Dear SDS Members, We are seeking nominations for the Society for Disability Studies (SDS) Board of Directors. The election will take place in July for terms beginning on September 1, 2021. We hope you will nominate prospective board members and consider self-nominating as well. Members of the Board serve for three years and may serve two consecutive terms. Because many of our members are impacted by the difficult pandemic year, we are extending the nomination deadline, as we did last year, to offer more time for folks to submit. Names of nominees and candidate statements are due June 20, 2021. The future of the SDS organization and its next steps are heavily influenced by who is on the board. Now is the time to think carefully about whom the SDS community wants to step into leadership roles, contributing to shaping and sustaining SDS. We are a large and growing organization; in 2020, nearly 400 participated in our annual conference. In 2021, that number grew to 425. We have almost 500 members, but the organization can’t work effectively without leadership that is reflective of the diversity within the disability community. SDS is committed to diverse representation in its membership and Board composition, and candidates from all multiply marginalized and under-represented groups are encouraged to apply to be an SDS board member. We provide all requested access accommodations so that Board members can fully participate. Board members can expect to: - Attend a monthly, 90-minute meeting via teleconference call or chat (note: CART is provided for all of our meetings). - Consider critically and carefully and approve annual budgets and measures to ensure the sustainability of SDS. - Participate in Board discussions by offering expertise and opinions via e-mail and/or phone/chat. - Consider critically and carefully and vote on motions. - Serve as an officer or as a committee Chair or Co-Chair. Roles include the following responsibilities: set agenda for meetings, collaborate and coordinate between committee members to accomplish committee goals and deliverables, facilitate committee meetings, create and deliver progress reports for the Board during monthly Board meetings, etc. - Serve on 1-2 additional Board committees or initiatives. Board Committees include: - Program - Nominations & Awards - Policy & Publications - Membership - Development To nominate someone or to self-nominate, we need your CV and a statement (up to 500 words), which addresses qualifications: connection/familiarity with SDS and disability studies, background and experience, and contributions the nominee would bring as a Board member. Your ideas about where SDS should go, along with your plans to make that happen, are most important. We want to know your area of interest and what committees you would be prepared to join. Some of us are interested in fundraising, others in community building, and others in academic programs. A thriving board includes a diverse group of individuals, each willing and interested in getting involved to make the organization grow. Please send your nominations to Holly Pearson and Suzanne Stolz, Co-Presidents (holly@disstudies.org, suzanne@disstudies.org) and contact us if you have any questions about being on the Board, the nominations process, or the election. We very much look forward to hearing from you. Cheers, Vandana Chaudhry and David Hernández-Saca, SDS Nomination Committee Holly Pearson and Suzanne Stolz, Co-Presidents [forwarded to this list by fellow board member & interim listserv manager Cassandra Hartblay]