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Board Recruitment and Selection Process

AHLA administers an annual Call for Leaders to include new Directors. Terms of Directors are staggered to prevent everyone rotating off at the same time. As a result, there may be more or fewer openings available in any given year. Anyone who wants to be considered as a candidate for Director must apply by completing and submitting a Candidate Information Form.  All forms will be evaluated using the same criteria.

The Nominating Committee recommends Directors based on a thoughtful and intentional review of each application detailed below, with a goal of ensuring that AHLA’s Board composition reflects diversity in gender, age, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, geography, skill set, professional expertise or specialty, workplace setting, and leadership characteristics.

Candidates for the Board of Directors are asked to review, understand, and meet Board Expectations, qualifications needed, and potential issues preventing selection before completing their application as outlined below.

Expectations of a Board Member

  • Be an active AHLA member while serving on the Board of Directors.
  • An ability and willingness to serve at least one three-year term. (A Board member may also be reappointed for an additional three-year term.)
  • Commit to attending and being fully prepared for 4-6 meetings of the Board annually and to be an active and inquisitive participant on Board committees, work groups, and related projects as assigned.
  • Act with due care for AHLA, and perform Board responsibilities loyally, in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in the best interest of AHLA. Provide effective oversight of AHLA’s compliance with all applicable internal rules and codes of conduct, and external legal requirements. Be vigilant in maintaining AHLA’s financial well-being and develop an appropriate level of understanding of the financial statements that may be presented to the Board for discussion and approval.
  • Actively work to advance and promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility within AHLA.
  • Support AHLA’s mission on an annual basis with a combination of volunteer time and a monetary donation that is meaningful to the leader, as a recognition of commitment to AHLA.
  • Support AHLA’s educational activities by encouraging their creative development, member involvement, and personal participation. Abide by the Conflict of Interest Policy and Non-Harassment Policy requirements.

Qualifications

  • Directors must be a Member of AHLA while serving on the Board.
  • A minimum of five years working in the health law industry.
  • Demonstrated level of service to AHLA and/or positions of responsibility, prior board or governance experience, or demonstrated leadership within the candidate’s own organization, or with another professional affiliation.
  • Recognized accomplishments in the health law profession/industry/community.
  • Demonstrated experience implementing or supporting inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility programs within AHLA, the candidate’s own organization or with another professional or personal affiliation.

Nominating Process

AHLA has enlisted the support of The Diversity Movement, a consultant that helps organizations integrate DEI strategies into the core of their businesses, to identify ways to minimize bias throughout each step of both the nomination and selection process. In general, the following nominating process will be followed:

  1. A call for nominations where members and stakeholders of AHLA can self-nominate or be nominated by others.
  2. All candidates must complete a Candidate Information Form so that the Nominating Committee is provided with comparative information for each candidate.
  3. Once the Call for Leaders closes, to mitigate bias, the Nominating Committee will independently review de-identified applications against an agreed-upon rubric.
  4. The Nominating Committee will meet to discuss the pool of candidates and identify an initial slate of approximately ten individuals, drawing on all dimensions of diversity, including from underrepresented groups defined as racial or ethnic minority, disability, or LGBTQ+.
  5. These de-identified applications will be sent to each Board Member and Senior Staff who will draw on the same rubric used by the Nominating Committee. The scoring will be sent back to the Nominating Committee for further discussion and to determine a final slate, which will be presented to Board of Directors for a vote of acceptance.
  6. Once the final slate is approved by the Board of Directors, all candidates will be notified of the status of their application.
  7. The Association will then announce the results to the membership at large.

Issues Preventing Selection

  • Working in the same firm or organization as an existing Board member.
  • Does not meet qualifications.
  • Did not complete demographic profile (profile responses include “prefer not to answer” -- selecting this option does not constitute failure to complete the profile).
  • Current service at the highest levels of leadership in a competing organization that would prevent a Board candidate from fulfilling their fiduciary obligation to AHLA with recurrent conflicts of interest