Governance SIG

About This SIG

This SIG is for individuals involved in governance activities who want to share ideas and network with others in this field. Meeting topics focus on a variety of issues related to association governance like elections, committee appointment process, by laws, and referendums. Board policies and procedures, board relations and affairs, and board minutes are also covered by this group.

Chair

George Miller, MS, CAE
Practice Director, McKinley Advisors

Vice Chair

Darrin Townsend, MBA
Senior Governance Specialist, American Burn Association

SIG Events

⭐Modernizing Nominations & Elections: From Strategies to Systems

Associations are reimagining their nominations and elections processes to build stronger leadership pipelines, improve transparency, and ensure governance keeps pace with evolving needs. Modernization requires more than procedural updates—it demands aligning strategic intent with the structures, competencies, and systems that determine how leaders are identified, assessed, and developed.

This session explores how one trade association and one professional society approached this work through strategic design and operational system-building. Speakers will share how their organizations evaluated legacy practices, engaged stakeholders, introduced structural refinements such as sunsetting special elections, strengthened competency-driven evaluation systems, and created clearer, more consistent pathways to leadership. Together, these changes demonstrate how associations can modernize without losing fairness, rigor, or member trust.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Understand the strategic drivers behind modernizing nominations and elections systems and describe how evolving organizational needs shape leadership pathways and governance structures.
Apply principles of competency-based evaluation, streamlined nomination pathways, and structural refinements to strengthen fairness, clarity, and consistency within their own nominating and elections processes.
Analyze the impact of governance system redesigns by assessing how changes to competencies, evaluation methods, and appointment processes influence leader readiness, stakeholder confidence, and long-term leadership pipeline development.

March 19, 2026
1:00 - 2:30 p.m. CT
Virtual

🎤 Speakers

Kim McDowell Casper, Chief Engagement Officer, American Society of Safety Professionals. As Chief Engagement Officer, Kim leads an integrated approach to developing and delivering solutions that meet evolving member and market needs, support career development, strengthen community engagement, enhance the customer experience, and drive topline revenue growth across the organization.

George Miller, MS, CAE, Practice Director, Organizational Excellence, McKinley Advisors. George Miller joined McKinley Advisors after 20 years working in the association and higher education fields, including leadership positions with the Institute of Food Technologists and Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Since joining McKinley, George has partnered with more than 80 association clients to advance their mission impact.

Delia Murphy, PMP, Vice President, Membership, Specialty Food Association. Delia Murphy is Vice President of Membership at the Specialty Food Association. She has extensive experience leading membership strategy, benefits development, events, and strategic initiatives for national associations, including the National Pasta Association and the National Pecan Shellers Association. She is recognized for building strong industry partnerships, driving operational excellence, and creating outstanding member experiences.

Dallas Tomlin, MBA Governance Manager, American Society of Safety Professionals. Dallas partners closely with executive leadership, board directors, and volunteer leaders to implement governance best practices, modernize processes, and support future-ready decision-making. She also oversees and supports the Society’s nominations and elections process—an essential component of strong organizational governance—ensuring transparency, fairness, and alignment with bylaws and leadership competencies.

📆Coming Events

Modernizing Nominations & Elections:
From Strategies to Systems
March 19, 2026
1:00 - 2:30 p.m. CT
Virtual

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