Nominating Process

Who creates the slate of candidates each year?

The Nominating and Leadership Development Committee is not only charged with creating a slate of qualified candidates, but also to help produce a pipeline of future leaders. The committee always consists of five people, per ATA Bylaws (Article VII, Section 2d), and are appointed by the Board of Directors.

Learn more about the committee, its members, and its objectives.

Leadership Development

While historically there has been a wealth of talent on the Board that has sustained and cultivated the vibrant organization that it is today, ATA recognizes that its continued effectiveness and future relevance depends on the strength and clear vision of its leadership. Plans, therefore, call for expanding the committee's activities to include leadership training to help in assimilating new Board members, succession planning, and navigating organizational culture.

Leadership training is designed to help leaders discover more effective and productive ways to achieve personal and professional goals, create alignment with ATA's organizational culture, and promote strategic objectives. ATA Board members would have an opportunity to enhance their existing skills and resources, and to develop creative and innovative solutions to effectively address the challenges of representing the interests of the ATA and its membership.

The Process

The Nominating and Leadership Development Committee is active throughout the year. Activities for the new election cycle begin after the current year’s election, held at the Annual Conference. The committee convenes for a follow-up meeting to discuss candidate presentations and what they learned that can be passed on to future candidates.

The committee meets again to discuss the slate for the upcoming election. To prepare for that meeting, they contact committee chairs, division administrators, chapter and affiliated group presidents, Board members, and others to solicit nominations and recommendations.

They review each nominee, looking for people who demonstrate leadership, of whom others speak highly, who are articulate, and who are team oriented. They discuss each nominee’s contributions to ATA and the translating and interpreting professions.

In order to present a balanced slate to the membership, the committee aims to include candidates from various areas of the profession (e.g., interpreter, translator, educator, company owner or employee), making an effort to ensure that each is represented in a way that reflects reality. Other considerations include gender, language pairs, and geography to make sure the proposed slate would be reflecting the diversity of its membership.

When the committee feels the slate is complete, the nominees are contacted and informed that we support their candidacy. The finalized slate is also reported to the Board.