member, and one or two additional OAPA members.

To be eligible for the OAPA Board, candidates must be an OAPA member in good standing. Elected Board members must continue to maintain Chapter membership in good standing throughout the term of their office. If elected, candidates must also be available to attend monthly Board meetings during their time of service (meetings are typically virtual with an occasional in-person option).

The following are elected positions on the OAPA Board:

• President-Elect*
• Vice-President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• At-Large Members

*Serves one year as President-Elect, then serves as President for a two-year term, then serves one year as Past President.

Elections Process & Timeline

Candidates are typically self-nominated after a broad recruitment process; the Board also does targeted recruitment as needed to encourage diverse representation among candidates.

Elections take place via an online voting platform that is available to all current OAPA members.

The election process kicks off in late spring of each year and concludes in November after online voting has taken place and results are confirmed. Elected candidates begin their new position on the Board a couple months later, after the start of the new year.

April

Establishment of the Elections Committee

May

“Soft” recruitment through newsletter, social, and other networks

June

Targeted recruitment as needed

July

Eligibility of candidates is confirmed

August

Board “acknowledgement” of slate of candidates

September

Candidates prepare biographies and statements

October

Candidates’ forum at the annual OAPA Conference (participation encouraged but not required)

November

Elections conducted

December

Announcement of successful candidates.

Individual Board orientation and onboarding packets

January

Assumption of office

OAPA Open Board Position Descriptions

Vice President

The Vice President serves a two-year term, and during that time performs the following duties:

• Acts in the absence or incapacity of the President
• Serves on the Chapter Elections/Nominations Committee
• Carries out other duties as assigned by the President
• Should the President resign, the Vice President shall assume the office for the remainder of the term
• This position is part of the Executive Committee

The time commitment for this position varies; persons considering this position should expect 8-10 hours per month on average.

Treasurer

The Treasurer serves a two-year term and during that time works with the Chapter Administrator to:

• Maintain the Chapter’s general funds and accounts
• Provide the Board with quarterly financial statements of income, expenditures, and the status of Chapter accounts
• Prepare an annual financial statement of the Chapter’s budget
• Submit Chapter dues rate changes to APA
• Provide for an audit approximately every four years or as directed by the President
• Perform other duties as customary to the office
• This position is part of the Executive Committee

The time commitment for this position varies; persons considering this position should expect 5-7 hours per month on average.

Secretary

The Secretary serves a two-year term and, during that time, performs the following duties:

• Keep minutes of Board and Chapter meetings, and be responsible for their timely transmission to the Board
• Serves on the Chapter Elections/Nominations Committee, prepares ballots, and notifies members of their elections to offices and appointments to committees
• Performs other duties customary to the office
• This position is part of the Executive Committee

The time commitment for this position varies; persons considering this position should expect 8-10 hours per month on average.

At-Large Member

Board At-Large Members serve a two-year term and, during that time, are expected to support Board activities and represent OAPA membership through participation on committees. Specifically, expectations for this position include:

• Prepare for and attend monthly Board meetings (available virtually)
• Participate in committee(s) and/or individual Board projects as they arise
• Serve as a liaison between OAPA and member communities/networks to share OAPA news and help promote OAPA events
• Provide OAPA membership representation
• Support recruitment for OAPA membership
• Participate in OAPA trainings and support DEI efforts
• Attend conferences and/or other OAPA events

At-Large Members should have planning-related experience, capacity to devote time to the Board, and a passion for fostering good planning work in Oregon. They should be residing and practicing planning within Oregon. The time commitment for this position varies; persons considering this position should expect 5-7 hours per month on average.

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There are a variety of ways to volunteer to serve on the OAPA Board of Directors. The Board includes both elected and appointed seats as specified in the Chapter Bylaws

Elected Positions

Most elected seats have two-year terms. The Chapter President serves one year as President-Elect, two years as President, and one year as Past President, for a total of a four-year commitment. In the event of a midterm vacancy, the Board can appoint a replacement pursuant to provisions in the Bylaws. A portion of the Board stands for election each year:

The Chapter's election processes are designed with the following goals in mind:

1. Elections that are open, fair, and accessible to all members. 
   
2. Opportunities for all eligible members to hold elected office. 
   
3. Competitive races for all Board seats up for election.
   
4. Candidates identified predominantly through self-nomination with additional recruitment to ensure competitive and diverse candidate slates.
   
5. A Board of Directors that is broadly diverse, particularly in terms of race, gender, professional focus or organization type, geographic region, and age. 

The Chapter has opted to not participate in APA’s Consolidated Election Process for 2022 as a pilot for potentially conducting our own elections that are more conducive to our annual calendar. We hope this makes for a more inclusive and engaging process for selecting the leadership of OAPA. We look forward to hearing feedback on the process as we go through this election.  Interested candidates can nominate themselves to appear on the ballot during the self-nomination period, which typically begins in the spring and early summer. The Elections Committee sets deadlines based on the chapter schedule of events and publicizes them in Chapter newsletters, social media, and the website each year.

Appointed Positions

Standing Committee Chairs (Voting)

Chairs of the following Committees are voting members of the Board:

• Communications
• Education and Outreach
• Emerging Planners Group
• Legislative and Policy Affairs
• Membership
• Professional Development

Committee chairs are appointed by the Board and generally serve renewable two-year terms. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Group is co-chaired by a Board member and a non-Board member. The Board will often select an existing committee member to fill a vacant chair position.

Ex-Officio Positions (Non-Voting)

The Board includes a number of non-voting ex-officio positions that are filled on an appointment basis:

Planning Commissioner representatives

Two non-voting Board seats are reserved for current Planning Commissioners in the state, one from a city and one from a county. In the event of a vacancy, the Board will advertise openings to current members and engage with statewide planning directors group to identify a replacement.

Institutional representatives

The Board includes four non-voting seats for representatives from the two PAB-accredited planning programs in Oregon. Portland State University and the University of Oregon both appoint one faculty and one student representative. These appointments are nominated by the institution and confirmed by the Board.