FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2023
USBG SHIFTS TO SLATE ELECTION FORMAT FOR BOARD OF DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
“As the USBG and the industry professionals it serves grow and evolve, the Guild’s leadership has to evolve as well. This means prioritizing inclusivity by considering a range of skills, backgrounds, and experiences.” - Aaron Gregory Smith, Executive Director, United States Bartenders’ Guild
HENDERSON, NV (OCTOBER 3, 2023) - United States Bartenders’ Guild today announces that the organization will switch to a slate election format to appoint new members to its Board of Directors. The change is being made to ensure that the Guild’s Board of Directors is as representative of the Guild’s membership as possible.
In a slate elections format, a “slate” of candidates is selected by a governing body based on
qualifications of value determined by that governing body. In the case of the Guild, the governing body is the Nominating Committee, and the qualifications of value are a mix of the professional, such as collaborative partnerships, training and workforce development, finance, and legislative advocacy; and the personal, such as gender, generation, sexual orientation, languages spoken, relationship statuses, and even household makeup.
Slate elections ensure that candidates for nomination and election to the Board of Directors have demonstrable qualifications that make them a fit for the post they seek and that they bring with them the lived experiences that will enrich the Guild.
Task forces were formed to examine the process thoroughly. These groups studied best practices and defined the new nominations process. The process was guided by inclusivity and strategic alignment. Moving forward, the new policies will be reviewed by the Board and refined as necessary.
USBG Executive Director Aaron Gregory Smith commented, “As the USBG and the industry professionals it serves grow and evolve, the Guild’s leadership has to evolve as well. This means prioritizing inclusivity by considering a range of skills, backgrounds, and experiences. To quote our good friend Jess Pettitt, ‘This approach facilitates a more balanced board that's better equipped to understand the diverse needs of membership and the industry. By fostering a culture where skills and qualifications matter more than popularity, you're creating a board that's truly representative of the USBG community.’”
Kim Haasarud, who served as USBG President in 2021-2022 and currently serves on the Nominating Committee, said, “Moving forward, the goal here is to ensure that the Guild’s Board of Directors looks like our membership and functions at an optimum level. Having a broader range of perspectives, and unique skill sets and expertise on the Board will help achieve that end.”
To learn more, check out the Guild Weekly episode featuring Jess Pettitt and consultant Alison Hart. Follow the USBG through multiple social media channels: IG/FB/TWITTER: @usbg/@TheUSBG /@TheUSBG.
About the United States Bartenders’ Guild
Founded in 1948, the United States Bartenders' Guild® (USBG) is the national, member-led not for-profit association of bartenders and other hospitality professionals that unites and elevates the bar industry through education, community, and advocacy. Through its network, the USBG connects members with peer-to-peer learning, expert instruction, service projects, and skills based competition, all while fostering a fun and healthy environment and reinforcing the importance of the ‘third place’ in neighborhoods across the country.
About American Society of Association Executives
The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) is a membership organization of more than 47,000 association executives and industry partners. Since it was established 100 years ago, its members have and continue to lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. With the support of the ASAE Research Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge, and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession and provides resources, education, ideas, and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. Visit ASAE at asaecenter.org.
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