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 the 3 required forms and submit them for the Nominating Committee to review.

Nominees must submit:

Nomination materials are due Monday, November 14, 2022.

The required documentation must be submitted to Christen Whittington via e-mail or fax (cwhittington@aasm.org or 630-737-9790) by Monday, November 14, 2022.

The AASM Nominating 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. Upon completion of their deliberation, the names of the final candidate(s) will be recommended to the AASM Board of Directors by the Nominating Committee and then submitted to the membership for election to the position(s).

The Nominating Committee consists of the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President and two (2) at-large members elected by the eligible voting membership. The AASM President serves as the Nominating Committee Chair. The at-large members serve staggered two-year terms and are not eligible for a second term.

The Nominating Committee requests and reviews member nominations for the President-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, Directors, and at-large member of the Nominating Committee. They then select and submit their recommendations to the Board of Directors.

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 Nominating Committee that is composed of board members and member volunteers. The committee reviews all applications and then provides recommendations to the Board of Directors. The Board reviews the recommendations and approves 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 Nominating Committee meets. The Board needs to be able to represent as many members as possible. Therefore, the Nominating 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 AASM invites qualified members to nominate themselves to be considered for positions that will be opening in 2023 on the AASM Nominating Committee. To qualify for service on the Nominating Committee, nominees must:

  • Be an AASM member in good standing
  • Be an AASM member in good standing for five (5) consecutive years and/or have served on an AASM committee or task force at some time during the past five years
  • Meet AASM’s conflict of interest standards

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 the annual SLEEP event 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 a 300+ page board book of materials.

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 contact Christen Whittington by e-mail at cwhittington@aasm.org.