Elections & Appointments
OAPA Elections 2023
Candidate Statements
Vice President
Serah Breakstone AICP (she/her)
Vanitha Murthy AICP, PTP (she/her/her's/they/their)
Treasurer
Dani Schulte AICP (she/her)
Erin Reome AICP (she/her)
Secretary
Nancy Ferber AICP (she/her)
At-Large Member
Chelsea Schnabel AICP, CFM (she/her)
Casandra Brown (she/her)
Genevieve Middleton (she/her/they)
Erik Forsell AICP (he/him)
Corum Ketchum (he/him)
Erin Engman AICP (she/her)
Daniele Spirandelli (she/her)
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:
| Even-numbered years |
President-Elect Three At-Large Positions |
| Odd-numbered years |
Vice President Secretary Treasurer Two At-Large Positions |
The Chapter's election processes are designed with the following goals in mind:
- Elections that are open, fair, and accessible to all members.
- Opportunities for all eligible members to hold elected office.
- Competitive races for all Board seats up for election.
- Candidates identified predominantly through self-nomination with additional recruitment to ensure competitive and diverse candidate slates.
- 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.