The Membership Board (MB) is a standing board of the association. Members are elected by the Council of Representatives (COR). The 2014 MB consisted of 9 members as follows: a minimum of two are Fellows of the association and the remaining members represent the diverse membership. The board has oversight for the recruitment and retention activities for the association, has the authority to elect qualified persons to initial member status and has the responsibility for establishing and regulating the APA criteria that the Fellows Committee uses to review and recommend member nominees for the election of Fellow status.
The 2014 Membership Board Members
Sue Frantz, MA, Chair; Barry Chung, PhD, Chair-Elect; Rachel Casas, PhD; Susan Cochran, PhD; BraVada M. Garrett-Akinsanya, PhD; Jeanette Johnson, PhD; Frederick Leong, PhD; Marlene Maheu, PhD; and Stephanie Shields, PhD
Waiver Applications
The MB reviewed four membership waiver applications, none of which met the membership criteria and therefore were not recommended for membership. The Membership Board continues its work to standardize the waiver application review process.
Highlights
Some of the important work of the board for 2014 are highlighted below:
1. The MB consulted and engaged various groups in ongoing discussions to determine differentkinds of data necessary to conduct their business (membership trend data, information related to the profession, etc.).
2. Made a recommendation to the Board of Director’s and the Finance Committee to maintain APA’s current 4-tier dues structure and fee schedule for members and affiliates as well as a recommendation to permanently discontinue any automatic dues increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for both full members and student affiliates.
3. Worked with the Finance and ITS departments to consider adding PayPal and multi-year payment options for member dues.
4. Responded to various Cross Cutting agenda items, including but not limited to:
- Supported the item to engage new talent in APA governance, the proposal to create an APA Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate Education and the Resolution in support of the U.N. Convention on the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.
- Recommended that the COR adopt the APA Resolution on LGBTQQI Children and Youth in Schools
5. Reviewed and forwarded nominations for Initial Fellow Status as recommended by the Fellows Committee to the BOD and COR for approval. 111 new APA Fellows were approved in 2014.
6. Continued talks with the Committee on Division and APA Relations (CODAPAR) about the possibility of creating a common online membership application for divisions and APA.
7. Held a conference call and met with the CECP to discuss possible collaborative projects
8. Worked with CODAPAR to develop a convention programming session centered on APA and division membership.
9. Met with the APA Board of Directors to discuss the new position ofExecutive Director for Membership Recruitment and Engagement.
Acknowledgement
The MB would like to thank the dedicated APA Staff Members as we could not have been as successful without their dedicated support: Tabitha Brown, Joseph Cox, Kevin Spotts, Barbara Spruill, and Dee Valencia. We are especially indebted to Sonja Wiggins and Rhea Farberman.