The 2025 AANP Election Open Call for Nominations will close on Oct. 31, 2024, at 11:59 PM Pacific. All applications must be received via the online application. Late applications will not be accepted or considered

1. All incumbent officeholders eligible to seek reelection must submit and complete the nomination application process.
2. All nominations must be submitted electronically to AANP on the online 2025 AANP Election Nomination Form by Oct. 31, 2024.
3. The application process requires a CV (three-page max highlighting leadership and committee involvement, and recent publications and presentations), bio-sketch, professional photo, responses to questions about your leadership experience/background and two professional references.
4. All nominations are subject to review by the AANP Nomination Council.
5. Anyone submitting a nomination must comply with the following:
   • Prospective candidates must read, understand and agree to abide by the AANP Conflict of Interest (COI) and Confidentiality Policy and sign the Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form. The completed AANP COI Disclosure Form must be received by AANP to be considered for the election.
   • If an actual conflict is identified during the process, prospective candidates must complete a COI Resolution Form agreeing to resolve the conflict if elected and prior to taking office.
   • Prospective candidates must read and agree to the responsibilities and estimated time commitments of the position being sought, as well as the AANP Election Campaign Process and Procedures, and check the appropriate box on the application.
   • Prospective candidates should review the AANP Bylaws.

Candidate photos are required. Candidates must include a high resolution 300dpi professional photo, though not necessarily made by a professional photographer. Please note the following criteria for photos:

• Must be submitted electronically in JPG format with the nomination application.
• Should be in color, rather than black and white with a neutral background (no props).
• Should be a photo of the candidate alone (no group shots or photos with other people, children or pets).

After submitting your nomination application, please make sure that you receive a return notice indicating the nomination has been received. If you do not receive this after submission, please contact governance@aanp.org for further instructions.

Applications that are incomplete or contain excessive typographical or grammatical errors will not be corrected or edited and may be eliminated from consideration.

Candidates running for office in the AANP election will have two opportunities to campaign via a campaign flyer and campaign message (described below). Please follow the instructions during the application process to submit your campaign materials.

The 2025 slate of candidates will be finalized in January 2025. Once the slate is finalized, candidates will receive a link to a video featuring the AANP President explaining campaign rules and providing examples of violations. The rules will be aligned with the Election Campaign Process and Procedures that are identified below. Please keep the Election Campaign Process and Procedures in mind when submitting your application. You may be asked to edit or change your campaign flyer or message at any time if your campaign materials do not align with the Election Campaign Process and Procedures.

Violation of AANP’s Election Campaign Process and Procedures may result in removal from the ballot or may void a candidate’s election. Candidates are responsible for any campaign activity conducted, either directly or indirectly, on their behalf.

Campaign Flyer (optional)

• Limited to one page.
• May use or include any combination of photos, text or other design elements.
• Must be completed and submitted with your nomination form.

Campaign Message (required)

• Candidates for state, regional or national office will have the opportunity to campaign via a one-time message, submitted with the application by the deadline. The message created by the candidate will consist of a paragraph (not to exceed 150 words) showcasing their qualifications.
• This message will be distributed by AANP to members eligible to vote in the election — individual candidates do not distribute the message. AANP does not permit any other type of campaign activities by individual candidates.
• AANP does not permit candidates to access any AANP listserv for the purpose of promoting individual campaigns.

Campaign Process and Procedures

All candidates must comply with the following AANP Election Campaign Process and Procedures. To be considered for placement on the ballot, candidates must acknowledge that they have read, understand and agree to abide by the campaign process and procedures. Failure to do so will prohibit that candidate's consideration for placement on the ballot.

No solicitation of votes by candidates will be allowed, except as outlined in the AANP Election Campaign Process and Procedures.

Candidate activities NOT allowed for campaigning purposes include but are not limited to the following:

• Use of social and electronic media, such as posting campaign information on Facebook, X and other social media platforms.
• Use of an AANP current listserv or reproduction of any previous AANP listserv to distribute campaign information.
• Distribution of campaign materials, such as buttons, pens and direct mail pieces.
• Acceptance or solicitation of corporate or institutional sponsorship for the purpose of AANP campaigning.
• Acceptance of an NP Organization member endorsements or personal campaigning for individual candidates.
• Soliciting or encouraging others to campaign on their behalf.
• Campaigning by an individual for the purpose of endorsing a candidate or providing negative comments or information about candidates to discourage voting for this candidate.
• Conducting public speeches, phone solicitation, articles or editorials.

