Call for Nominations for 2027–2029 Governing Board
We invite you to submit nominations for the 2027–2029 CERF Governing Board, to be led by current President-Elect Christine Whitcraft.
CERF is soliciting nominations for our next:
- President-Elect
- Secretary
- Two Members-at-Large
- Student Member-at-Large.
Serving on the CERF Governing Board
Help shape CERF’s future while learning new skills and meeting new people! CERF is soliciting nominations for our next President-Elect, Secretary, and three Members-at-Large, including a student Member-at-Large, to serve on 2027–2029 CERF Governing Board, led by current President-Elect Christine Whitcraft. Board members are responsible for the overall planning, management, and oversight of CERF activities. Learn more about the board member responsibilities below. Serving on the Governing Board is a fantastic way to expand your network, influence CERF programs and activities to ensure they meet the needs of you and your colleagues, determine the future direction of the federation, develop leadership skills, and have a lot of fun!
We seek strategic thinkers, prudent risk-takers, and strong collaborators to lead CERF. Ideal board members exhibit vision, decisiveness, and problem solving; embrace diversity, integrity, and accountability; and value creativity, innovation, and flexibility. The 2027–2029 Governing Board will likely lead on 1) revising CERF’s communication strategy emphasizing Estuaries and Coasts and the translation of science to broader audiences; 2) developing a fundraising and sponsorship strategies to support the long-term financial stability of CERF; and 3) advancing CERF’s goals in the advocacy and policy arena. No prior experience is necessary to serve on the board; any member may serve if they are dedicated to advancing our mission.
The federation is committed to fostering greater diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility (DEIJA) in all the work we do and throughout all levels of the organization, including CERF leadership. We particularly encourage nominations that reflect individual differences in social identity such as race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity and expression, religion, sexual orientation, physical ability, and socioeconomic background, as well as differences in discipline, career path, and life experience. We best serve our mission when our board is representative of the diversity of our membership and the coastal communities we serve.
Want to learn more about the board and whether you would be a good fit? We will be hosting a webinar to give a brief overview of the board and how it functions, as well as testimonials from board members about why they ran and what they have gotten out of their service, with plenty of time for Q&A. Details on the date, time, and registration for the webinar will be emailed to all members and we will post a recording for those who cannot attend. We also encourage you to reach out to current or past board members to get insight on these rewarding and engaging volunteer positions!
Please contact Linda Blum, Nominations Committee Chair, with any questions.
How to Submit Your Nomination
Please send nominations through the online form before the 15 January 2027 deadline. We welcome self-nominations; if you are nominating a colleague, please obtain their consent so we know all nominees are willing to serve if elected. All candidates for election will be required to attest they have upheld and will continue to uphold the CERF Code of Ethics.
All Governing Board members at the time of appointment must be voting members in good standing of the Federation. Please review the member benefits to confirm your voting status based on your membership type.
Board service is a volunteer position; CERF covers travel costs to attend in-person meetings not associated with the biennial conference and partial funding for board meetings held at the conference. Participating on the board also provides opportunities to receive professional training in inclusive leadership, meeting facilitation, and other skills relevant to your career.
The board generally meets four times per year (two short virtual meetings and two in-person meetings ranging from one to two days), and Board members typically serve on at least one CERF committee in addition to their role on the board.
Beginning in 2026, CERF is switching to a competency-based approach to Governing Board nominations. This approach focuses on the leadership capacities needed across the Board as a whole, rather than expecting every individual to bring the same background, expertise, or experiences.
Key commitments of this approach include:
- Valuing diverse pathways into leadership, including lived experience, community leadership, and professional expertise
- Viewing leadership readiness as developmental, supported through onboarding, mentoring, and shared learning
- Using competencies to guide reflection, conversation, and discernment of prospective board members
No single board member is expected to demonstrate all competencies. Strong governance depends on complementary strengths across roles.
To help the Nominations Committee identify a balanced slate of candidates, the nominations form requests all self-nominees upload a two-page CV and provide information on your personal style and strengths and your reasons for wanting to serve on the board. Please see the PDF of the form to see all requested information before completing the form.
Learn More About Each Position Below:
All Governing Board Members
- Carry out the affairs and purposes of the federation; has legal and fiduciary responsibility for the overall planning, management, and oversight of the federation
- Attend all board and business meetings
- Attend the Biennial Conference and provide visible leadership at key events, including the opening and closing receptions, student career event, and with sponsors and exhibitors
- Chair and/or participate in committees or ad hocassignments
- Promote the goals of the federation and encourage students, friends, and colleagues to become and remain members of the federation and to participate in its activities
- Approve allocation of funds via approval of the biennial budget or by resolution
- General oversight of the journal, conference, and membership activities
- Review and approve changes to bylaws, policies, and procedures
President-Elect
- Assume the duties of the President in the President’s absence
- Serve as the President if the elected President is unable to complete the full term of office
- Assume other duties as assigned by the President
- Ascend to the position of President at the end of the two-year elect term (see below)
Secretary
- Prepare and distributes the minutes of all board and business meetings
- Provide a list of action items and the responsible person after each Board meeting; may bring forward unfinished action items at future meetings
- See that all notices are duly given in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws
- May sign resolutions and official records for the federation
- Serve a two-year term
Members-at-Large
- Represent the full spectrum of the interests of the membership
- Serve on one or more committees or perform special duties for the federation as appointed by the President
- Serve four-year staggered terms (except Student Member-at-Large, who serves a two-year term)
- Student Member-at-Large candidates must be an enrolled student at the time of their nomination
President
- Chair of the Governing Board; preside at all board meetings and the Annual Business Meeting which provides an account of the state of the federation to the membership
- Supervise and provide direction to the Executive Director
- Appoint all committees, committee chairs including the Biennial Conference chairs, and committee members
- Provide oversight of and direction to all committees, and maintain dialogue between committees and the board
- Represent the federation (or designates a representative) in outreach to other organizations in support of the conference, journal, and other federation activities
- Represent the federation (or designate a representative) to affiliated organizations (e.g., Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies) and in invitations to or discussions with other organizations for new collaborations
- Write a message to the membership in each issue of the CERF’s Up! bulletin
- Provide remarks at the Biennial Conference and preside over key events
- Coordinate the solicitation of reports from board members and committees for submission to the board prior to each meeting
- Undertake the role of Past President upon expiration of their presidential term
Past President
- Assist the President as needed
- Chair the Nominations Committee
- Provide continuity to the Governing Board
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Please contact Linda Blum, Nominations Committee Chair, with any questions.
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