Elections & Appointments

General Elections 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

2025 Open Positions

For the upcoming elections (term starting January 1, 2025) the open positions will be President-Elect and two At-Large Members. For questions about OAPA Board Elections or to inquire about being part of the Elections Committee OAPA@oregonapa.org.

OAPA Board Position Descriptions

President

Serving as OAPA President is a unique opportunity to be in a leadership role for a state-wide planning organization with a large membership. The person in this role guides the organization in its policy efforts, engagement and recruitment, events and activities, and legislative work throughout their duration as President. They also have access to a national network of planners and planning trends through their participation on the APA Chapter Presidents Council.

The OAPA Board President is a four-year term of service as follows:

• One year as President-Elect
• Two years as President
• One year as Past President

The President-Elect overlaps with the current President for one year and during that time is expected to attend monthly Board meetings and support the current President in overseeing Chapter functions and coordinating with standing Committee Chairs. This year allows time for the current President to mentor the President-Elect and help them prepare for their term.

The Board President leads the Board for a two-year term, which includes the following duties:

• Convene and facilitate meetings of the Chapter and the Board, including monthly Board meetings
• Appoint and discharge Chapter Committees, with input from the Board
• Serve as a non-voting member of all Chapter Committees
• Prepare and annual report to APA
• Serve on the national APA Chapter Presidents Council
• Sign contracts with advice and consent from the Board
• Promote equity and engagement within OAPA operations and activities

The role of Past President is to support and serve as a mentor to the President-Elect to help them prepare for their term as President.

The time commitment for President-Elect varies over the course of the four-year term; persons considering this position should expect a minimum 10-15 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.

Nomination Form

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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.