The campaign policy allows candidates equal access to AANP members during the election process. The candidate is responsible for compliance with the approved campaign policy procedures as follows:

• Candidate information will be placed on the official ballot, which will include the candidate’s position statement and information provided by the candidate on their nomination application.
• Election information will be published by AANP in the eBulletin, SmartBrief and on the AANP website.
• A personal message from the candidate to the AANP membership will be available by AANP during the election process, if received by the deadline as stated in the official Call for Nominations.
• AANP NP Organization members may contact eligible members of their organization to encourage them to exercise their right to vote but may not endorse any specific candidate.
• AANP will post information about the election and candidates on the AANP Facebook site and other social media channels as deemed appropriate by AANP.
• Campaign guidelines will be published in the official Call for Nominations.
• If a candidate has possibly violated any portion of the campaign policy, this will be referred to the AANP President. If a violation occurred, a recommendation will then be sent to the full AANP Board of Directors with the possibility of removing the candidate from the ballot or voiding that candidate’s election.

AANP individual membership must be current as of Feb. 1, 2025, to be eligible to vote for the following positions in the 2025 election:

Membership Categories and Positions

• NP — state, regional and national office.
• Licensed NP Student — state, regional and national office.
• Career Starter — state, regional and national office.
• Student — state liaison in their state.
• Retired — state, regional and national office.

If you have questions or need additional information, email elections@aanp.org.

Note: Individuals elected as Board Officers, Region Directors and SLs are expected to attend meetings held 24 to 48 hours prior to the start of the 2025 AANP National Conference. Candidates for these positions should not make airline reservations for conference prior to learning the outcome of the election; however, for best availability of conference sessions and hotel accommodations, all candidates are encouraged to register for conference and make their room reservations prior to AANP’s announcement of election results.

Basic Function: The Region Directors serve as the elected representative region. They maintain fiduciary responsibility and contribute to the establishment of the mission, vision and strategic plan of the organization.

View the Detailed Position Description

Specific Eligibility Requirement: Region Directors must maintain primary residence within their respective region. To run for region director, the candidate should have experience as an AANP SL or have equivalent experience and demonstrated leadership in AANP or other organizations.

Term Limit: The Region Director's term is two years, but they may serve a maximum of three consecutive elected terms (six years in total).

Time Commitment: The estimated time commitment is 15-20 hours per month, which does not include board meetings.

Regional Directors Positions:

• Region 1 Director - Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
• Region 3 Director - Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
• Region 5 Director - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
• Region 7 Director - Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
• Region 9 Director - Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada and Pacific U.S. territories.
• Region 11 Director - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Basic Function: The SL serves as a key state contact person for the Region Director, BOD, and executive staff. The SL actively serves to advance the interests of AANP and its members. SLs are accountable to the BOD.

View the Detailed Position Description

Specific Eligibility Requirement: SLs must reside in the state they wish to represent. SLs cannot concurrently serve on a board chair a committee or council; or be employed by a nursing certification or membership organization (including those whose products, services or interests overlap with AANP) - unless the position is specifically designated to represent AANP's best interests.

Term Limit: The State Liaison's term is two years, but they may serve a maximum of two consecutive elected terms (four years in total).

Time Commitment: The estimated time commitment is 5-10 hours per month.

State Liaison Positions on the Ballot:

• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Idaho
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Montana
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Puerto Rico
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming

State Liaison Conflicts of Interest

In today's non-profit association world, a "duality of interest" is an increasingly common type of conflict of interest in which an elected or appointed leader has obligations to other organization(s), and to his or her "home" organization (i.e., AANP). In such a scenario, the obligation of loyalty would apply to each organization, but the leader’s behavior could end up advantaging one organization over the other. An example would be when an influential person is an elected/appointed leader of two different organizations and has overlapping responsibilities for driving advocacy, meetings, membership or another overlapping agenda. This creates a direct conflict when there is any type of divergence in views or strategy, or where confidential information/tactics are received by the individual that could benefit the home organization but cannot/should not be disclosed due to an obligation or loyalty to the other organization. These conflicts and others can result in disclosing information that is confidential or withholding information that is relevant to a tactical approach of an organization - all of which could result in the loss of credibility; breakdowns in communication and relationships; perceived dysfunction by other members; and the ineffective use of finite resources.

