AMA Board of Directors Election

Welcome From Our Chairperson, Kevin Bradford

Thank you for your support of another good year for the AMA. You are the central part of our organization, and your support is making a difference as we strive to be the most relevant force and voice shaping marketing association around the world and becoming an essential community for marketers.

This year ushers in a number of noteworthy achievements and directions for the AMA. After a long search, we are excited to welcome Bennie F. Johnson as our new Chief Executive Officer. Bennie comes to us with a wealth of experience, and he is enthusiastically embracing challenges that will transform our business. We added two strong interim members of the board of directors who are also included on this years’ slate along with our other distinguished candidates. Both come with outstanding leadership experience in marketing and communications in top companies and organizations and are contributing at a high level to the AMA already. We look forward to all the new leadership and industry experience for our AMA with this election.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to the senior leadership team of the AMA, but also all our employees, collaborators, and volunteers. Your contributions and relentless efforts in establishing a solid foundation for continued success in a dynamic market is remarkable. This year we will build upon our upward trajectory and momentum, continue our investment in our future, sharpen our focus on marketing and revenue growth, and build a new strategic plan.

We look forward to an outstanding year continuing as the largest chapter-based marketing association in the world. We have more than 70 local chapters in cities and 350 chapters on college campuses throughout North America. We will continue to be the home to award-winning content, premiere academic journals, and industry-leading training events and conferences.

Again, thank you, and we look forward to working with you toward a bright future for the AMA.

2023-24 Election

Voting for the AMA Board of Directors election starts March 31, 2023, and ends at 11:59 CT April 30, 2023. AMA members will receive their ballot via email.

Overview of AMA Board of Directors

The purpose of the AMA Board of Directors is to oversee the mission of the association in accordance with the organization’s Constitution and Bylaws. The CEO and management team of the AMA oversee the daily affairs of the organization and exercise all powers not otherwise reserved to the Board or membership.

The Board of Directors meets twice annually or more often as needed. Subcommittees of the Board have more frequent meetings.

The Board of Directors is responsible for the AMA as an enterprise. The AMA utilizes its three councils and other volunteer groups both as “listening posts” and to represent the “voice” of their respective communities, constituents, and colleges. AMA board of directors’ duty is to the AMA as a whole on fiduciary matters, strategy, risk, organizational capacity and fitness, and governance.

Protect the organization’s mission and purpose
Select the chief executive
Provide proper fiduciary oversight
Ensure adequate resources
Protect legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability
Identify enterprise risk and mitigation efforts are in place
Recruit and orient new board members and assess board performance
Protect and enhance the organization’s public standing and reputation
Support the chief executive, their agenda, and assess performance

Activities of the Board include:

Providing input on the strategic direction of the AMA
Approving annual budget
Reviewing progress on key initiatives
Reviewing ongoing financial results and KPIs
Evaluating performance of CEO
Meeting with heads of community councils
Planning for the future
Approving items as required (ex: Bylaws revision, chapter merger)

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee supports the Chairperson in management and strategic direction of the Association. The Executive Committee has the authority to exercise all the powers of the Board while the board is not in session except for actions specifically reserved to the Board.

Chaired by: Chairperson of the Board
Members: 4

Audit & Finance

The role of the Audit & Finance Committee is to oversee 1. AMA’s financial reporting, internal control and audit functions; 2. budgetary and financial matters, including investment management; 3. enterprise risk management, including information technology risks and enterprise insurance coverage; and 4. compliance with applicable legal, ethical and regulatory requirements.

Chaired by: Treasurer
Members: 8

Nominating

The Nominating Committee is charged with identifying and vetting candidates for upcoming vacancies on the AMA Board.

Chaired by: Past-Past Chair

Governance

The Governance Committee is responsible for assuring that the governance of the Association is carried out in compliance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association and the conflict of interest policy.

Chaired by: Chair-Elect
Members: 3

Ethics

The Ethics Committee reviews and recommends changes or revisions to the Code of Conduct; reviews complaints received and adjudications rendered under the Code; and advises the Association’s Chairperson and Board of Directors on matters of ethics and ethical standards that are applicable to the practice and teaching of marketing.

Chaired by: Mike Brady
Members: 6

DEI

The DEI Committee is responsible for oversight of AMA’s DEI efforts across all communities, including formulation of mission & goals, measurements of success, and ensuring accountability.

Chaired by: Tiffany White
Members: 5

The AMA Board of Directors has 17 members:

Chairperson
Chair-Elect
Past Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
AMAF Chair
AMA CEO
10 At-Large Members

The Chairperson role is a sequenced four-year progression starting with the Secretary role, then moving through Chair-Elect, Chair, and Past Chair.

What am I voting on?

AMA members vote annually on a slate of candidates to hold office on the AMA Board of Directors.

How do candidates get on the ballot?

The list of potential candidates is compiled using broad community input, professional search firms, and a wide network of engaged professionals and academics. From a list of many initial candidates, the Nominating Committee meets to narrow the list down to a final slate that is then reviewed and approved by the current AMA Board of Directors.

Why is there only one candidate for each position?

Each candidate is running unopposed, in accordance with the AMA Bylaws. It is intentional that there is only one candidate for each position. The Nominating Committee works each year to identify candidates who: 1. Have exemplary credentials, 2. A track record of AMA involvement, and 3. A commitment to invest their time and talent in the AMA’s future. Due to the rigor of evaluation prior to getting on the ballot, each position runs unopposed.

Why is there an election if there is only one candidate for each position?

The election process should be seen by AMA members not as a competitive election, but an opportunity to be informed regarding future leadership. The AMA moved to this model several years ago for three reasons: 1. It allows the AMA to attract more candidates for office since we found that some otherwise highly qualified candidates were not interested in investing in a competitive election process where they may need to campaign for office, and may not succeed in being elected, 2. AMA volunteer board service requires a multi-year commitment (3-6 years) for which it is critical to establish a mutual understanding in advance as part of the vetting process, and 3. The new model follows best practices in corporate America and the nonprofit world.

How can I get on the ballot?

The AMA invites those interested in being considered for AMA board service in the future to contact AMA COO Jeremy Van Ek.

How does the election process work?

A ballot, candidate information, and a link to the voting site for the election will be sent to members electronically on March 31, 2023. The voting site will remain open through 11:59 p.m. CST on April 30, 2023.

Through our mission for DEI, the AMA is committed to increasing the diversity of underrepresented groups, perspectives, and identities within the AMA community that have been historically left out.

This lens is what will help us lead and mobilize the work and efforts of our community of volunteer leaders (i.e. AMA Board of Directors), stakeholders, and partners that are committed to supporting the AMA in delivering on this mission.

Our Mission for DEI

The AMA strives to create the essential community for marketers.

In order to authentically achieve this mission, we are committed to making sure that the intersectionality of diverse thought and perspectives are reflected, understood, and elevated across our community.

It is our responsibility to intentionally layer DEI best practices into every aspect of our organization, so that this work becomes a fundamental part of who we are as a community.

For us DEI is not a destination, it is a journey and a practice that should be a continuous learning process that leads to measurable outcomes and impact.