PLEASE NOMINATE OR SELF-NOMINATE CANDIDATES TO SERVE ON THE MUSEUMS ALASKA BOARD OF DIRECTORS. Museums Alaska will fill three open seats on its Board of Directors at the Annual Business Meeting in September. Service is for a three-year term from January 2023 through December 2025.
The deadline for nominations is Thursday, August 18, 2022 at 5pm.
The Museums Alaska board sets the vision and policies for the statewide professional organization. Each board member serves on committees that advance the work of the organization and assist the organization’s director. The all-volunteer board has nine members that represent a diversity of regions and interests. Elected officers include: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Board members have the opportunity to partner with statewide colleagues, engage in networking with nationwide professionals and funders, and work creatively to support Alaska’s museums and cultural centers, museum professionals, and partner organizations. Board members develop leadership skills, learn about non-profit management, and apply their unique skill sets where they are needed the most. Board members may lead advocacy efforts, assist with programming, or steward the financial health of the organization.
● Make a personally meaningful gift and help us meet our fundraising goals
● Actively participate in committees
● Actively promote the organization
BOARD NOMINATIONS, ELIGIBILITY, & RESPONSIBILITIES
● Museums Alaska puts out a call for nominations to serve on the Board of Directors each summer. Elections are held the month prior to the Annual Conference and new board members are announced during the Annual Business Meeting held in conjunction with the conference.
● One-third of the Board is elected each year.
● A Museums Alaska board member can serve two consecutive three-year terms; must be a member in good standing; receives no compensation; must attend the annual meeting and bi-monthly teleconferences; serves on committees; and works to effectively promote Museums Alaska to the membership and other agencies and organizations.
● Board members are expected to make a personally meaningful financial contribution to Museums Alaska in addition to purchasing a general membership.
● Board members are also expected to attend up to two in-person meetings a year, one of which will be paid for by Museums Alaska. One of the meetings occurs at the Annual Conference.
● After a year-long break, previous board members are eligible to serve on the board again.
NOMINATION PROCEDURE
● A member or non-member may nominate another person with that person’s consent or may self-nominate.
● All nominations must be accompanied by a short professional biography or narrative statement about why the nominee wants to serve on the Board (1000 characters max, including spaces)
● All nominations should be written in the third person. For examples, view our current board member biographical statements on our website.
● Tell us why you, why now, why Museums Alaska.
● Share what specific talents and experience you would bring to the Board to help us meet our mission for greater impact.
DIVERSIFYING BOARD VOICES
Museums Alaska is in search of fresh perspectives for its Board of Directors. If you are someone who possesses one or more of these qualities, we would love to see your nomination on the ballot:
● BIPOC (BLACK, INDIGENOUS, PEOPLE OF COLOR) MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS
Many of the professional challenges faced by our BIPOC museum colleagues are unique, and we want to ensure that we have a variety of voices on our board, so we can work together to create a field that is more open and welcoming for everyone.
● NOMINEES WITH FUNDRAISING EXPERIENCE
We are entering a new phase in the growth of Museums Alaska in which we will be planning larger projects and raising more funding than in the past. We are looking for candidates with fundraising experience—individual, corporate, foundation, digital philanthropy, or grant writing.
● NON-EXECUTIVE MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS and EMERGING MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS
Many of our board members are directors. It is wonderful to have their experience as we guide the organization to a successful future, but we would also like to have a diverse range of museum professions represented on our board. If you are a museum professional who is passionate about your job, please consider serving.
● PARTNER/RELATED ORGANIZATION PROFESSIONALS
The main qualification for our board members is that they are passionate about the work museums do and want to help strengthen the field. Voices from outside of the museum sector can help foster local and statewide partnerships that are able to make a meaningful impact across Alaska. If you are a professional from a partner or related organization like the tourism industry, the National Park Service, a state or local arts association, humanities organization, a library, or an archive, we would love to see your nomination.
There are also opportunities to work on committees if you aren’t ready to dive into full board service but want to lend support to strengthening museums across our state:
https://museumsalaska.org/CommitteesCALL FOR NOMINATIONS
The call for nominations will open Monday, July 18, 2022 and run until Thursday, August 18, 2022 at 5:00pm.
Fill out our Google form below to nominate yourself or a colleague.
If the form doesn’t work, you can also send your nomination to Museums Alaska Director Dixie Clough at
director@museumsalaska.org or mail your nomination to Museums Alaska, 625 C St, Anchorage, AK 99501. All completed nominations received before the August 18 deadline will be included in the ballot.
VOTING
A slate of candidates will be sent to our membership by email on Friday, August 19, 2022. Voting by electronic ballot will take place from August 19 to Friday, September 16, 2022. Paper ballots will not be distributed but those who wish can print and mail the ballot to Museums Alaska, 625 C St, Anchorage, AK 99501.
Newly elected board members will be announced at the Annual Business Meeting during this year’s Annual Conference - #MA2022.