Definitions/FAQs

• How do you define a nursing certification or membership organization? For these purposes, a membership organization is defined as one that provides services to NPs and NP student members that are comparable to AANP’s benefits. A certification organization is an organization that offers certification to NPs.
• What is a position designated to represent AANP’s best interest? An elected or appointed position at another organization that is specifically designated to represent the best interest of AANP and that puts AANP first would qualify. Sometimes AANP is asked to recommend people for these positions or, at minimum, is made aware that the role has been established and of the rationale.
• If a person has a role with a nurse practitioner organization (NPO) that currently intersects with AANP (e.g., chair of an NPO Legislative Committee and AANP SL), would AANP lose that connection? AANP would continue to work with the NPO and its designated contact(s) for the topic being discussed (i.e., a duality of interest does not need to be created for ongoing collaboration or conversations). Moreover, the expectations and intersections would be much clearer since a leader no longer has a duality of interest conflict.
• Is the state liaison position still a way for AANP to cultivate leaders? Absolutely. AANP needs a leadership pipeline that is diverse, inclusive, and growing. Having a mixture of experienced and upcoming NP leaders further strengthens that pipeline.

Examples of Duality of Interest Conflicts

1. There are multiple NPOs in a state, and the president of one NPO also holds the SL position. The NPOs disagree with each other over the position or strategy around a piece of legislation. This conflict can result in 1) the perception of favoritism toward the NPO with the president serving as the SL; 2) the SL being unable to put AANP’s obligations first, due to the NPO obligation; 3) AANP being unable to gain valuable intel about legislation and organize the NPOs since AANP is not viewed as an independent stakeholder (i.e., lost credibility); and 4) AANP using its human resources to resolve communication and relational issues between the NPOs instead of advancing AANP’s legislative priorities.
2. A SL is also the chair of a health policy committee for an NPO. A bill that AANP opposes in the state is advanced by the NPO. The SL lobbies for the bill in alignment with the NPO instead of being in alignment with AANP. This confuses AANP members as AANP takes one position and the elected SL leader publicly takes another position in alignment with the NPO.
3. Information about a membership strategy is confidentially shared with a SL in preparation for rollout. The SL, who is also the chair of a national membership organization also serving NPs, then uses that information to roll out the same strategy at the other organization.
4. The chair of the meetings committee at another national organization, who is a SL, is planning a meeting for NPs that is in the same month as AANP’s meeting and in the same region of the country. The SL is asked by AANP to use their network to promote the AANP meeting, which is viewed by the other national organization as potentially competing with attendance with the NPO’s meeting. The SL now must choose to:
• promote neither (disadvantaging both organizations because they cannot reach the SL's network).
• promote both (highlighting the perceived competing meetings); or
• adhere to the obligations of one organization but not the other

What if a SL believes a special circumstance exists that would not create a duality of interest conflict by serving as a SL and on the board, as chair or while employed at an organization with overlapping services? Not every circumstance can be illustrated or covered when discussing duality of interests. If you believe that no conflict exists although you are in dual roles, you will need to explain why. You could also share this document with the other organization and request a letter of support arguing that the dual roles won’t cause a conflict (e.g., because it is a slotted seat for AANP, the other organization expects that the position will be obligated to AANP or for another reason). All such situations are subject to review and approval by the AANP Nomination Council and AANP’s Legal and Association Governance Departments during the vetting process for SL candidates and appointees.

If there are any questions about a potential conflict of interest, you may contact the Legal and Association Governance Departments at COI@aanp.org

Four candidates will be elected to the council.

Basic Function: The purpose of the Nomination Council is to develop a slate of qualified candidates for elected positions within AANP. Council members are accountable to the BOD and members.

View the Detailed Position Description

Term Limit: The Nomination Council term is three years, but they may serve a maximum of two consecutive elected terms (six years in total).

Time Commitment: The estimated time commitment is 10-15 hours per month depending on the month.

Learn More About Specific Role Responsibilites