The Alliance for a Media Literate America (AMLA) is governed by a member-elected Board of Directors consisting of 5 Officers (President, First and Second Vice Presidents, Secretary, and Treasurer) and 9 Directors- at-large. Each Board Member serves for a two-year term and may be reelected twice for a maximum of 6 years of service.
The board governs the organization according to its By-laws and Policies and organizes its work through both Standing and Ad-hoc committees.
- Standing Committees and subcommittees: Communications, Membership, Resource Development, NMEC and Program & Publications. A new committee to handle Marketing is pending a by-laws revision. Some have one or more subcommittees - website, elections, research, publications, etc.
- Ad-Hoc Committees are formed to handle special projects such as planning the annual board retreat or drafting the Core Principles document.
National Advisory Council
The board consults throughout the year with AMLA's National Advisory Council consisting of professional colleagues, thinkers and leaders in the fields of education, public health, communications and media, and non-profit organizations.
Elections for the Board of Directors
Elections are held each spring according to a timeline established by the Executive Committee and organized in a process that assures voter anonymity.
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Eligibility
Any AMLA member in good standing is eligible to run for the Board of Directors. Those running for officer positions (President, 1st or 2nd Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer) must have been a member for at least two years.
Application
Potential Board candidates must complete the Board of Directors Application Form and submit it electronically any time throughout the year but especially each spring by the deadline set by the Governance committee.
Candidates are asked to carefully review the Board Expectations to honestly assess their talents and skills and the time commitment required, and to prepare a 500 word statement of why they feel qualified to serve on the board. This statement is posted on the Election Bulletin Board on the AMLA website for a period of comment before the deadline for ballots.
Orientation to the Board
New board members are required to attend an orientation the evening before the start of the annual Board planning retreat in the summertime. New board members are expected to come to the retreat having read and studied organizational documents sent to them in advance for the purpose of orientation to Board procedures and to current issues before the Board.
Appreciation
AMLA members appreciate the volunteer contribution of time and talent given by the Board and committee members. Their energy is vital to the continuing success of the AMLA as a national organization.
Additional information on governance and elections for specific positions can be found in the AMLA Bylaws.