• Who can be nominated?
• Who can make a nomination?
• What must the nominee do?
• What is the due date for submitting my completed nomination packet?
• When will nominee interviews be conducted?
• What is the schedule for slating candidates and balloting by members?
• If I am slated as a candidate what must I do?
• How may I obtain additional information about board service?
• What is the complete timeline for the nomination/balloting process?
• Who do I contact for additional information?

Nominations may be made for the three types of positions as described below:

• National Director:  any person may be nominated as long as the nominee is actively engaged* with an NHPCO Provider Member in good standing and is willing to serve, if elected.
• Geographic Area Representative Director:  any person may be nominated as long as the nominee resides in the NHPCO Geographic Area, is actively engaged* with an NHPCO Provider Member in good standing and is willing to serve, if elected.  View the list of the NHPCO Geographic Areas.
• Palliative Care Director:  any person may be nominated as long as the nominee is actively engaged* with an NHPCO Palliative Care Provider Member in good standing and is willing to serve, if elected.

*An individual is considered to be actively engaged with an NHPCO Provider Member if they are:  1) an employee; 2) a Board member of the provider organization; 3) a patient care volunteer.  Employees or other representatives of vendors whose primary business is service to the field are not eligible to serve as NHPCO Board members.  Primary business means a significant business relationship with the hospice and palliative care community as a primary line of business, attorney/client relationships in the industry, representation to the broader public as a vendor, sales of publications to the field, and/or provider of services to the field from an organized business.

Download the three position descriptions. 

Who can make a nomination?

Only NHPCO voting members may make a nomination.  Individuals may not nominate themselves.  NHPCO voting members include: Provider Members, State Organization Members, and members of the NCHPP Executive Committee. 

For geographic area directorships, the nominator must work or live in the region for which they are making a nomination.  View the list of the NHPCO Geographic Areas.

Nomination letters may be sent directly to NHPCO offices or they may be sent with the rest of the nominee’s materials.  All nominations materials must be received by Friday, May 31, 2013. 

Nominations must be on the Voting Member's letterhead.  Download the sample format for a nomination letter.

What must the nominee do?

Nominees must have a complete nomination package on file at NHPCO offices by 5 pm EDT Friday, May 31, 2013. 

The Governance Committee will not consider incomplete nomination packages.  It is the responsibility of the nominators and the nominees to ensure that all material is complete, accurate, and submitted by the deadline.

A complete nomination package includes all of the following:

• Two letters of nomination from NHPCO voting members.
• An acceptance letter from the nominee indicating their willingness to serve.
• An endorsement letter from the CEO or chair of the governing board of the nominee’s hospice or palliative care program.  The endorsement letter should indicate support for the nominee’s board service, including support for the time commitments expected of an NHPCO board member.  Download the sample format for an endorsement letter. 
• A one-page campaign statement explaining the nominee’s motivation for serving on the NHPCO board. Review and download previous campaign statements. 
• A completed NHPCO Board Nominee Questionnaire. 
• For the purposes of conducting a background check,
  • a completed Board of Directors Nominee Inquiry Release. The purpose of the background check is to confirm the nominee’s educational and employment history, and to identify any significant criminal convictions;  and,
  • a current copy of the nominee’s resume.

Nominees may use the Nomination Package Checklist to ensure all documents are completed before submitting to NHPCO. 

What is the due date for submitting my completed nomination packet?

Complete nomination packages must be received by the NHPCO office by Friday, May 31, 2013.  Incomplete application packages will not be considered.  

When will nominee interviews be conducted?

Members of the NHPCO governance committee will interview nominees from June 12 through July 19, 2013.

What is the schedule for slating candidates and balloting by members?

The NHPCO governance committee will review the nominations, discuss qualifications of nominees and develop a slate of candidates. The slate will be presented to the membership in early October 2013. 

Balloting will open Monday, October 14 and close Friday, November 15, 2013 at 5PM, ET.  NHPCO publications will announce the election results. 

If I am slated as a candidate what must I do?

The Governance Committee will meet by conference call in September to slate the ballots.  If slated, candidates will be asked to submit a photo, preferably a headshot, in electronic format, preferably jpg, with a resolution of at least 300 dpi at 8X10 size.  In addition, candidates will be asked to submit a brief biographical profile.

Portions of the candidate’s nomination packages will be presented to the NHPCO voting membership. Before these items are disseminated, candidates will have an opportunity revise their nomination materials.  Candidates may also be asked to edit their materials to meet space requirements.  Revisions will be needed by Wednesday, October 3.

NHPCO will electronically distribute announcements of each candidate’s campaign message to voting members.   Candidates must provide NHPCO staff with the text for this message.

How may I obtain additional information about board service?

If you are considering running for a board seat or nominating someone for a board seat, you are encouraged to review the Evaluation of Nominee Characteristics webpage which summarizes what the Governance Committee will consider when evaluating nominees.  It is recommended that nominees address these items in their responses for the nomination package.

Individuals interested in seeking board service should download the three position descriptions. 

 If you have further questions about board service, contact one of the board members on the Ask a Board Member page.

What is the complete timeline for the nomination/balloting process?

• April 11 – May 31, 2013:  Call for Nominations open
• May 31:  All Nomination Materials due to NHPCO Offices
• June - July:  Interviews conducted by NHPCO Governance Committee
• Early September: Ballots slated
• October 14 - November 15, 5PM, ET:  Balloting

Who do I contact for additional information?

Contact NHPCO staff with any questions about the nomination and election process:  Emil Zuberbueler:  ezuberbueler@nhpco.org or Beth Fells:  bfells@nhpco.org.