US Sailing welcomes suggestions and questions about board nominations and election process. They can be emailed to electionquestions@ussailing.org. Some questions and answers are below.
US Sailing Board of Directors Election 2024
The mission of the Nominating Committee is to nominate officers and board members to lead and oversee the management of US Sailing, the national governing body of sailing in the United States. The nature of sailing has changed over the years including mandates by Congress and the USOPC. The committee is charged with recognizing candidates who are in sync with the current trends in sailing and are committed to improving the sport.
In 2024, five seats on the US Sailing Board of Directors are open. The general membership will elect two board members from a slate put forward by the Nominating Committee - Secretary (term 2025-2028) and Member at Large (term 2025-2027). The Board will elect the President (term 2025-2028) from the slate put forward by the Nominating Committee. The Sailor Athlete Council will elect their TEAM USA Athlete Commission representative (USOPC AAC rep) and alternate (term 2025-2028). US Sailing Bylaws as a reference.
The slate put forth by the Nominating Committee will be posted on the website no later than July 26, 2024. Member voting for candidates will be open from September 3, through October 13, 2024. The elected directors will be announced during the Annual Meeting on October 23rd and the President will be elected by the new Board at their first meeting following the Annual Meeting. If you have any questions please contact the Nominating Committee directly.
What is the basis for selecting the nominees for the Board?
US Sailing Bylaw 303 Eligibility and Conflicts of Interest outlines the following requirements for members of the Board.
Section 1. Members of the Board shall be selected without regard to gender, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression or mental or physical disability and the Board shall reflect a reasonable representation of both male and female members pursuant to Section 220522(9) of the Sports Act.
Section 2. The voting members of the Board of Directors shall collectively have extensive experience or ability in: (1) club sailing. (2) community sailing (non-club). (3) sail training/ education. (4) youth sailing. (5) sailboat racing. (6) race administration. (7) Cruising. (8) offshore sailing. (9) sailing industry experience (10) business and non-profit management (11) finance and accounting (12) high performance athlete development.
Section 3. Board members serve for the good of the sport of sailing, not as representatives of a constituency.
Section 4. All Board members shall have the highest personal and professional integrity, shall have demonstrated exceptional governance ability and judgment, and shall be most effective, in conjunction with the other members of the Board, in collectively serving the long-term interests of US Sailing.
Section 5. No officer or member of the Board of Directors of US Sailing may receive a salary or compensation from US Sailing, but nothing herein shall be construed to prevent an officer or member of the Board of Directors from receiving compensation from US Sailing for the duties performed on behalf of US Sailing other than in the capacity of an officer or member of the Board of Directors. The Chief Executive Officer and ED of USOS are specifically excluded from these restrictions and serve at the pleasure of the Board.
Section 6. Board members, except the President, Sailor-Athlete Chair (when applicable), and the Chief Executive Officer by virtue of holding these titles, shall not hold any chairmanship (or equivalent position) at the regional or national level in US Sailing or at the national level in the sport of sailing. No Board member may concurrently hold a chairmanship or presidency of a US Sailing committee, regional sailing association, or national or international class association. This prohibition does not apply to committees of the Board such as the Finance Committee or Compensation Committee or such other special committees of the Board as may be established by the President for Bylaws of the United States Sailing Association, Inc. The Board may make exceptions where a board member may have unique expertise or ability that is needed as the chair of a US Sailing or World Sailing committee or subcommittee.
Section 7. Each Board member must agree to comply with the US Sailing Confidentiality Policy, Code of Ethics, Conflict of Interest Policy, and Background Check Policy in order to serve.
What are some of the other considerations when selecting the candidates?
The Nominating Committee works for 5-6 months reviewing applications, candidate interviews, board interviews for needs assessment, and more. Other considerations include:
- Gap analysis which outlines gaps on the current board from a skills and experience perspective.
- Geographical diversity representation.
- Solution driven mentality, the ability to get things accomplished through working with others within a complex organization.
- Leadership skills, including those needed to be on the Board of Directors and to hire and oversee the CEO, who is responsible for staff functions (Bylaw 601).
- Communications skills, ability to act as a spokesperson and ambassador for US Sailing.
- Demonstrates high personal and professional integrity and inspire confidence in others.
- Willingness to serve.
How does the Nominating Committee decide how many candidates to nominate?
The Bylaws require that at least one candidate is nominated for each open board seat. The Nominating Committee may nominate more than one person per opening. Director Nominations are outlined in Bylaw 304.
Why are written ballots available upon request in addition to electronic voting?
US Sailing is incorporated in the state of New York which requires that written ballots be available. Also, not everyone uses electronic communication.
Is campaigning permitted by the candidates?
The rules for campaigning are outlined in the US Sailing Regulations as follows:
REG 6.05 BOARD NOMINEE CAMPAIGNING
Campaigning for election to the Board or for the Office of President of US Sailing is limited as follows:
A. US Sailing will distribute the Candidate Profile included in a mailing from US Sailing;
B. Candidates shall not undertake any form of wholesale campaigning including commercial mass mailing, phone or e-mail campaigns or campaign advertising;
C. Candidates may make themselves available for individual inquiries and engage in private conversations regarding the candidate’s intentions and plans for US Sailing;
D. A candidate may accept a request to speak to a group, to make a submission to a printed publication (or website) or for an interview by an organization or the media Candidates shall notify the media contact at US Sailing of all such request;
F. Individuals or groups may express support for one or more candidates in class or club newsletters, or similar printed and web publications – there should be no fee incurred by the individual or group;
G. Complaints about campaigning should be made to the Governance Committee Chair who may forward them to the Review Board, if necessary.
When will the elected Board members be announced?
The election results will be announced at the Annual Meeting and posted on the US Sailing website.
Will this election process be held every year?
An election will be held every year for any open seats.
