I am sitting here in an AUTM Board Meeting thinking how lucky I am to have the opportunity to help contribute to the direction of this organization, and how enriching it is to get to listen the thoughts and ideas of AUTM's leadership- some really insightful people that I respect a great deal. I am absolutely certain it makes me a better professional for my employer and the faculty whom I serve.
I (and the rest of the Board) think it is really important to provide other AUTM members with the same enriching opportunities to experience this and make a difference. For that reason, the AUTM Board recently revised the nominations process for Board positions - to make the process more transparent and give more people the opportunity to serve.
These recent nominations/elections revisions are an excellent step in the right direction. AUTM has recently sent several emails soliciting nominations for board positions. Although these changes were made with the understanding that this is what the membership wanted to see, we have yet to see a single nomination from the membership for any board position up for election this fall. The chance to make a difference is real - and I would strongly encourage the membership to engage in the process and nominate worthy and motivated individuals to serve (including yourselves if you are so inclined). It would be a shame to take all these steps to really open up board access and not participate in the election process. Let's engage!
Thanks,
Alan