Call for Candidates Application Process

A candidate for an NFDA Board position must meet all qualifications for the position for which they apply. Qualifications for board positions, by office, can be found here. These qualifications include:

Must be an Individual Member of NFDA. An Individual Member is defined by the NFDA Bylaws as a Practitioner who owns or is employed by a Firm Member. A Practitioner is an individual who, to the extent required by State law, possesses all the necessary licenses to engage in the profession of funeral directing and/or embalming. Any Practitioner who does not own nor is employed by a Firm Member may become an Individual Member of NFDA by making written application and agreeing to all conditions of membership. Individual Members do not include Retired, Student, Apprentice or International Members. ( NFDA Bylaws)

Must have possessed all necessary qualifications to engage in the profession of funeral directing and/or embalming for at least three (3) years for At-Large Candidates and five (5) years for Officer Candidates.

Must be an active member of NFDA, including being active in NFDA for a minimum of three (3) years for At-Large Candidates and five (5) years for Officer Candidates, immediately preceding the candidacy and participating in a minimum of three (3) NFDA events for At-Large Candidates and five (5) NFDA events for Officer Candidates. Events can include in-person events, on-line events, course work, or participating on a committee, task force, or work group. A minimum of two (2) of these events for At-Large Candidates and three (3) of these events for Officer Candidates must be in-person

Must demonstrate past service in a leadership role, preferably in funeral service, with state or national significance for Officer candidates and on a community, or civic board for At-Large Candidates.

In addition:

All Treasurer candidates must have been previously elected to, and served on, the NFDA Board for a Term within five (5) years of the candidacy.

All President-elect candidates must have been previously elected to, and served on, the NFDA Board for a minimum of two (2) terms prior to the candidacy.

To apply for an open position on the NFDA Board of Directors, review the online Application & Instructions information. The NFDA Leadership Development Committee will review and evaluate all applications and interview applicants. The knowledge, experience, skills and abilities demonstrated by each individual, relative to core competencies and leadership expectations, will be evaluated, including: leadership qualities and experience, experience as a funeral service professional, NFDA organizational awareness and commitment to NFDA.

The NFDA Leadership Development Committee will present a list of qualified candidates for officer positions to the membership and a list of qualified candidates for At-large Representative positions to the State Association Representatives. Applicants will be notified of the outcome prior to the release of the list of nominees to the membership and the State Association Representatives. 

Election Principles

Fairness: All Individual Members should have equal opportunity to seek elected positions on the NFDA Board of Directors.

Equity: All nominees should be provided equal access to the electorate. The electorate should be provided with comparable information on all nominees.

Affordability: Campaign guidelines should reduce the cost of seeking elected positions by placing limits on allowable activities and/or spending.

Engagement: Communication with the electorate about the election process and the candidates should arouse interest in NFDA affairs and foster optimum ballot returns.

Sustainability: The election process should be designed to meet current goals and resource needs without compromising future goals and resource needs.

In an effort to have the NFDA reflect its membership, certain requirements have been instituted:

• The Board of Directors shall be comprised of at least six (6) Independent Members.
• There may not be two or more Board Members who own or are employed by the same Firm Member, including its related and subsidiary entities.

More information on these requirements may be found HERE.

Election of Officers

NFDA Firm and Individual Members elect the President-elect, Treasurer and Secretary from the list of qualified candidates issued by the NFDA Leadership Development Committee and any candidates nominated by the petition process. The President-elect, after completing his or her term, automatically succeeds to the office of the President.

The election of Officers will be conducted by electronic means, phone, mail or any effective combination thereof, as determined by the NFDA Board of Directors. The ballot issued to NFDA members shall identify whether each candidate was found qualified by the Leadership Development Committee or was nominated by the petition process.

Each Firm Member will receive two (2) votes for each election which must be cast by the primary contact for the Firm listed in NFDA’s current membership records. Each Individual Member will receive one (1) vote for each election. A primary contact for a Firm Member will be provided a vote as an Individual Member in addition to the two (2) votes he or she may cast on behalf of the Firm.

Each election shall be determined by a plurality vote. Election results reported to candidates and membership include the percentage of votes cast for each candidate running in each contested race.

Election of At-large Representatives

The State Association Representatives elects the At-large Representatives to the Board of Directors from the list of qualified candidates issued by the NFDA Leadership Development Committee.

The regular election of At-large Representatives by the State Association Representatives takes place at the summer Voting Forum for At-Large Candidates held in conjunction with the NFDA Leadership Conference. Special elections to fill unexpected vacancies are scheduled as needed. Each State Association Representative present at the meeting receives one (1) vote to be cast by secret ballot.

There will be a separate election for each At-large Representative position to be filled. Any unsuccessful candidate in an election may be nominated and run in a succeeding election.

Whenever there are more than two candidates and no candidate receives a majority of all votes cast, another vote shall be taken, but the following candidates shall be eliminated from the ballot: (1) the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes; and (2) if at least two candidates each received twenty-five (25%) percent or more of the votes cast, all candidates who received less than twenty-five (25%) percent of the votes cast.

In the event of two successive tie votes in any election, the determination of which candidate who is involved in the tie shall be elected or eliminated will be determined by drawing lots, with the method of drawing lots to be determined by the President. In the event that more than two candidates are involved in the tie votes, the method of drawing lots shall be used only to eliminate one candidate and a subsequent vote shall be taken among those candidates not eliminated.

Orientation

Once elected, new members of the Board of Directors are integrated into Board of Directors communications and activities that occur between the time of the election and the time they are installed at the NFDA International Convention & Expo. An orientation session for the Board of Directors is conducted. New members of the Board of Directors will be notified of the time and date.