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Election Central
Be more than a member.
Be a leader.

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Open positions | Special Qualifications | Guidelines | How to Run | Responsibilities | FAQs

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Board members help define the Society. As an organization that values diversity, SPJ is looking for candidates who represent and encompass differing backgrounds based on race, ethnicity, age, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, appearance, geography, media discipline and professional status. SPJ is branded as the nationís most broad-based journalism association, which is a statement to the professional and personal attributes of our membership.

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The deadline to declare for this year's election is August 10, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET. No exceptions will be made for candidates who wish to declare after the deadline has passed.

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Positions up for election in 2024 include:

Positions on SPJ's Board of Directors
– Vice President (elected every year)
– Secretary-Treasurer (elected every year)
– Two At-Large Directors (each serving two-year terms)

Positions not on SPJ's Board of Directors
– Regional Coordinators for Regions 1, 4, 5, and 9 (each serving two-year terms)
Please note: Regional Coordinators no longer serve on SPJ's Board of Directors. For more information about this change, consult SPJ's bylaws.

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Special Qualifications

SPJ’s bylaws require President and Vice-President candidates to have “served as a member of the board of directors, or the board of the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, or been the chair of a national committee, a professional chapter or community president who also has been or is a member of a national committee.”

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Campaign Guidelines

These election campaign guidelines should be followed by all candidates for the SPJ national board of directors and regional coordinators. Candidates with questions should ask the SPJ Nominations Committee Chair or the Executive Director.

Headquarters staff will format and send to members emails compiling messages from all announced candidates three times during the election cycle for the announced candidates. The Executive Director will determine the timing of the staff campaign transmissions. The preferred timetable is four weeks, two weeks and one week before voting opens.

No candidate may use the membership database for campaign or political purposes.

No board member, regional coordinator, committee chairperson, committee as a group, community chairperson, or community as a group shall endorse candidates.

Candidates are encouraged to attend board and committee meetings that are applicable to their prospective position. Candidates may purchase advertising space in Quill, the convention program (when applicable) or SPJ's convention electronic publication (when applicable) at rates discounted 50% off the current rate card. Contact SPJ’s Executive Director (or designee) for information.

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How to Run

Interested candidates should indicate their intention to run by filling out this form. If candidates are unable to provide all the information at the time of declaration, they may email any followup materials to Nominations Committee Chairman Sheetal Banchariya and the Manager of Membership and Chapters.

In order to appear on the ballot, candidates must declare by August 10. Balloting will open at 12:01 a.m. ET on September 27 (Friday) and close at Noon ET on September 30, 2024 (Monday).

Candidates must declare by August 10 to ensure their candidacy will be featured on SPJ’s Election Central website.

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SPJ Officer Responsibilities

– Download the Board of Directors Policy Manual [PDF]
– Regional Coordinators Guide

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SPJ Elected Positions FAQ

What is the time commitment for the position?
This varies between positions and is defined largely by the SPJ president’s expectations. SPJ national board members should expect to give 3-5 hours per week to the position. Regional coordinators should expect a similar time commitment although certain times of the year may be more demanding, such as during regional conferences.

What are the responsibilities associated with the position?
For national board positions, it’s best to review the SPJ bylaws for job duties and expectations. Regional coordinator candidates are encouraged to review the regional coordinator guide.

What kind of support from the SPJ paid staff can I expect?
For national board members, the Executive Director and key staff participate actively with board meetings and are available to board members when necessary. All communication to staff should go through the executive director and he/she will work with the staff to carry out any requests. 

Particular staff, such as the membership specialist and the director of education, provide support to regional coordinators. However, regions are designed to be self-sufficient and regional coordinators should attempt to recruit volunteers to help with staff-like activities such as event planning and finances.

