Nominating Committee

Crafting Excellence: The Art of Selecting the Next Biennium’s Leaders

The behind-the-scenes look of the Nominating Committee’s leadership selection process

Every two years, Gamma Phi Beta welcomes a fresh cohort of outstanding leaders poised to propel our Sorority forward. These individuals are more than leaders. They are visionaries committed to advancing our strategic priorities, navigating industry and cultural landscapes and nurturing Gamma Phi Beta's unwavering dedication to belonging, equity, diversity and inclusion (BEDI). Together, they form two pivotal boards: International Council (IC) and the Nominating Committee (NC).

But who discovers these visionary leaders? And what does the process of locating them look like? Enter the NC.

The NC is composed of seven elected alumnae members, two appointed collegiate members, two appointed collegiate alternates and one appointed chair. These dedicated individuals commit to a two-year term, starting from their election until they present the NC Report at the conclusion of their term. Their mission? To ensure the prosperity of our sisterhood by meticulously identifying, recruiting and nominating qualified candidates for election biennially to serve on both the NC and IC. The NC Report stands as a testament to their rigorous efforts, offering a comprehensive overview of the process undertaken to slate candidates for leadership roles within these important boards. To view the 2022-24’s NC Report in its entirety, scan the QR code below.

The NC helps identify leaders to serve on IC and the NC for the following biennium. The March before Convention, the NC meets to slate leaders suited to serve on the NC and IC to present to our sisterhood. This year, that event took place on March 22-25, in Anaheim, California. The 2022-24 NC enjoyed the sunny West Coast weather while conducting thorough reviews of each applicant's materials, including application, biographic information, comment forms, interview recordings and more.

From this weekend, the 2022-24 NC confidently compiled two teams of candidates for presentation to our membership to serve on IC and the NC for the 2024-26 biennium. They are (drumroll, please)… 

 

International Council 2024-26  

International President: Stephanie Gauchat Carriere (Arizona)  

International Vice President: Callie Cox Bauer (Minnesota) 

International Vice President: Teresa Jones Haney (Northern Arizona) 

International Vice President: Lindsay Healless (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) 

International Vice President: Jessica Jecmen (Oklahoma City) 

International Vice President: Lillian Hallstrand Lammers (Denver)  

International Vice President: Kristen Heine Slaughter (Florida State) 

Nominating Committee 2024-26  

NC Member: Deborah Mathes Compton (Memphis) 

NC Member: Autumn Hansen (Idaho) 

NC Member: Carmen Adler Namenek (Western Ontario) 

NC Member: Melanie Martin Roussos (Georgia) 

NC Member: Selina Ruiz (Pepperdine) 

NC Member: Amy Hyde Sensiba (Southeast Missouri State) 

NC Member: Danica Lempert Wilson (Kennesaw State) 

Delegates who attend Convention vote on these candidates, determining who will lead our organization for the next two years.   

Running From The Floor

Our Bylaws allow any member who applied during the NC slating process to run from the floor if they notify the NC chair by April 15. The following member indicated her intent to run from the floor for the position of Vice President: Victoria LopezHerrera (Alumna Initiate).

From the 2022-24 NC

To gain deeper insights into the NC process and what the committee looks for in potential candidates for elected-levels of service, The Crescent chatted with Tanya Jordan (Purdue), who has an expansive volunteer history within Gamma Phi Beta, including her most recent role as the 2022-24 NC Chair.

Two collegiate members sit on the NC. Why is it important for the committee to have collegiate voices represented?  

Collegiate members of Gamma Phi Beta represent 8% of our membership, making them a critical voice in who our next leaders should be. They bring a unique perspective to the process, which is valued and needed. Collegians who serve on NC can make their voices heard at the international level. Personally, they gain a deeper connection to and understanding of our sisterhood on an international level. But don’t take it from me, take it from Hallie Horner (Nebraska-Lincoln), who serves as a collegiate member on the NC and said the following of her experience:  

Being surrounded by women who embody the highest type of womanhood has been one of the biggest highlights of serving on the NC. Women who inspire and truly want the best for the continuation of Gamma Phi Beta make up this wonderful team, and having the chance to look up to them has been so impactful. 

Is prior volunteer leadership experience within Gamma Phi Beta necessary for alumnae members to apply to serve on either IC or the NC?   

Gamma Phi Beta knowledge is one of the member competencies that we use to evaluate applicants. While this is an important skill, we understand that not every applicant will be strong in every competency — and GPB knowledge is the same. The focus of the NC slating process is to build a team, not just a group of skilled individuals. Thus, not everyone has to excel in every competency. So no, you don’t necessarily have to have volunteer leadership experience to apply for elected service but understanding our organization and how it works certainly helps.

How do you address team member bias when reviewing the application process?    

This is a very important topic that has been continually addressed by the past several NC teams.  Every team for the past four years has participated in implicit bias training by the Kirwan Institute. This training introduces our members to insights into how our minds operate and helps them understand the origins of implicit associations. They also uncover some of their own biases and learn strategies for addressing them. We then use these tactics to review the application process and when evaluating applicants. One important step we took starting four years ago was to redact the biographic identifying data of each application during the initial application review.  Applicants were initially evaluated based on their answers only to help reduce potential bias. In addition, as the chair, I do not read any of the applications or watch any interviews to allow for my facilitation of the process to also reduce bias. 

What has been the most rewarding part about serving as the NC Chair?  

This has been one of my favorite volunteer roles, and I’ve had many over 25 years. I have truly enjoyed seeing this group of women come together so quickly as a team to make such important decisions. I’m so impressed how each of them used their strengths to step into different needed roles on the team and rose to the occasion. While I personally love the project management aspect of the position, which is a strength for me, the more rewarding part is facilitating the important considerations of the team and helping them navigate through challenging discussions. 

To learn more about the NC, visit           GammaPhiBeta.org/NominatingCommittee.