Board and Committee Roles

APRA Board Nominations

The nomination process begins in July led by the Nominations Committee made up of Past Presidents and Board Members. This committee thoroughly vets candidates for qualifications and eligibility to serve on the board.

The application window closes the second week of August each year.

Once they have reviewed all applications, a final slate of candidates is presented to the board for adoption at the August board meeting held at Conference each year.

Any positions or chairs requiring a vote of eligible membership will be presented to members in October as part of an election process.

Elections close in early November and elected board members start their term on the board in January.

Submit a Board Nomination

Board Roles

As a board member, you play a very important leadership role within the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association. And board leadership is a way for you to have a lasting, personal impact on an organization and mission that is important to you.

Board Member Responsibilities

Board leadership is very different from the staff leadership roles with which most board members are accustomed. More specifically:

Board members have a legal responsibility to the organization.

As a board member, you have a legal commitment and responsibility to the organization. Referred to as a “fiduciary responsibility,” board members — both individually and as a group — can be held responsible when things go wrong at an organization. This means that the stakes are high in terms of making sure that the board is taking financial and legal oversight seriously; something in which each individual board member is expected to be engaged.

Board members lead in partnership with the nonprofit executive.

Unless a nonprofit organization doesn’t have staff, the day-to-day leadership is provided by the Executive Director /CEO. The board works in partnership with the executive to set the overall strategic direction of the organization, but leaves the staff and operational leadership to the executive. This can be a challenging balance to get right, but is critical to the success of the partnership (and the source of a lot of board challenges when it goes wrong).

Board members must lead as a group.

Unlike staff leadership roles where a particular position may have individual decision-making power, boards have decision-making power only as a group. That means that the most effective board members know how to discuss and debate issues thoughtfully and respectfully, contributing their expertise and perspective as a part of a group decision-making process, and supporting the group decision regardless of the outcome.

Board members provide the critical intellectual capital and strategic resources to power nonprofit success and strengthen communities.

Are you committed to sharing your time and talents to help make the world a better place?
Do you have specialized skills and expertise that could benefit a nonprofit board’s work?
Are you willing to be an enthusiastic advocate for an organization and encourage others to get involved?

Serving on a board is a wonderful way to support a cause that you care about. But it also can be a powerful way to build your own skills and expertise. Individuals who serve on a board have the opportunity to develop and grow as leaders, cultivate new skill sets, and expand their network of peers, professionals, community leaders, and community thought leaders.

Committee Roles

Program Committee

The objective of the Program Committee is to provide professional development for all members statewide. This Committee will also offer services that help members become the best parks and recreation service providers. This committee will also help select education sessions as part of the annual conference. The Program Committee Chair will also serve as the Education Chair on the Conference Committee.

Membership Committee

Marketing Committee

Conference Committee

(not a member of the board of directors) The objective of the Conference Committee is to provide the support, planning and execution of the APRA Annual Conference and Trade Show. In addition, the Awards Selection Committee shall be a standing committee under the Conference Committee. Members of the Awards Selection Committee review and score the annual awards presented at conference each August.

Nominating Committee

The Association’s Nominating Committee (comprised in part of individuals having served as President in the last ten years) is charged with the responsibility of recruiting and screening candidates. The Nominating Committee may eliminate candidates that have not demonstrated their qualifications for the office for which they are nominated or for which they have applied.

The Committee will review all information on candidates, determine which meet the minimum established criteria, evaluate the leadership capacity of the candidate as demonstrated in written responses to questions and potentially personal conversation with the candidate, and advance a slate of candidates to the Board of Directors. The slate, as approved by the Board of Directors, is forwarded to the membership for a vote and final selection.

APRA Board Nominations

Board Roles

Committee Roles

Connect + Educate + Inspire