Does SPJ National provide liability insurance coverage for its elected positions? Can I be sued in my capacity as an elected SPJ official?
SPJ provides Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance for national board members. D&O liability insurance is a type of liability insurance covering board members for claims made against them while serving on a board of directors and/or as an officer. In effect, the policies function as "management errors and omissions liability insurance," covering claims resulting from managerial decisions that have adverse financial consequences. Anyone in a leadership position can be named in a lawsuit, and the D&O insurance provides some protection. Board members and regional coordinators are trained in the legal and fiduciary duties of their positions, which if followed, are the best protection should a legal concern be brought forward. In short, the legals duties are as follows:

Duty of Care: Requires acting in a reasonable and informed manner when participating in board decisions and engaging in the oversight of the organization’s officers and staff. It also requires that decisions are made in a deliberate and knowledgeable way that includes, as appropriate, identifying and exploring alternatives.

How to exercise duty of care:

– Be informed
– Participate
– Delegate
– Exercise independent/ reasonable judgment
– Duty of Loyalty: Directors must put interest of the Society first, ahead of his or her own interest.

How to exercise duty of loyalty:

– Avoid conflicts of interest.
– Do not engage in self-dealing.
– Do not usurp corporate opportunities.
– Maintain confidentiality.
– Maintain obedience to mission.

What are the expectations of someone elected to this position?
BoardSource delineates a good list of expectations for board members and national volunteers:

– Attend all board and committee meetings and functions, such as special events.
– Be informed about the organization's mission, services, policies, and programs.
– Review agenda and supporting materials prior to board and committee meetings.
– Serve on committees or task forces and offer to take on special assignments.
– Make a personal financial contribution to the organization.
– Inform others about the organization.
– Suggest possible nominees to the board who can make significant contributions to the work of the board and the organization.
– Keep up-to-date on developments in the organization's field.
– Follow conflict-of-interest and confidentiality policies.
– Refrain from making special requests of the staff.
– Assist the board in carrying out its fiduciary responsibilities, such as reviewing the organization's annual financial statements.

What are the travel expectations of this position? 
Board members are expected to attend at least one in-person board meeting and the national convention. In addition, board members are encouraged to attend regional conferences and other events representing SPJ.

Regional coordinators are expected to attend their own regional conference and the national convention. RCs may also choose to travel to chapter events in their region.

Will my travel expenses be covered by SPJ?
Elected board members receive a stipend that they can apply to travel expenses associated with their position.

What programming or initiatives am I expected to coordinate as part of the duties of this position?
Regional coordinators are responsible for organizing an annual conference in their region, referred to as regional conferences. In addition, regional coordinators also identify someone in the region to serve as the Mark of Excellence (MOE) Awards coordinator, who works with staff to coordinate awards judging.

There are no specific programs or initiatives that national board members are required or expected to coordinate. However, board members are encouraged to participate in SPJ programs, including submitting programs for the national convention.

What constitutes a conflict of interest and might exclude me from running for an SPJ elected position?
Conflicts of interest should not exclude a person from seeking office, but disclosure matters. SPJ national board members and regional coordinators must disclose when they have any actual or potential conflicts of interest, or perceived conflicts, between the interests of the Society of Professional Journalists on one hand, and personal, professional, and business interests on the other.

Examples of an actual or potential conflict include (but are not limited to):
If there is even the slightest doubt, a person should disclose. 

• Having a parent, sibling, child, spouse or significant other, who, individually or with an entity, is in, or seeking to be in, a business or financial relationship with SPJ
• Voting on any proposal that could financially benefit or otherwise reward a) the person who votes or b) an entity in which the person has an ownership, employment or financial connection

If elected am I expected to share my personal contact information?
No. We will only post contact information you volunteer to share. SPJ can make an alias email address for you that forwards to your personal email. However, you should be sure to make yourself accessible to members which means sharing contact information of some kind.

Why would I want to run for an SPJ elected position? What’s in it for me?
As an SPJ board member, you will be in a unique position to help journalists and journalism at a time when support and advocacy for ethical reporting is crucial. You will make new friends, beef up your resume, inspire and be inspired by fellow journalists, and help diversify and improve journalism.