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.

The deadline to apply or nominate is April 5, 2023.

Why Join the Board

Join the dynamic AIGA DC board, a team of 20+ volunteers driving local programming and communications in the vibrant DMV region! It’s your chance to shape and uplift the creative community, gaining leadership skills, making connections, and enjoying the company of an amazing group of passionate volunteers—all while attending AIGA DC events for free!

Who We’re Looking For

We’re looking for driven individuals with a vision for what AIGA DC can achieve, who bring enthusiasm and determination to the table. 

Whether you’re a writer, engineer, development specialist, project manager, or business owner—your unique skills are valuable. Diversity is at our core, and we strive for a board that reflects the rich tapestry of the DC design community. 

Be part of a team that welcomes questions, values commitments, and embraces a broad spectrum of backgrounds and experiences. Your journey with us is about making a real impact!

Open Board Roles

We’re recruiting for a lot of roles across every team on the board and are seeking passionate and committed volunteers! 

Executive Leadership roles

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. 

• Operations Director & Treasurer
  • Oversees the chapter’s finances, including planning and reporting, while also managing processes and supporting board committees. 
• Programming Director
  • Guides all programming activities and schedules, aligning them with AIGA and AIGA DC’s mission, while addressing the needs of members and the community. 

Communication team roles

Members of the Communications Team are responsible for supporting the Communications Director in all facets of AIGA DC marketing and messaging.

• Communications Coordinator
  • Creates and manages content across all facets of AIGA DC marketing and messaging in our email newsletter, website, and DEI Slack channel wit ad hoc support to the Social Media Coordinator.
• Social Media Coordinator
  • Creates and manages content across all facets of AIGA DC social media platform 

Operations team roles

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. 

• Membership & Volunteer Chair
  • Manage and monitor the membership database. Responsible for coordinating volunteer support for all programming, ensuring that volunteers feel appreciated, and tracking participation.

Programming team roles

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.

• Programming Coordinator
  • Develop community-oriented events, encompassing one-time and recurring initiatives like networking sessions, panels, and workshops.

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:

• Be (or become) AIGA members in good standing at any level. 
• 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 here is a preview of application questions. 

Nomination Committee Review & Interviews

After the April 5 deadline, applications are reviewed by a nominating committee of board members and members of our community. The committee will arrange interviews with select applicants during the first week of May.

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.

Questions?

We hosted a virtual information session on March 27, 2024. We cover 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 on the board. Watch the recording of our info session.  

If you have any other questions, please email us at apply@dc.aiga.org.