Nominating Committees Play a Vital Role in PTA’s Success!

Posted on by Lydia Vi

It is time to think about electing the nominating committee to ensure a successful election for the coming term. election for the coming term. The nominating committee is a very important part  of a PTA’s continued success! Think of the nominating committee members as the architects of the PTA unit – coming together to help craft a PTA executive board that represents the community the PTA serves and helps build a stronger, more inclusive organization.

The nominating committee is elected by the membership at your PTA’s association meeting at least two months before the annual election meeting, which means the election of the committee by the association will need to happen anywhere between December and February (depending on your PTA’s annual election meeting date). Members of the nominating committee must have been members of your PTA for at least 30 days, and may nominate themselves for election to the committee.

Every PTA must  elect a nominating committee for each election cycle. Individuals elected to serve on the committee should have knowledge of the culture and diversity of the community served by the PTA, understand the work and roles of the PTA, and be willing to work with the committee to seek and recommend qualified leaders. to the general membership for election. The committee is so important that the following conditions govern service on the committee:

  • Committee discussions and deliberations are confidential, and are never disclosed outside of the nominating committee.
  • Individuals are ineligible for election to the committee (either as a member or an alternate) for consecutive years. 
  • The president does not serve or advise the committee in any way.
  • The principal will always acts as an advisor to the nominating committee

 

Everything you need to know about the composition of the nominating committee (Including how many members and alternates the committee will have) can be found in your PTA’s bylaws;just check Article V, Section 3 and 4.

 

Important dates:

  • The annual election meeting requires 30 days notice to the membership.
  • The recommended slate of officers must be provided to the membership at least 28 days prior to the annual meeting.

 

What does the nominating committee do?

At the nominating committee’s first meeting, the parliamentarian guides the committee in electing the committee chair. 

 

The chair will speak on behalf of the committee, and will present the slate of recommendations to the membership at the association meeting. If an elected member of the committee is unable to attend a meeting, an alternate will replace the absent committee member for the remainder of the committee’s work.


The nominating committee recruits qualified leaders to fill the elected positions available for the PTA (see bylaws Article V, Section 2). The nominating committee does not recommend appointed positions (including corresponding secretary, parliamentarian, or committee chairs) The committee may  recruit candidates by using interest forms or having the chair reach out to individuals. The committee may also conduct  candidate interviews, keeping in mind that the PTA board needs skilled leaders and should reflect the community it serves.


Once the committee has agreed upon qualified candidates for positions, the slate should be sent to the president and parliamentarian for distribution to the association at least 28 days before the annual election meeting. If a recommended candidate withdraws after the slate has been released, the committee may reconvene to agree on a new candidate. 

 

The nominating committee chair will present the slate to the membership at the annual election meeting before nominations are called for from the floor. Once the slate has been presented, the president may thank the committee for its service, and once the election occurs, the committee automatically dissolves. 

 

You can find more information on nominating committees by clicking the following links: