About the Policy Council
The Policy Council works on behalf of thousands of APPAM members to improve public policy and management by fostering excellence in research, analysis and education. The Policy Council is the association’s main governing body, or its Board of Directors.
Serving on the Policy Council is one of APPAM’s ultimate honors because of the responsibilities it confers. Policy Council leaders set the organization’s overall agenda and execute its strategic plan. They deliver key benefits to APPAM members, including the Annual Fall Research Conference, The Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, and regular programming throughout the year. Policy Council members are distinguished professionals who have demonstrated success at the highest levels in their careers, and many have served in presidential administrations and held leadership positions at federal agencies.
Policy Council Structure
The Policy Council is comprised of several standing committees, including the Executive Committee, and representatives from APPAM’s membership. Coming together from a variety of backgrounds and areas of expertise, these individuals provide the key perspectives needed to set and implement the association’s top priorities. Policy Council members belong to four separate cohorts, each serving four-year, staggered terms.
The six representative members of the Policy Council are:
- Researcher in an academic setting
- Researcher in an academic setting, early career (Within ten years of earning a terminal degree. Elected every other year.)
- Researchers in non-academic setting
- Institutional representative
- Student representative
Requirements for Serving on the Policy Council
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The leadership team meets four times a year - virtually in the first and third quarter, then in-person in second and fourth quarter. The first in-person meeting is typically May and the final meeting takes place at the Annual Fall Research Conference in November.
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In addition to the quarterly Policy Council meetings, Committees are asked to meet virtually six times per year to accomplish the annual tasks. All Policy Council members must serve on at least one committee.
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Nominees must be an APPAM member in good standing for two years and nominations must come from active APPAM members. Nominees and voters must also be active APPAM members at the time of the election (December - January).
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APPAM is committed to building a culture of diversity in its leadership. We strongly encourage members of underrepresented groups to consider running for a role.
Nominations and Elections
All APPAM Members in good standing are encouraged to submit nominations for the Policy Council or nominate themselves.
Key Dates:
- Mid-September, 2024 - Deadline for nominations
- November 22, 2024 - Ballot is announced and voting begins
- Mid-January, 2024 - Voting closes
Current Openings for 2025
Check back for updates regarding future Policy Council openings.
Committees
Committees meet virtually six times each year. In consultation with the Executive Director, the current President appoints each member of the Policy Council to committees following the election every January.
APPAM members who are not currently serving on the Policy Council may be considered for committee membership on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in serving on a committee and have been an active member for at least two years, please email Tara Sheehan (tsheehan@appam.org) to express interest.
The Policy Council's committees are:
Executive Committee
This committee makes key decisions on behalf of APPAM's members and oversee the Association's finances. Members of the Executive Committee are APPAM's principal officers, and include:
- President – Oversees the Board and the Executive Director and sets strategy for the organization.
- President-Elect – After being elected at the Annual Membership meeting, convenes the next Fall Research Conference before assuming full duties of President.
- Immediate Past President – Serves one additional year post-presidency to maintain leadership continuity on the Policy Council.
- Vice Presidents (2) – Steps in for the President at meetings and public events, if necessary.
- Treasurer – Oversees the organization's finances and works with the Executive Director to set the budget and oversee audits.
- Secretary – Takes minutes at meetings to make sure there is an accurate reflection of votes and decisions in the minutes for posterity.
- Chair of the Committee of Institutional Representatives – Represents the interests of the Institutional Representatives on the Policy Council. The Institutional Reps have their own bylaws and rules.
- JPAM Editor – Oversees the content, production and administration of the Journal of Policy Analysis & Management as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee.
- APPAM Executive Director – Chief executive of APPAM and manages all operations, programs, tasks and administration. Responsible for executing on the organization's strategic plan as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
This committee is responsible for developing and overseeing the Association’s activities to promote diversity in its membership, at its member schools, and in its leadership.
Dissertation Committee
This committee reviews all the submissions for the PhD dissertation award and picks a winner and two runners up for the annual award, presented at the Annual Fall Research Conference.
Institutional Representatives Committee
This committee is comprised of the four elected institutional representatives on the Policy Council and is charged with ensuring that the interests of the APAPM institutional representative members are well represented on the Policy Council.
Meetings & Conferences Committee
This committee advises the operations, logistics, agendas, sites and all other details for all APPAM meetings and conferences.
Membership Committee
This committee helps develop membership recruitment plans and priorities, develops new membership benefits as appropriate, evaluates membership trends, assesses renewal strategies and member satisfaction.
Nominating Committee
This committee prepares a slate of candidates for the annual election to the APPAM Executive Committee and Policy Council. They work with the Diversity Committee to ensure that the slate of candidates for election to leadership is as diverse as possible.
Policy Relevance, Development and Communications Committee
This committee is responsible for ensuring that all APPAM activities and events connect policy to practice and helping identify and implement training and educational opportunities for all APPAM members, across all communication channels and platforms.
Student Activities (SAC) Committee
This committee oversees student activities, programs student sessions at the Annual Fall Research Conference and considers ways to strengthen the representation of students in all APPAM activities and events. The committee is comprised entirely of students and includes one of the student members on the Policy Council.
Sponsorship Committee
This committee helps staff determine the best foundations/organizations/schools and contact people to approach for membership, sponsorship, and grant funding opportunities to help fulfill APPAM strategic objectives.
Questions? Email info@appam.org