The governing structure of the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians centers on a unified board that integrates both executive leadership and fiduciary oversight. The Executive Board-composed of the officer roles of President, President-elect, Vice President, and Treasurer, together with the Executive Director-provides day-to-day governance and strategic direction, while the full board encompasses both the Executive Board and the Trustees, ensuring continuity between operational decision-making and long-term stewardship. The Trustees collectively oversee the organization's financial health, institutional memory, and sustainability, with the Executive Director also serving as Chair of the Trustees. Supporting this structure, the Nominating Committee plays a key role during each election cycle by reviewing nominations, cultivating a diverse and representative slate of candidates, and presenting its recommendations to the Trustees for approval.

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Foundations of Leadership at the Berks

1. Active Membership (required)

• Must be a current, dues-paying member of the Berks
• Must maintain membership throughout their term

2. Demonstrated Commitment to the Berks Mission and Vision

Candidates should show:

• Engagement with feminist, intersectional, and justice-driven scholarship
OR
• Experience in historical research, teaching, or public history related to women, genders, and sexualities
• Clear support for mentorship, equity, and strengthening the broader scholarly community
• Have a demonstrable understanding of the wide range of histories of women, genders, and sexualities–visible through teaching, publication, program development, or service
• Be prepared to represent diverse methodologies, geographies, chronologies, and perspectives

3. Experience with Collaborative and Service-Oriented Work

Because the Berks is a service-driven scholarly nonprofit, candidates should have:

• Prior service on committees, boards, or scholarly organizations, whether within the Berks, Women's/Gender/Sexuality Studies, historical associations, or related scholarly communities
• Experience mentoring scholars, graduate students, or early-career colleagues
• A record of collaborative rather than hierarchical leadership

4. Operational and Technological Capacity

The Berks operates as a remote, international organization. Board members should be able to:

• Use Zoom, Google Drive, and other standard collaboration tools
• Meet deadlines and manage asynchronous responsibilities
• Work independently and communicate promptly
• Participate in virtual meetings scheduled across time zones

5. Willingness to Serve Actively

Board service requires:

• Attending regular board meetings (typically monthly for Officers and quarterly for Trustees)
• Participating in Little Berks business meetings throughout their term
• Providing input on strategic planning, programming, membership, and conference-related work
• Serving as a liaison to one or more committees as needed
• Attending the biennial Big Berks and participating in front-facing operations and events (moderators, conference registration, and other areas of onsite support)
• Recruit new members and promote organizational initiatives

6. Ethical Governance Standards

Board members must:

• Follow codes of conduct and confidentiality guidelines
• Disclose conflicts of interest
• Uphold fiduciary duties of care, loyalty, and good faith
• Model respectful, professional, inclusive behavior

7. Ability to Support Organizational Sustainability and the Berks Strategic Plan for 2025-2028

Candidates should bring one or more of the following strengths:

• Organizational planning or strategic vision
• Conference or program development experience
• Experience with grants, fundraising, or stewardship
• Experience building public-facing, community-building, or pedagogical initiatives
• Experience with membership development or outreach
• Experience with public history and/or K-12 collaboration and outreach

8. Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Given the Berks' global, intersectional mission, candidates should:

• Demonstrate commitment to equity, anti-racist practice, and inclusive collaboration
• Value mentorship across identities, ranks, institutions, and geographies
• Have demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and assessing equity-focused initiatives that improve access, inclusion, and outcomes across diverse communities

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Election Process

Elections are held annually to fill open roles on the Board of Trustees, Officer positions, and Committee Chairs. The election cycle typically spans 10-12 weeks and includes the following steps:

1. Call for Nominations (Cycle Runs February 12-March 15, 2026)

• All nominees must hold active Berks memberships.
• Self-nominations and nominations of peers/colleagues are strongly encouraged.
• The Nominating Committee actively supports the call for nominations process by sharing the call with scholarly networks, answering questions from interested candidates, and conducting individual outreach to potential candidates.
• Nominations are reviewed by the Nominating Committee, which prepares and forwards a list of candidates for open positions a slate to the Board of Trustees for approval.

2. Submission of Candidate Materials

Candidates submit short written statements (typically 150 words per prompt) or 1-minute accessible audiovisual responses addressing their:

• Expertise as it pertains to the mission, vision, and strategic planning initiatives of the Berks
• Fit for the specific position
• Vision for the future of the Berks

3. Candidate Confirmation

• Nominees are invited to accept or decline their nomination by the Board of Trustees.

4. Membership Voting (April 2026)

• Elections are conducted virtually through a secure third-party vendor to ensure integrity and confidentiality.
• All active members may vote.
• All members will receive a secure link via email and will have 30 days to place their vote.

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Positions Open for Nomination: Spring 2026

Terms begin June 2026

Nomination Form

The positions of President, Vice President, and Secretary will appear on the ballot as unopposed. The nominees are Dr. Traci Parker for President, Dr. Audra Jennings for Vice President, and Dr. Karla Strand for Secretary. All three candidates are current Berks officers and will provide continuity in leadership as members of the transition team, supporting the organization's ongoing work and the development of a new model for Big Berks 2027. Please see our updated bylaws for an overview of all Officer and Trustee duties.

President-elect (4-Year term: 2 years as President-elect and 2 years as President)

• Supports and assists the current President
• Prepares for their presidential term by learning the role and responsibilities
• Serves as successor to the President
• Attends board meetings and participates fully in governance
• Helps prepare future agendas
• Mentors potential candidates for leadership roles
• Assists the President with designated tasks and assignments
• Serves as chair of either Local Arrangements Committee or the exhibit room for Big Berks
• Supports capital campaign and donor outreach

Treasurer (2-Year Term)

• Has charge and custody of all corporate funds and securities
• Actively works with the President and the Executive Director to provide input on individual budgets for all events and quarterly organizational budget
• Receives and issues receipts for all monies due to the Corporation
• Deposits organizational funds into approved banks or depositories
• Performs all duties normally associated with the office of Treasurer
• Has the authority to sign and execute financial instruments (deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts) relating to the organization's finances
• Carries out additional duties assigned by the President, Board of Trustees, or Executive Committee
• Oversees the Executive Director's payment of bills and pays theirs invoices
• Reviews and approves expenditures, in conjunction with the Board
• Handles subventions/scholarships
• Oversees endowment and capital campaign
• Works with the accountant to complete state and federal taxes and conduct regular financial audits
• Presents financial information at the annual business meeting