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Call for 2027–2030 Board Nominations

Nominations Are Due 22 September 2026

We are pleased to invite you to submit a self-nomination for the 2027–2030 IOA Board of Directors Term. As an additional reminder, the governance year and therefore Board elections have been adjusted to align with the calendar year and our newly updated membership year.

There will be five director seats included in the election. Three current directors are eligible and may choose to run for a second term. All elected candidates will begin their service in January 2027.

IOA encourages all members to apply and run for a position on the Board. The Nominations Committee has reviewed the goals set in the IOA Strategic Plan and has found the following skills/experiences to be particularly beneficial in supporting these goals.

  • Business development/revenue generation experience (i.e., fundraising)
  • Strategic partnership experience (i.e., sponsorship partnerships, collaborative partnership development, cultivating association, or other organization partnerships)
  • Marketing background
  • Research experience

Members who possess these needed skill sets are encouraged to run. 

Submit Your Board of Directors Nomination

The deadline to submit a nomination is 22 September 2026.

Recap of Timeline Changes

In the January 2026 Good Day IOA video, President Jenn Mahony and Executive Director Ellen Miller shared several changes for IOA that will go into effect in 2027 and will impact timelines for 2026 and beyond.

Specifically, the Board has aligned the governance and membership years with the fiscal year starting in 2027 and placed all three timelines (Governance, Fiscal, and Membership) on a calendar year timeline (1 January–31 December). This means Board elections and Committee transitions will take place in the Fall of 2026 rather than the Winter/Spring of 2026. It also means we will transition from anniversary dues renewal to calendar year renewal (more to come on this).

Nominations for the Distinguished Emeritus designation will take place in the Fall, and the Annual Business Meeting will be moved to December, which will be combined with an Annual Awards Celebration. More details and the reasons for these changes can be found in the previous Good Day IOA video! If you have any questions, please reach out to the IOA Office. 

Watch the Video

Self-Nomination is a Single-Step Process – Please read carefully for directions. 

Nomination Form 

  • Only self-nominations will be accepted. Please encourage your colleagues to nominate themselves to serve on the Board!
  • The information submitted in this form will be shared with the Nominating Committee to verify eligibility and submit a nomination report to the IOA Board of Directors before elections open.
  • Deadline to Submit: 22 September 2026
Submit Your Board of Directors Nomination

Following the Nomination Deadline

The Nominating Committee will follow up with those eligible for service on the Board of Directors to collect candidate information that will be shared during the election period. 

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Nominee Requirements

Eligible IOA members are invited to self-nominate. If you would like to nominate someone else, please reach out to them directly and encourage them to nominate themself! 

As described in the latest version of Article IV of the IOA Bylaws, the qualifications for directors are as follows:

  • To be eligible to be nominated to serve on the Board of Directors, an individual must have been a Member or Retired Member of the Association for at least the three years immediately preceding nomination and, except to the extent permitted in Section C. of this Article IV, must have had experience as a practicing organizational ombuds. For purposes of Article IV, experience as a practicing organizational ombuds shall mean that the individual must have been an ombuds for an organization with a documented practice based on the principles of independence, neutrality or impartiality, informality, and confidentiality.
  • No more than two (2) Members who have never practiced as an organizational ombuds may serve concurrently on the Board of Directors. 
    • The current IOA Board is comprised of Members who have all practiced as an organizational ombuds. 
  • The Board shall at all times include (i) at least one (1) Director who is either a Certified Organizational Ombuds or has passed the certification examination, and (ii) at least one (1) Director who has had experience as a practicing organizational ombuds and who is a resident of a country other than the United States of America.
    • As of April 2024, the Board will meet both of these minimum requirements with continuing Directors. Additional nominees who meet these criteria are welcome, but not required.

In addition, nominees must:

  • Be current in their membership dues.
  • Be able to serve on the Board, attend meetings (approximately eight virtual meetings and two in-person meetings), and fully participate in Board activities, including strategic workgroups, travel to in-person meetings and the IOA Annual Conference, and participate in IOA membership meetings. (Travel expenses are covered on an as-needed basis.)
  • Commit to supporting and advancing the mission of IOA and its Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.

Also, note that a nominee is not eligible to run if their term would coincide with the term of a current director from the same institution or organization. Nominees should not have, nor appear to have a conflict of interest that would interfere with the ability to represent the interests of the Association.

Available Director Seats & Term Requirements:

A total of five(5) seats will be up for election in 2027.

IOA Director terms are three years, typically starting in April, immediately following the Annual Meeting, which will be held virtually in April 2026. The Bylaws require 15 directors, and director terms are staggered in three classes of five so that a majority of the Board returns from year to year.

A list of the current IOA Board of Directors and their term status is on the IOA website. IOA Directors may serve two consecutive terms. Currently, three directors are eligible to run for a second term in the 2026 Election and must complete the same nomination process as all other candidates.

What is it like to serve on the IOA Board?

Board members shape the direction of IOA and serve as stewards of the organization. Serving as a member of the Board and fiduciary for the Association is an important and rewarding experience. Several current and past Board members have shared their perspectives on The Independent Voice. Read their stories to see what it is like to participate as an IOA Board member or contact Sarah Klaper, Immediate Past President and Chair of the Nominations Committee, or Ellen Miller, Executive Director of IOA.

Board Policies and Guidelines

Directors are required to abide by the following policies and guidelines which have been developed over the years to support a healthy and productive Board culture:

Time Commitment

The typical monthly time commitment of a board member is 7-9 hours, including prep and attendance at board meetings, board correspondence, and participation in workgroups and/or other IOA meetings. The time commitment increases during months that the board meets in person, twice per year.

For officers (President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President), the time commitment increases to 15+ hours, including Executive Committee meetings and related duties.

Important Dates & Deadlines:

  • 22 September 2026 – Call for Nominations and Attestation of Eligibility Form Due
  • 23 September 2026–28 September 2026 – The Nominating Committee develops nominee report for Board review and notifies candidates of eligibility status
  • 28 September 2026 – Board reviews report and votes to move forward nominees to membership for election
  • 30 September 2026 – Last date for nominees to withdraw from the election
  • 1 October 2026 – Elections open for voting on candidates (date is tentative) 
  • 13 November 2026  – Elections close; Election results announced to members in the week following
  • December 2026 – Following the Annual Meeting, the Board convenes to elect 2027 Officers. Board Orientation for new Directors (tentative)
  • 1 January 2027 – New Board members will begin their term. 
  • 15–17 March 2027 – All elected Directors are highly encouraged to attend the IOA Annual Conference and adjacent Board Meetings. 

Questions?

Please reach out to the IOA office at [email protected] for help with submitting your nomination or to Sarah Klaper, Nominating Committee Chair, to learn more about board service!