• AAFP Board of Director Nominations

    Bring Your Unique Set of Skills and Background to the Table

    The AAFP Nominating Committee is inviting applications for nomination to the AAFP Board of Directors. Applications may be submitted by potential nominees themselves, as well as by groups such as chapters, member constituencies, and member interest groups who would like to put forth a potential nominee.

    Applicants should have a record of active involvement with the AAFP and their chapter, leadership qualities and experience that meet the organization’s needs, and the ability to represent the AAFP in diverse arenas.

    The 2025 slate of nominees will be announced on April 16. The Congress of Delegates (COD) will elect board members from this slate or from those who may be nominated from the floor.

    The submission process is closed for 2025 nominations.

    Information needed for submission:

    Strategic Leadership:

    • Strategic planning 
    • Visionary thinking 
    • Goal setting 
    • Decision-making 

    Financial Acumen:

    • Financial analysis (organizational finances)
    • Budget oversight 
    • Understanding financial statements 

    Practice Perspective

    • Independent (solo/small group; Direct Primary Care)
    • Academic
    • Administrative (health system administration, medical director, etc.)
    • Rural
    • Hospital-based
    • Employed (health system or other large group)
    • Family Physician payment and practice finances

    Governance and Technology

    • Understanding of the AAFP’s organizational governance structure and practices 
    • Understanding of emerging technologies and their impact on Family Medicine

    Communication and Collaboration:

    • Effective listening 
    • Clear and concise communication 
    • Building consensus 
    • Facilitation skills 
    • Awareness of diversity issues and commitment to inclusive practices

    Personal Qualities:

    • Ethical conduct 
    • Integrity 
    • Objectivity 
    • Commitment to the AAFP’s mission 

    Board members attend in-person and virtual meetings, serve on commissions, attend chapter meetings (as needed/requested), attend other non-AAFP meetings (as needed/requested), and conduct work through email/online community collaboration. Please refer to the position description for details on the time commitment for the following positions:

    Please contact leadershipnominations@aafp.org if you have questions about the nomination process.


    FAQ

    The Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying and vetting applicants for AAFP elected leadership positions of president-elect, director, speaker and vice speaker. The slate of candidates nominated by the committee will be presented to the Congress of Delegates for a vote.

    The AAFP values and welcomes a robust diversity of perspectives. Both in the selection of the Nominating Committee members and in the selection of candidates, efforts are made to ensure broad participation and diverse representation of experiences, including chapter size, practice settings and experience, educational background, geographical location, and more.

    The nominating committee is comprised of a chair and 12 voting members appointed based on certain criteria, along with three ex officio, non-voting members.

    Voting members (to be appointed by the nominating committee chair) are comprised of

    • Three members to be selected from among past and current COD delegates and alternates
    • Three members to be selected from among past AAFP directors
    • Three members to be selected from names submitted by chapters
    • Three members to be selected from among the past three years of National Conference of Constituency Leaders Advisory Group members

    Ex officio, non-voting members are comprised of

    • Current AAFP Board chair
    • Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Family Medicine chair 
    • Current AAFP Board resident director

    Each voting member, including the Chair, serves a three-year term, with terms staggered to ensure yearly turnover.

    No member serving on the nominating committee shall be eligible to run for national office during their term or for a period of two years after the conclusion of their service. 

    The process begins in early December with the identification of desired attributes and skillsets for Board members. In January, the call for nominations will open with a deadline in mid-February. The Nominating Committee then reviews applications in March and announces a final slate by April 16.

    • January - Call for nominations open
    • February 15 - Nomination application deadline
    • March - Virtual candidate interviews
    • April 16 - Candidate slate announced
    • April - Candidate Orientation and Development Program (occurs in Kansas City, MO in conjunction with the AAFP Leadership Conference)
    • May - Candidate webpages launch
    • July - Candidate campaign emails sent
    • August - Virtual Candidate Q&A 
    • October - Congress of Delegates (includes candidate hospitality event, candidate forum (speech and Q&A), meet the candidates session, and Board elections.)

    Yes. Any candidate who was considered, but not selected by the Nominating Committee may be nominated by any chapter between April 1 and April 15. Candidates submitted by a chapter through this pathway will be subject to the same campaign rules as the candidates named by the Nominating Committee and will participate in all candidate activities at the expense of the nominating chapter.

    In addition, any member of the AAFP otherwise qualified for office but not included in the Nominating Committee slate of candidates may self-nominate or be nominated from the floor of the Congress of Delegates by a seated delegate at the first session of its annual meeting. Candidates nominated via this pathway will have the opportunity to distribute the same information to the Congress of Delegates as all other candidates and will participate in all candidate activities at the meeting.

    The AAFP provides the following support (subject to annual budgetary review and approval by the Board of Directors) for all candidates nominated by the nominating committee for elected leadership positions on the Board of Directors, and discourages any other support by other AAFP entities, such as chapters, commissions, and member interest groups:

    • Candidate orientation and development program
    • Candidate website
    • Campaign email to all delegates and alternates
    • Online Q&A session for any announced candidates, either in real time or asynchronously
    • Meet the Candidates session at COD
    • Candidate hospitality event at COD
    • Candidate forum at COD
    • Reimbursement of travel expenses to the AAFP Leadership Conference and COD

    Yes, any other support by external AAFP entities, such as chapters, commissions, or member interest groups, is discouraged.