Call for Nominations: AIGA Chicago Board & Committee Members

Know someone who would be perfect on AIGA Chicago’s board of directors or committees? We’re officially accepting nominations until Friday, March 5, 2021.

Review the open positions below, then submit your nomination via our quick and easy form below.

A Few Things to Know:

• All submissions will be presented to the nominating committee.
• Once a nomination (either peer or self-nominated) is submitted, the nominee will be contacted for more information.
• Each board member is elected to serve and represent the entire membership of the AIGA Chicago to the best of his/her ability, in accordance with the AIGA mission and the description of the board position.
• The Board of Directors meets monthly to report, determine and vote on chapter activities.
• AIGA Chicago’s board members are elected by the entire membership and serve staggered three-year terms.

Open Board Positions

Co-President

This role, in collaboration with the co-president, is responsible for acting as the public face of the chapter while overseeing all activities, programs, initiatives, and decision-making organization-wide.

Defined Responsibilities:

• Maintain the financial and procedural stability of the chapter, working closely with the Executive Director to manage the non-profit organization.
• Preside over monthly board meetings, weekly executive calls, and annual planning retreat.
• Develop broader chapter participation by encouraging board members to form and maintain solid committee structures that reach out to the AIGA Chicago membership and broader design community.
• Encourage the board to live our mission to embrace, amplify, and advance designers and the role of design in our community.
• Participate and manage AIGA National initiatives, communications, and needs as they relate to our Chapter. Including attending monthly leadership meetings and an annual leadership conference.
• Evaluate board structure to ensure that the chapter leadership is addressing key areas of need and member interest.
• Lead a group of volunteers and in doing so be open and empathetic to competing responsibilities and priorities in life. Acknowledge and support our people during challenging times in our city, country, and world.
• Ensure continuity of board leadership by active participation in succession planning and nominations process.

Est. time commitment: 10-15 hours a week

VP of Communications

The VP of Communications shall oversee the application of core messages of the Chapter, acting as a monitor to ensure that all AIGA Chicago communications are accurate, articulate, and consistent with the chapter voice. Supports the mission of AIGA Chicago through the communication of ideas and information relevant to the profession and its constituencies.

Defined Responsibilities:

• This position works closely with other board members to generate content and communicate to the AIGA Chicago membership. Messages will be communicated through the AIGA Chicago website, all AIGA Chicago print materials, and social media.
• Works with other VPs and Programming Chair(s) to promote events (oversee, review, and editing all promotional materials for events). This could involve the work of a committee or devising a system to ensure that all materials are checked and edited prior to public dissemination.
• Engage with Work with Partnerships Chair(s), President(s), and Executive Director to develop sponsor-related communications and maintain sponsor presence on website and on social.
• This position is also responsible for the recruitment, oversight, and evaluation of editorial committee members, which includes designers, editors, printers, writers, and other relevant contributors.

Est. time commitment: 10–15 hours a week

Education Chairs
Education Chairs initiate and assist in organizing programs that are beneficial to student members, such as conferences, exhibitions, and scholarships while providing general guidance to students and serving as a liaison to faculty advisors.

Defined Responsibilities:

• Develop and produce quality and profitable programming.
• Work closely with VP of Programming and VP of Education to produce successful programs.
• Work closely with student groups and faculty advisors
• Collaborate with CPS to develop adopt-a-school programming with local design agencies and studios
  

Partnerships Chairs

Event chairs help execute an annual program schedule/calendar that reflects activities consistent with AIGAʼs mission and meets the needs of Chapter members.

Training with our programming chairs begins Spring 2021. The position begins June 1, 2021.

Defined Responsibilities:

• Develop and produce quality and profitable programming that speaks to various topics and audiences. See past events in our archive.
• Work closely with VP of Programming and Programming Co-Chairs to produce successful programs.
• Assist in securing speakers, sponsors and venues when needed.
• Work with the Editorial and Social Media chairs to promote chapter event schedules locally, regionally and nationally.

Est. time commitment: 4-6 hours weekly with additional time during weeks in which events occur.

Editorial Chairs

The Editorial Chair shall oversee the application of core messages of the Chapter, acting as a monitor to ensure that all AIGA Chicago communications are accurate, articulate, and consistent with the chapter voice. Supports the mission of the AIGA through the communication of ideas and information relevant to the profession and its constituencies.

Defined Responsibilities:

• This position works closely with other board members to generate content and communicate to the AIGA Chicago membership. The message will be communicated through the AIGA Chicago website, emails and e-newsletters, print materials, and social media.
• Work with Interactive Chair to manage website content and generate content for the website on a regular and timely basis.
• Work with the VP of Partnerships to develop sponsor-related communications and maintain sponsor presence on website and print matter.
• Work with Programming Chairs to promote events, oversee reviews, and editing all promotional materials for events.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Chairs

The DEIB Chair will uplift dialogue about diversity in our design practice and give agency to issues of inclusion and representation. This work will be accomplished by working within the DEIB committee and across all committees within the Chapter. 

Defined Responsibilities:

The chair will work with the VP of DEIB to expand the Chapter’s current network of community members in the hopes of creating Chapter demographics that are closer to the representation of the greater Chicago metropolitan area. Specifically regarding race, gender, sexual orientation, and income. 

With the DEIB committee, the chair will also provide insight to any inward and outward-facing programming to assure that DEIB acts as a guiding lens to the Chapter. 

Est time commitment: 5-7 hours per week

Community Engagement Chairs

The Community Engagement committee seeks to support, facilitate, and cultivate opportunities for designers to create positive, socially responsible, and equitable impact in Chicago. We aim to create space for designers, organizations, and individuals to connect and collaborate through programming and community projects.

Defined Responsibilities:

Work closely with VP of Community Engagement, committee volunteers, and AIGA Chicago board members to develop and implement programming that responds to the needs of the design community. Encourage volunteer and committee participation and assist in design community outreach when needed.

Est time commitment: 1-year minimum commitment. Approximately 4-6 hours per month, potentially more should you choose to chair an event or are excited to champion specific content or programming.

Programming Chairs

Event chairs help execute an annual program schedule/calendar that reflects activities consistent with AIGAʼs mission and meets the needs of Chapter members.

Defined Responsibilities:

Develop and produce quality and profitable programming that speaks to various topics and audiences. See past events in our archive. Work closely with VP of Programming and Programming Co-Chairs to produce successful programs. Assist in securing speakers, sponsors, and venues when needed. Connect with the Editorial and Social Media chairs to promote chapter event schedules locally, regionally, and nationally.

Est time commitment: 4-6 hours a month, with ups and downs depending on when you / your team is running an event.

To submit someone (or yourself) for consideration, make your nomination no later than Friday, March 5, 2021.

Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to Executive Director at kel@chicago.aiga.org.