SAME National Leadership Nominations in Now Open
Nominations for SAME President-Elect, Vice President, and Elected Director is now open. The deadline to submit a nomination, or self-nominate, is Dec. 1, 2024.
SAME is led by volunteers who give their time and experience to govern the organization at the national level on the Board of Direction. These positions elected by the membership play a key role in advancing the Society’s mission, vision, and strategic plan. SAME’s national leadership nomination process is inclusive, transparent and equitable. A webinar detailing the different board positions and steps to apply will be held Oct. 3, 2024.
Once nominations are submitted, the process establishes separate nominating committees for National Officers and Elected Directors. The nominating committees then will determine the candidates who will be voted on by the entire Society membership during online elections, which are held from March 1 to April 15. Please ensure you have read this year’s 2024 President’s Guidance and the Nominating Procedures prior to submitting.
Questions? Contact Kathy Off with the SAME National Office.
Submission Deadline is Dec. 1, 2024.
2024 President’s Guidance – National Leadership Nominations
September 15, 2024
Dear SAME Members,
In accordance with the SAME National Leadership Nominating Procedures, the National President of the Society must provide guidance to augment the established requirements for elections. These, found in the Nominating Procedures and Bylaws are located on the SAME Governance webpage: https://www.same.org/governance.
Please review these documents for complete requirements, timing, expectations, and instructions, as well as this letter for additional guidance.
Nominating our next SAME leaders is a team effort. Everyone in the Society can play an important part in helping recruit qualified members to compete for these positions. Even if you do not meet the qualifications at this point in your SAME/professional career, you should familiarize yourself with the process so you can recruit, submit, or strive to submit a nomination in the future.
Nominations are being accepted for the following SAME Board of Direction (BOD) positions:
- President-Elect, 2025-2026 (will elevate to National President, 2026-2027)
- Vice President (2025-2027)
- Elected Directors (2025-2028)
Focus for 2025 BOD Elections:
- 2030 Strategic Plan—All will be charged with carrying out the 2030 SAME Strategic Plan. We have succeeded as an organization for more than a century because of our willingness and ability to adapt and remain focused on the needs of our members and stakeholders to produce measurable impacts. We need leaders who will continue to drive that adaptation, through thought-leadership and growth.
- Membership—Recruitment, retention, value, succession, and communication; these are all key aspects of ensuring SAME is a growing professional organization that is increasing its membership and developing a pipeline of engaged, committed members at all levels.
For Elected Director positions, which are potential future senior leaders in our Society, we want to offer the opportunity to as many qualified individuals as possible; therefore, if enough qualified candidates are available, preference should be given to those that have not previously served on the BOD.
For National Officer positions, finding the proper balance on the National Leadership Team is vital to create the best leadership for the Society. The National Officer Nominating Committee will consider the attributes of the current President, President-Elect and continuing Vice Presidents as they will remain a part of the next National Leadership Team. Candidates submitting nominations for these positions will be asked to address the following statement in a two-minute video to help assess their potential impact: “Based on our 2030 Strategic Plan, I am the right person to lead SAME because…”
Both Nominating Committees (for National Officers and for Elected Directors) will meet prior to receiving the nominees to discuss the procedures and this guidance.
The committees will consider what the whole person provides as a candidate including the following leadership characteristics:
- Strong track record of SAME engagement
- Executive presence
- Vision
- Mentorship
- Personable/approachable
- Military/Government/Industry continuity on the National Leadership Team
Once nominations close, each committee will conduct disciplined and thoughtful deliberations to assess the potential of the nominee to meet the leadership characteristics outlined in this guidance. BOD Elections for National Officer and Elected Director will be held next spring, March 1 to April 15, 2025.
As we move forward as an organization, we can all do our part to help Share the Value of SAME by helping identify, recruit, and support our next national leaders.
– Sharon Krock, SPWS, F.SAME, 105th SAME National President
Evaluation Criteria & Qualifications
National Officers
- Is an SAME Fellow
- All serving Fellows will be screened for consideration by the committee
- Nominations for National Officers may be made by any Board of Direction member, Post President, Post or Regional Fellows Point of Contact, AOF Executive Committee member, SAME Foundation Board of Direction member, any past SAME National President, or as a self-nomination.
- National Officer candidates must submit a two-minute video, answering: “Based on our 2030 Strategic Plan, I am the right person to lead SAME because…” Videos can be sent to Kathy Off at koff@same.org.
- NOTE: National Officers consist of a President-Elect, who serves a one-year term then ascends to National President; and three Vice Presidents who serve two-year terms, although one may be selected for President-Elect after one year and vacate their second year as Vice President).
Elected Directors
- Contributions to local Post
- Contributions to the SAME Strategic Plan
- Nominations for Elected Directors may be made by any Post President, National Board of Direction member, Post or Regional Fellows Point of Contact, AOF Executive Committee Member, SAME Foundation Board of Direction Member, any past SAME National President, or as a self-nomination.
- NOTE: Each year, four Elected Directors are selected through membership voting, with a minimum of one being a Young Professional. Elected Directors serve three-year terms.
National Leadership at SAME
Hear From Past Society Leaders
Leadership Roles & Responsibilities
As we move forward as an organization, we can all do our part to help Share the Value of SAME by helping identify, recruit, and support our next national leaders.
Sharon Krock, SPWS, F.SAME, 105th SAME National President | 2024-2025