The nomination and application period for the board is open!
We’re looking for folks to join the all-volunteer board of directors for AIGA DC — the DMV’s professional association for design. We’re leaders dedicated to sharing knowledge, skills and resources with the local creative community.
AIGA DC’s board consists of 12+ volunteers who organize local programming and communications for the DMV region.
Being on the board is an opportunity to help shape and give back to the creative community in the DMV. You’ll utilize and develop skills in leadership, management, organization, and other areas while making connections and hanging out with a generally awesome group of other passionate volunteers.
Board members also attend all AIGA DC events for free.
Who We’re Looking For
We need leaders who believe design can shape the world. We need motivated individuals with a vision for what AIGA DC can accomplish and the moxie to make it happen. We need folks who follow through on their commitments and ask questions when they don’t know the answers.
Board members don’t need to work as designers – past members have been writers, engineers, development or fundraising specialists, project managers, and business owners.
It’s important to our chapter that the AIGA DC Board of Directors be diverse and represent the DC design community. We aim to have a board with diversity in industry, age, gender, professional experience, race, background, education, income, physical ability, and more. Nominees and applicants are not required to offer this information.
Open Board Roles
We’re recruiting for a handful of open roles on the board.
Executive Leadership Team
The Executive Leadership Team is responsible and accountable for developing and submitting their team’s strategy, project calendar, budget and annual report summary. They shape the structure of their team and manage day-to-day activities.
The Executive Leadership Team also mentors their individual team members, and helps them meet their professional goals. The Executive Leadership Team is currently full.
Communication Team
Members of the Communications Team are responsible for supporting the Communications Director in all facets of AIGA DC marketing and messaging. The Communications Team is currently full.
Operations Team
Members of the Operations Team are responsible for supporting the Operations Director and the Board in all aspects of management and maintenance of the organization.
Sponsorship Chair
This role will forge the connections in the community that let us do all the other awesome things AIGA DC does. In an average month, this person will work with the executive team to secure a sponsorship for an event, develop long-term support partnerships for our chapter, and propose new ideas to ensure that the sponsors get value for their ever-so-generous contributions.
Programming Team
All members of the Programming Team are responsible for planning and executing events for members of AIGA DC and the larger creative community. They are responsible for maintaining a high quality programming experience for event attendees.
Design for Good Chair
This role will organize events that highlight design’s influence on social issues and allow members to give back to the community. They help head up our annual CreateAthon, a 24-hour pro bono design hackathon that matches creatives with local nonprofits.
Community Coordinator
This role will coordinate with our Chapter’s sponsors in co-creating one or two programs with them.
What’s the commitment?
Joining the AIGA DC Board is a two-year commitment. You can also serve for longer (and many do). At the end of each year, board members may decide if they want to keep their current role or move to another open position.
Specific responsibilities vary depending on the team and the role and all board members are expected to:
Attend all required planning retreats and monthly board meetings.
Attend major events (bonus: board members get into all our events for free!)
Be responsive on Slack and email (Slack is our main communications platform).
The weekly time commitment varies from role to role and throughout the year.
We welcome new members to the board in June and host training and planning retreats in July and August.
Full board meetings, programming and regular communications run September through early June.
What is the Selection Process?
The Application
In addition to some questions about your experience and interests in joining the board, we’ll ask for:
Your resume
A description of a time when you ran something (as a team lead, a project lead, managing people, planning an event – anything!)
A short writing sample: A draft of an email asking someone you admire to speak at an AIGA DC event! You can make up whatever logistics you like – time, date, location, other speakers, etc. We’re looking to get a sense of how you think about AIGA DC and how you write in a professional context. A good writing sample would communicate clear directions, offer a compelling pitch, and be reflective of who our community is — a great one would also tell us a little bit about who you are and what parts of design you’re most excited about.
The Google form won’t let you save an application, so we recommend you draft your answers elsewhere and paste them in. Preview of application questions.
Applications are reviewed by a nominating committee of board members and members of our community. The committee will arrange interviews with select applicants.
Taking into account individual skills and experiences, and with the expectation to create a board that is diverse and reflects the community it serves, the nominating committee will recommend a slate of new board members for approval by the current AIGA DC Board of Directors.
Invitations Extended to Join the Board
Offers to join the board will be announced as slots are filled. The slate will be sent to the full community of AIGA DC members for approval.
Information Session Recording
We hosted a virtual Information Sessionon April 06, 2023. Learn more about what it means to be on the board, what the different roles and responsibilities are, and any other questions you may have about being board.
For those who could not attend, please watch the recording above.
Questions?
If you have any other questions, please email us at talktous@dc.aiga.org.
