Nominating Committee


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Background

Established in 1939.

Charge

The LSA Constitution, Article IV, No. 2, states:

The Nominating Committee shall nominate one person for the position of Vice President and two for each vacant position on the Executive Committee. A report from the Nominating Committee and the slate of nominees with statements from the candidates shall be sent to the members at least seven months in advance of the Annual Meeting. If six months before the Annual Meeting, ten or more members have separately and in writing nominated any additional individual member for any position, and that member agrees to be presented as a candidate for the position in question, then that name shall be added to the ballot submitted to the members. This ballot shall be sent not less than four months in advance of the Annual Meeting. A quorum shall consist of those replies which have been received by the Secretary-Treasurer two months in advance of the date of the Annual Meeting.

Responsibilities

The Nominating Committee nominates one candidate for the position of Vice President/President-Elect and two candidates for each vacant position on the Executive Committee. The Committee conducts all of its business by electronic mail and/or phone and submits the slate of nominees to the membership via e-mail and on the LSA website in June of each year.
 

Membership

The LSA Constitution, Article IV, no. 2, states:

There shall be a Nominating Committee consisting of seven members. Two members shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee each year to serve for three years. Each year the President shall appoint one of the two senior members as Chair. The immediate Past President shall serve ex-officio with vote as the seventh member.
 

In addition, the Executive Committee added the following policy to the criteria for Nominating Committee membership in September 2025.

Members of the Nominating Committee shall be ineligible for nomination to be officers or members at large of the Executive Committee. They should be informed of this prior to stepping into the role of Nominating Committee member, and the call for Nominations that goes out to LSA members should include this fact and list the members of the Nominating Committee.
 

Process

Nominations for the Nominating Committee are solicited every spring. To express interest in receiving an invitation to serve on this committee, please contact the Secretariat staff.
 

Members

  • Co-chair: Sonja Lanehart, University of Arizona (2026)
  • Co-Chair: Christina Bjorndahl, Carnegie Mellon University (2027) 
  • Savithry Namboodiripad, University of Michigan (2027)
  • Karlos Arregi, University of Chicago (2027)
  • Melissa Baese-Berk, University of Chicago (2028)
  • Liliana Sanchez, University of Illinois at Chicago (2028)
  • Immediate past president: Heidi Harley, University of Arizona
  • Staff Liaison: Margaret Vitullo, Executive Director