Call for Nominations: Join the SCB North America Board! – Society for Conservation Biology North America

Make a difference in conservation and give back to your conservation community. Nominate yourself or someone else to serve on the Society for Conservation Biology North America (SCBNA) Board of Directors.

The Society for Conservation Biology is an international professional organization dedicated to advancing the science and practice of conserving the Earth’s biological diversity. SCBNA represents the North American continent north of Mexico (i.e.,Canada and the United States). Although Mexico is a member of SCB’s Latin America and Caribbean Section, SCBNA members collaborate with Mexican colleagues on transboundary conservation issues. SCBNA also works with other scientific societies and conservation organizations in North America to advance the application of science to conservation practice.

The Society for Conservation Biology’s North America Section invites you to nominate SCBNA members to stand for election for several open positions on the SCBNA Board of Directors. SCBNA is especially interested in increasing equity and inclusion at all levels, including on the board, and encourages nominations of individuals from historically underrepresented groups. Every board member attends one in-person meeting (some financial support may be possible) and 4-5 virtual SCBNA Board meetings per year plus performs committee work (e.g., meetings, writing).

Historically, most nominations have been self-nominations which are always welcome. Before you nominate someone else, please ask if they are willing to be considered. Please indicate the office(s) for which you seek consideration. Each nominee must be a current member of SCBNA and demonstrate relevant skills and experience to the position being covered. After reviewing nominees, the SCBNA Nominations Committee will put forward the slate of candidates for each office and announce the start of the voting period. The term of each elected officer will begin July 1, 2020.

The call for nominations is open now through March 6, 2020. See the attached Board Code of Conduct and the SCBNA Bylaws for position descriptions and expectations of board members, and refer to the SCBNA website for further information on the section and activities. Please contact Karen Root, kvroot@bgsu.edu and Megan Keville, megan.keville@scbnorthamerica.org with additional questions regarding these positions.

The open seats are:

Treasurer (3-year term): To represent the wider membership of SCBNA at a board level and to serve on the executive committee of the board. The Treasurer maintains accounts, oversees section financial interests, and participates regularly in quarterly board calls and meetings.This position requires either financial management experience and/or previous service on the SCBNA board.
VP for Policy and Programs (3-year term): To represent the wider membership of SCBNA at a board level and to assist in board activity as required. This position chairs the standing Policy Committee and participates regularly in quarterly board calls and meetings. The position requires experience and enthusiasm in conservation policy, including preparing policy statements, reviewing proposed statements submitted for consideration by members of SCB, and collaborating with other scientific societies in the policy arena.
Member-at-large (2-year term): To represent the wider membership of SCBNA at a board level and to assist in board activity as required. Board members-at-large are expected to serve on at least one SCBNA committee based on their background, areas of expertise, and/or the needs of the committees, and participate regularly in quarterly board calls and meetings.

To submit a nomination please email the below nomination form to SCB North America Section Director of Operations, Megan Keville at megan.keville@scbnorthamerica.org by March 6, 2020. Please indicate ‘SCBNA elections’ in the subject line. Elections will open in March, and close in mid-April, 2020. Terms will begin July 1, 2020.

NOMINATION FORM:
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Nomination Form — Board of Directors, Society for Conservation Biology – North America Section 2020

Nominations are sought for:
• Treasurer (3-year term)
• VP for Policy and Programs (3-year term)
• Member-at-large (2-year term)

DEADLINE: March 6, 2020
ELECTIONS: March to mid-April 2020

Nominees must be members in good standing with the Society for Conservation Biology as well as members of the North America Section, and must be willing to run for election before the deadline. In addition, we encourage nominations of candidates from both the US and Canada to achieve geographic diversity in our board representation. In this round of elections, we seek to fill at least one of the three open positions with a Canadian colleague.

By agreeing to stand for election, nominees indicate their willingness to serve the SCB North America Section by attending Board of Directors meetings during their term of office. In-person meetings occur yearly (coincident with NACCB during Congress years) with multiple virtual meetings throughout the year. In addition, Board members are expected to be actively engaged in directing the SCB North America Section through committee work and active engagement in the work of the section. Board members are also expected to adhere to the code of conduct in all aspects of their representation of SCBNA.

Nominations should include (in a single pdf or Word document):

Nominee Information
Name of Nominee:
Board Position (indicate one position):
Organization:
Address:
City:
State, Province or Region:
Postal Code:
Country:
Phone:
Email:

CV/Resume (2-page limit)
A short biographical sketch of the nominee indicating why they are interested in being part of the SCB North American Section Board and how their experience relates to the position for which they are being nominated (300-word max)

Your Information (if different)
Your Name:
Your Email Address: