ASET Candidate Application

ASET is governed by a Board of Trustees that includes 14 volunteer members and the ASET executive director. To reach any ASET Board member, visit the ASET board page.

In organizations of all kinds, good governance starts with the board of trustees. The board’s role and legal obligation is to oversee the administration (management) of the organization and ensure that the organization fulfills its mission. Good board members monitor, guide, and enable good management; they do not do it themselves. The board generally has decision-making powers regarding matters of policy, direction, strategy, and governance of the organization.

The governing body of a nonprofit must be made up entirely of people in a position to govern it— setting the strategic direction of the organization and overseeing management’s execution of the mission.

The board of a well-governed nonprofit organization, like the board of a well-governed profit-making company, will do all of the following:

• Formulate key corporate policies and strategic goals, focusing both on near-term and longer-term challenges and opportunities.
• Authorize major transactions or other actions.
• Oversee matters critical to the health of the organization— not decisions or approvals about specific matters, which is management’s role—but instead those involving fundamental matters such as the viability of its business model, the integrity of its internal systems and controls, and the accuracy of its financial statements.
• Evaluate and help manage risk.
• Steward the resources of the organization for the longer run, not just by carefully reviewing annual budgets and evaluating operations but also by encouraging foresight through several budget cycles, considering investments in light of future evolution, and planning for future capital needs.
• Mentor senior management, provide resources, advice and introductions to help facilitate operations.
• Similar to for-profit corporations, the power to control and oversee the management of the affairs and concerns of a nonprofit corporation is set forth in its corporate charter. Generally speaking, state law permits both kinds of corporations to self-direct significant allocations of power and responsibility, and then requires them to follow their own corporate governance and operational policies. The familiar fiduciary duties of care, loyalty, and obedience, undergird these requirements in both sectors.

Mission is what distinguishes nonprofits from their for-profit cousins: Nonprofits have missions instead of owners or shareholders. While the prime directive for board members of for-profit organizations is to ensure the highest possible value for owners, by contrast, nonprofit board members’ prime directive is mission fulfillment.

Board independence and board attention are of paramount importance in good nonprofit governance. The independence of the board is key because of the non-distribution constraint – nonprofits exist to serve the public interest, not to benefit owners or other private parties. Business or family relationships between the organization or its executives and a board member or her firm are frowned upon and should be strictly scrutinized under a conflict of interest policy administered by independent trustees.

ASET BOARD OF TRUSTEES POWER OF ONE POLICY

PURPOSE:

Defines the governance philosophy under which the board is to operate POLICY: The board will govern with an emphasis on (a) outward vision rather than an internal preoccupation, (b) strategic leadership rather than administrative detail, (c) clear distinction of board and chief executive and staff roles, (d) collective rather than individual decisions, (e) future rather than past or present, and (f) proactivity rather than reactivity. The board will:

1. Deliberate in many voices, but govern in one.

2. Cultivate a sense of group responsibility. The board, not the staff, will be responsible for excellence in governing. The board will be an initiator of policy, not merely a reactor to staff initiatives. The board will use the expertise of individual members to enhance the ability of the board as a body, rather than to substitute the individual judgments for the board’s values.

3. Direct, control and inspire the organization through the careful establishment of broad written policies and objectives reflecting the board’s values and perspectives. The board’s major focus will be on the intended long term impacts outside the operating organization, not on the administrative or programmatic means of attaining those effects.

4. Collectively enforce upon itself whatever discipline is needed to govern with excellence. Discipline will apply to matters such as attendance, preparation for meetings, policymaking principles, respect of roles, and ensuring the continuity of governance capability. Continual board development will include orientation of new members in the board’s governance process and periodic board discussion of process improvement. The board will allow no officer, individual or committee to hinder or be an excuse for not fulfilling its commitments.

5. Monitor and discuss the board’s process and performance at each meeting.

6. Self-evaluate individual process and performance annually.

Please read and review:

Click Here to Review the Code of Conduct

All items must be completed. Otherwise, the application will be considered incomplete and may result in disqualification.

• ASET Member Letter of Support

Include letter of support from a current ASET member that includes their position/title, place of employment, direct phone and email address [no more than 1,000 words or one page in length]. This letter will be included and published as part of your candidate profile. The letter will serve as a reference and indicate why the member supports your nomination by specifically speaking to your professional and leadership qualifications and attributes. As examples, the letter could cite your level and quality of professional involvement in ASET and other professional organizations as evidenced by your contribution on committees and task forces, experience as a neurodiagnostic professional, knowledge of issues and trends within the neurodiagnostic profession and healthcare community, recognition by peers, your standard of personal conduct, how you treat confidential or privileged information, how you are respectful of opinions and recommendations of others, how you foster the exchange of ideas and consensus building, and channel concerns and complaints. The author must grant in the letter permission to ASET to publish the letter as part of your candidate profile. You will submit this document in step 1. (word document format only)

• Employer Letter of Support

Include letter of support from supervisor or employer noting your ability to devote time to board business, attend board meetings and fulfill obligations as needed. A checkbox indicating whether your employer supports or does not support your candidacy may be included and published as part of your candidate profile. If your employer does not support your candidacy, you have the option to provide a statement that may be published as part of your candidate profile that addresses your ability to fulfill all obligations of a board member. You will submit this document in step 1. (word document format only)

• Third-party Leadership Reference

Provide two references, including their position/title, place of employment, direct phone, and email address, who would be willing to speak to and rate your leadership skills. State your relationship to each reference and how they have first-hand knowledge of your leadership skills, e.g., served along with you on the laboratory accreditation board. Note: Only one reference will be contacted by the Nominating Committee. You will submit this document in step 1. (word document format only) 

• Mandatory: Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Statement

Must completed and submit the ASET Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Statements online form. (Step 2)

• Mandatory: Commitment to Serve & Agreement of Confidentiality

Must completed and submit the Commitment to Serve on ASET Board & Agreement of Confidentiality online form. (Step 3)

• Include Your Photograph

The photo can be b/w or color, as long as it is of high quality. The photo, in .jpg  format, is to be emailed to Kevin Helm at [email protected] or can be submitted in step 1.