How Candidates Are Chosen

How Candidates Are Chosen

ADA members decide which candidates will lead the Association and profession as elected officers.  But have you ever wondered how nominees get on the ballot in the first place?  Nancy Wooldridge, chair of ADA’s 2004-05 Nominating Committee, explains.

I was first elected to an ADA national leadership position in 1997 as a Council on Professional Issues Delegate — the precursor to the Professional Issues Delegate.  Representing clinical nutrition practice, I served on many task forces during my three-year term, including the Leadership Development Task Force.  Also very active in the Pediatric Nutrition dietetic practice group and my state and district associations, I had a good idea what it takes to be an effective leader. 

Yet after two years on ADA’s Nominating Committee, I am still surprised at what it takes to select effective leaders. 

Including meetings, conference calls and individual homework, the members of the Nominating Committee donated more than 1,500 hours to the nominating process and reviewed approximately 170 applications for this year’s ADA election ballot. 

The qualifications that we sought in potential candidates were based on criteria designed to cull strong Association leaders.  Some qualifications are consistent among many national positions, such as demonstrated strategic thinking or ability to foster collaboration and inclusivity.  Other criteria vary with positions, like time commitment requirements or knowledge in a specific area. 

The criteria for each position are reviewed and updated regularly with input from past officers.  Outlines of qualifications and skill sets are available at this link. 

There are many challenges in selecting the best possible candidates for national leadership positions.  I admit originally I anticipated it would be difficult to recruit strong leaders for these positions, but there are so many talented professionals who are willing to serve that the real challenge is having to choose among such excellent nominees. 

The Nominating Committee is a diverse group of active members with a variety of interests and practice areas.  In addition to using the qualifications and skill sets for each position, the committee reviews each candidate’s biographical information and considers the practice, ethnic, gender and geographical representation needs at the time. 

To protect the integrity of the nominating process, committee members must maintain total confidentiality and objectivity throughout the nominating process.  Despite any personal or professional contacts, candidates are determined solely by whom best matches the qualifications and skill sets of the various positions on the ballot.  And whether a nominee is self-nominated, nominated by another member or an ADA organizational unit, such as a DPG or affiliate, all nominees are given equal consideration. 

In addition to reviewing nominees and selecting candidates, the Nominating Committee members work on three task forces:

  • The Election Process Task Force is responsible for all aspects of the election process, such as reviewing the criteria for each position, determining what information is included in the biographical sketches and evaluating interview questions.  Much attention is paid to maintaining objectivity.  For example, during personal interviews the Nominating Committee was careful to ask the same questions in the same order by the same person for each candidate. 

  • The Leadership Development Task Force is charged with seeking out and welcoming potential future Association leaders.  The task force assisted in the design of the Leadership Institute application and is investigating ways to develop a leadership database to keep track of these future leaders.  They are also looking at possible evaluation tools for elected officers.  

  • The Election Timeline and Voting Task Force is exploring ways to increase voter turnout for the Association’s national elections.  One example is considering having a Nominating Committee booth during FNCE to answer members’ questions about the nominating process and voting.  Tremendous amounts of work, expense and effort go into developing a good slate of candidates.  For me, it is rewarding to know there are so many dedicated people willing to serve the Association by volunteering in elected positions.  And as ADA members, it is rewarding to know that through elections we can have an impact on the future of the dietetics profession and our Association. 

This article was published in the 2005 January/February ADA Times.