The SAH Nominating Committee seeks your nominations and self-nominations for the position of Secretary who will begin their term at the conclusion of the SAH 2026 Annual International Conference in Mexico City (April 15–19). The Secretary serves a two-year term, nonrenewable. Deadline to apply is September 30, 2025.
The call for SAH Secretary was, inadvertently, left out of the original call for nominations to the Board. The term length and renewable status of the Secretary position were updated by the SAH Board of Directors at the November 2024 board meeting. The updated bylaws are available on the SAH website.
Any applicants who sent nominations for SAH Board Directors and SAH Vice President before the August 1, 2025 deadline but wish to be considered for the role of Secretary should notify SAH Membership and Governance Coordinator Jamillia Greene at jgreene@sah.org about the change.
As one of four officers with full voting rights on the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors, this position is among the most important in SAH; the other officers on the Executive Committee are the President, Vice President, and Treasurer. In close collaboration with the SAH Board and staff, the Executive Committee governs the Society, proposes policies and programs, and provides service to the membership. Serving in these capacities offers an opportunity to shape the future of the Society and the profession. This position does not require specialized knowledge, skills or experience; however, it does require a willingness to serve SAH at a high level. The position is supported by SAH staff.
The Secretary has full voting rights on the SAH Executive Committee and Board and will: (i) attend and record attendance and minutes of all meetings of the members, the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Society, and promptly after the completion of each such meeting will prepare and distribute copies of such minutes as directed (within 60 days); (ii) have general charge and responsibility for all of the Society’s books and records; and (iii) assure that all notices of meetings of the members, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee of the Society are duly given by the Society in accordance with the bylaws, among other duties. (See page 25 of the SAH Bylaws.)
SAH is actively working towards creating a more equitable organizational structure, one that is inclusive and whose leadership represents the wide range of perspectives in the field of architectural history at large. To that end, SAH welcomes the nominations and self-nominations of candidates who will add racial and ethnic diversity to the SAH Board; those who are working outside the tenure track, including contingent faculty; and those who are working outside the academy. Nominees should represent the diversity of the field of architectural history and contribute to a more inclusive discipline.
SAH is governed by two branches of one board: an Executive Committee and a Board of Directors. The Executive Committee is composed of the elected Officers—President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary—and one appointed Officer, the Executive Director of SAH. Serving in tandem with the Executive Committee is a Board of Directors currently comprised of 14 voting members and a shifting number of non-voting Ex-Officio members who represent SAH’s publications, committees, chapters, and Affiliate Groups. The Executive Committee is authorized to represent the Board of Directors between board meetings.
The election slate of candidates for members of the governing body are vetted from a pool of nominations and self-nominations that are reviewed by SAH’s Board and Officer Nominating Committee. The SAH Board and Officer Nominating Committee is made up of five individuals appointed by SAH’s President who have been nominated or self-nominated to serve on the Committee through an open call.
The Nominating Committee reviews the nominations and self-nominations and prepares a list of vetted finalists to be presented for election to the SAH Board. The Nominating Committee will provide a list of no less than five finalists and no more than sixteen for the Director positions. If the position is for an SAH officer, the minimum is one and maximum is eight. The Nominating Committee takes into consideration the makeup of the current Board, the expertise of those who will be rotating off, and selects candidates who will best serve the priorities outlined in the call for SAH Board Nominations. Those priorities include identifying individuals who will add racial, ethnic, gender and ability diversity to the Board; professionals with financial or legal expertise; architects, attorneys, and historic preservationists; adjuncts and contingent faculty; independent scholars, etc.
After confirming with the candidates that they support SAH’s mission, and that they understand the time commitments and responsibilities of serving on a not-for-profit Board, the Nominating Committee finalizes the slate of candidates and shares it as an informational item with the current Board at its November meeting. The slate is then presented to the SAH membership for ranked choice voting by electronic ballot in February. Elected officers and directors are notified by the SAH office when the results are tabulated after the polling closes. The membership at large is notified in the first Newsletter following the election. The new Board members begin their service at the end of the SAH Annual International Conference in April.
To submit a nomination or self-nomination, please complete SAH Secretary Nomination form. Nominations will be confidentially compiled in the SAH office and forwarded directly to the Chair of the Nominating Committee. The nomination form requests the following information: name and email address of the nominator; the name, affiliation (if applicable), email address and phone number for the nominee; nominee qualifications; explanation of why the nominee should be considered for the Executive Committee; confirmation that nominator has reached out to the nominee to ask if they will serve; and the candidate's statement of intent (no more than 500 words and please see criteria below.) Also attach the nominee’s CV.
The nomination form requests the following information:
Nominations will be considered on the following criteria and the candidate’s statement should address them:
The deadline for submitting nominations is Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at 11:59 pm CST.
