Board of Directors Nomination Process FAQs

Qualified members are eligible to nominate themselves or encourage others to be considered for positions that will open on the AASM Board of Directors. Learn more about the AASM Board of Directors Nomination Process and review the frequently asked questions below for additional details.

Elections open in late February and close in early March.

Full members in Regular, Fellow, and Fellow Emeritus standing are eligible to vote, as described in the AASM Bylaws.

Voting members will receive a link via e-mail.

To qualify for service on the AASM Board of Directors, nominees must be a voting AASM member* in good standing.

* Full members with Regular, Fellow, and Fellow Emeritus standing are voting members of the AASM.

Individuals may nominate themselves or may encourage a colleague to self-nominate. To self-nominate, individuals must complete an application for the Leadership Development Committee to review.

Nomination materials are due December 9, 2024.

The Leadership Development Committee meets to review the applications. They carefully consider all applications in relation to the special attributes of each nominee to select the candidate that represents an optimal balance of perspective, experience, knowledge of the AASM and areas of expertise.  The Leadership Development Committee will interview finalists for open positions on the board.  Upon completion of their deliberation, the names of the final candidate(s) will be presented to the membership for election.

In the late 2000s, the AASM assembled a task force, chaired by AASM past-president Larry Epstein, MD, to research and provide recommendations on the nomination process to the Board of Directors. This ultimately led to the election process we have today.  The process starts with the Leadership Development Committee (formerly known as the Nominating Committee) that is composed of board members and member volunteers.  The committee reviews all nominations and sets  the slate of candidates for the election ballot.  This process was chosen for two main reasons:

  • Each board member brings a unique set of strengths and experience. When board members complete their term, there may be specific gaps to fill. These gaps are discussed and analyzed in relation to AASM’s strategic goals and objectives. Specific skill sets, expertise or perspectives are chosen so the board can be most effective.
  • A non-competitive election helps with achieving diversity and promoting inclusion. Diversity of board members is a prioritized consideration when the Leadership Development Committee meets. The board needs to be able to represent as many members as possible. Therefore, the Leadership Development Committee carefully considers diversity of the board in areas such as specialties, gender, practice type, ethnicity, and geography. These considerations would likely not be made if the election were competitive.

The time commitment is substantial and includes attending quarterly 2-3 day virtual or in-person board meetings, as well as a half-day meeting at SLEEP each June, serving on AASM Board Committees and serving as a Board liaison on AASM committees, task forces, and advisory panels. Advance preparation prior to each board meeting is required and includes review of more than 300 pages of reports.

Terms are a three-year commitment and service is typically limited to two consecutive terms.

The current AASM Board can be found here on the AASM website.

Please direct additional questions to nominations@aasm.org.