ASPA | National Council Elections

About National Council Elections

Eight individuals — five district representatives, one international director, one student representative and one President-Elect — are elected to ASPA leadership on a rotating basis. Elected members serve on the National Council, ASPA's governing body.

ASPA bylaws provide that the slate of nominees should be representative of the groups and professional interests within ASPA, seeking a balance of academic and practitioner, including international, nonprofit and all levels of government. The Nominating Committee strongly considers an individual's contributions to both ASPA specifically and public service generally when determining the slate of nominees.

Position Descriptions

Information on each position is listed below. Information on current leadership can be found here. ASPA bylaws provide details on the nomination process; click here for more.

Who is eligible? An ASPA member in good standing who has been a member for at least one year immediately prior to nomination. The President-Elect automatically succeeds to the Presidency upon completion of the predecessor's term.

Who votes? All ASPA members in good standing.

Term length: Two years.

Responsibilities:

Exercises leadership of the Society and serves as Chair of the National Council
Presides over all meetings of the Council and the annual meeting of the membership
Serves as the principal public spokesperson for the Society
Appoints members to committees and other bodies of the Society
Serves as an ex-officio member with vote on every committee of the Society, with the exception of the Nominating Committee and Audit Committee
Acts as liaison among the Executive Director, officers and Council members on issues of significance
Makes such other appointments as required by the bylaws or as necessary in the interests of the Society
Makes an annual financial contribution to ASPA and participates in Council-led fundraising initiatives
Performs all duties prescribed by the bylaws and such others as entrusted by the Council

Who is eligible? An ASPA member in good standing who has been a member for at least one year immediately prior to nomination.

Who votes? All ASPA members in good standing.

Term length: Two years as President-Elect, then automatically succeeds to a two-year term as President upon the completion of the predecessor's term.

Responsibilities:

Manages the work of the Council in establishing its annual performance goals, expectations and measures, and develops the report to the membership on meeting them
Succeeds to the Presidency upon completion of the President's term
Performs such duties as may be assigned by the bylaws and the President
Serves as an ex-officio member with vote on every committee of the Society, with the exception of the Nominating Committee and Audit Committee
Supports ASPA's goals including leading development of its strategic direction and/or plan
Makes an annual financial contribution to ASPA and participates in Council-led fundraising initiatives

Who is eligible? An ASPA member in good standing whose membership is current through the end of the voting period, who has been a member for at least one year immediately prior to nomination and whose primary residence or principal place of employment is in the electoral district.

Who votes? ASPA members in good standing whose primary address is in the electoral district where the representative is running.

Term length: Three years. Eligible for no more than two full consecutive terms.

Districts:

District I: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont

District II: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, West Virginia

District III: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee

District IV: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming

District V: Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah

Responsibilities:

Actively supports ASPA's goals, including leading development of its strategic direction and/or plan
Engages in policy deliberations and decisionmaking impacting ASPA
Represents ASPA's goals and objectives to members and the general public
Supports and facilitates the work of Chapters and Sections and liaises between them and the national organization
Ensures prudent use of all assets including financial resources, intellectual property, people and goodwill
Makes an annual financial contribution to ASPA and participates in Council-led fundraising initiatives

Who is eligible? An ASPA member in good standing whose membership is current through the end of the voting period and who has been a member for at least one year immediately prior to nomination.

Who votes? ASPA members in good standing whose primary address on file is outside the United States.

Term length: Three years. Eligible for no more than two full consecutive terms.

Responsibilities:

Actively supports ASPA's goals, including leading development of its strategic direction and/or plan
Engages in policy deliberations and decisionmaking impacting ASPA
Represents ASPA's goals and objectives to members and the general public
Supports and facilitates the work of Chapters and Sections, particularly those related to international interests: the International Chapter and regional Sections.
Ensures prudent use of all assets including financial resources, intellectual property, people and goodwill
Makes an annual financial contribution to ASPA and participates in Council-led fundraising initiatives

Who is eligible? An ASPA member in good standing whose membership is current through the end of the voting period, who has been a member for at least one year prior to nomination and who holds the student or new professional membership category.

Who votes? ASPA members in good standing who hold the Student or New Professional membership category.

Term length: One year.

What Skills Are Needed?

We seek candidates with a wide range of leadership skills, including a strategic and proven understanding of the public administration and public service profession — spanning practice and scholarship — to position ASPA for continued programmatic and financial growth.

Building a positive organizational culture. Engage and convene Chapter leadership and provide a District-based voice at the national organizational level. Actively participate in Chapter visits, contribute to cultivating new Chapters and strengthening existing ones.

Participating in ASPA's development activities. Support ASPA's financial and programmatic position. Actively participate in fundraising efforts including through an annual contribution and recommend programmatic ideas that advance ASPA's focus on critical issues.

Demonstrating a Duty of Care, Loyalty and Obedience. Consistent with the role of governing boards, ensure ASPA's mission and welfare stands at the forefront of the member's contributions to the National Council.

National Council Vision Statement

ASPA's significance of trust, respect, collaboration and commitment in building a cohesive and effective team — as well as the importance of active participation, open communication and integrity in leadership — should create the solid foundation for its governance excellence.

We, the members of ASPA's National Council, commit to each other and our members that we will fulfill the expectations and responsibilities associated with our positions and articulated to us when we stood for election or appointment. As a community, we will trust, respect, collaborate with and be committed to each other throughout our individual leadership terms.

We also commit to building and maintaining group cohesion each year, so that we will work effectively as a whole and place the good of the organization above individual interests or concerns.

We value active participation, open communication and leadership integrity; we will rely on those values as the foundation for all of our work, enabling us to focus on ASPA's mission of advancing excellence in public service.