EFA Board members and staff have been working to:

• expand educational offerings and membership benefits
• establish the EFA Ruth Mullen Memorial Scholarship Program for HBCU Students
• increase Job List postings and informational resources
• integrate Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion into all that we do
• implement the 2022–2025 Strategic Plan.

If working on a project like one of these sounds interesting to you, consider running for one of the positions open for nominations on the EFA Board of Governors this year: one co-executive, one secretary, and seven members at large.

Volunteering is one of the most effective and most rewarding ways to network. Board members come from many parts of the editorial world. Volunteering will help you gain and hone skills applicable to your business and personal life and build connections to valued colleagues and friends.

This year we are electing:

• one co-executive (serving a two-year term). Primary duties are to oversee the management of the EFA’s affairs, to preside at Board or membership meetings, and to see that all orders and resolutions of the Board are carried out. Co-executives also hire senior staff and professionals; hire support staff in concert with the general manager; make decisions about employee compensation and benefits; approve expenses and bill payments; sign contracts and checks; lead executive committee meetings and work; and keep abreast of member concerns and trends. The co-executives preside in rotation over regular Board meetings, with the presiding member voting only in the event of a tie. One co-executive is elected each June. Christina Frey, a current co-executive, is stepping down in June.

• one secretary (serving a two-year term). The secretary participates in and keeps the minutes of Board meetings. With help from our office staff, the secretary communicates with the membership about the annual election; solicits, collects, compiles, and communicates nomination statements; sends out voting announcements and reminders; and publishes results. The secretary also participates in executive committee meetings. Joy Drohan, the current secretary, is stepping down as secretary in June.

• seven members at large (each serving a one-year term). Members at large (MALs) represent the interests of a broad base of members, assist other governors and committees with EFA business, and promote the EFA to members and potential members and to the publishing industry and other potential clients. MALs are encouraged to serve on Committees of Record; assist with ad hoc committees, special projects, and membership surveys; and/or participate in non-executive Board business. Current Committees of Record are Advertising, Chapter Development, Discussion List, Diversity Initiative, Education, Events, Job List, Membership, Publications, Social Media, and Website.

We encourage people from every race, color, culture, religion or no religion, gender identity, gender expression, age, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, citizenship, education, ability, health, neurotype, marital/parental status, socio-economic background, sexual orientation, and/or military status to run for the Board.

Duties of the Board of Governors. Joining the EFA Board is a commitment of time and energy, but it is not an overly onerous one. Most Board members spend an average of about 6 hours a month on EFA business, including Board meetings. Board members are expected to attend online meetings held monthly (except July), likely in the second week of each month (to be decided by poll of elected members), and the annual meeting in mid-June. Board members are asked to familiarize themselves with the bylaws and agree to our guiding documents, including confidentiality. Board members may also be asked to attend special online meetings or events a few times a year. In addition to attending meetings, Board members take active roles in online discussions of EFA matters throughout the year as we adopt and manage an annual budget, determine policy, and set EFA goals and benchmarks. Outside of our monthly meetings, we remain in touch through Board-only messaging on Groups.io.

For more information, see About the Board.

Board requirements. Residing in or near New York City is not a requirement for election to the Board. Membership in good standing is a requirement for all Board members. Those running for co-executive or secretary must have been members in good standing for at least 12 months before the election. There is no minimum membership requirement for members at large.

At the EFA’s expense, new Board members will be required to successfully complete Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training as specified by the Board.

How to nominate. To nominate yourself, please paste (no attachments, please) your answers to the three candidate questions below into an email and send to secretary@the-efa.org. Include your full name, email, and website or LinkedIn profile if you have one. Deadline for receipt of nomination statements is 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 6. If you think someone else would make a perfect candidate, please contact the person directly and invite their self-nomination. For questions about the election process, please email info@the-efa.org. For reference, you can see last year’s candidate statements.

Candidate Questions: (limit ~100 words per question for questions 2–3)

1. How long have you been a member of the EFA?
2. Please summarize your editorial/communications/leadership experience, whether inside or outside of EFA.
3. Which of the EFA’s 2022-2025 Strategic Priorities most interests you and why?

Zoom with the Board (optional). We’re offering two times when potential candidates can chat virtually with the Board. Get answers to your questions about running and serving.

Tues., April 19, 7-8 p.m. EDT

Sun., April 24, 7-8 p.m. EDT

Interested individuals should register in advance for one of these meetings.

Register for the April 19 meeting.

Register for the April 24 meeting.

If you have specific questions about Board service, it would be helpful to enter them in the comment/question box on the registration page. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Voting process. Voting is done electronically. Information about the election (including candidate statements and ballots) will be delivered electronically. Please add info@the-efa.org and secretary@the-efa.org to your address book to ensure that you receive all EFA emails. Otherwise they may be identified as spam, filtered by your internet service provider, or end up in a junk folder.

Election Cycle 2022
Fri., April 1: Call for nominations goes out
Tues., April 19: Optional Zoom call with Board members for potential candidates, 7-8 p.m. EDT
Sun., April 24: Optional Zoom call with Board members for potential candidates, 7-8 p.m. EDT
Fri., May 6: Nominations and statements are due
Wed., May 18: Candidates are announced and statements are published on our website
Wed., June 1: Voting opens
Mon., June 13: Voting closes
Wed., June 15: Annual meeting (online, open to all members), results announced
Thurs., June 16: Results emailed to membership

About the EFA
Founded in 1970, the EFA is an international 501(c)6 not-for-profit organization headquartered in New York City and managed by a volunteer Board of Governors elected by the membership. The bylaws prohibit any Board member or other volunteer from receiving compensation of any kind from the EFA (Articles 4.3.2 & 5.6) for such service. For more information about the EFA, please visit https://www.the-efa.org.

EFA Mission
The EFA advances excellence among our dynamic community of freelance editorial professionals by providing opportunities for business development, learning, and networking. Our resources help our members and their clients build successful collaborations.

EFA Vision
Our vision is a vibrant community of freelance editorial professionals—esteemed for their expertise, inclusive in their ethos, and thriving in their businesses—helping clients launch ideas into the world.