Per our By-Laws, elections are held beginning June 1 each year. If Frontline members want to apply for a Board member position, the form is online here.

This is our first election, which means eight of nine seats are open. The only carry-over person (from the current Board) will be Duck Bardus, Board Treasurer, who’ll finish her term as Frontline’s first Board member March 31, 2019. Under our current By-Laws, Board members serve for 18 months before their position is up for election.

See below for a general position description—what it means to be a Board member. We hope, for those who want to get more deeply involved in Frontline's work, that you'll consider applying for the Board.

Some of the duties of Board members include making decisions at the policy-level regarding: communications, operations, recruitment, finances, security (both physical security and cybersecurity), legality, and general program development as they pertain to Frontline members and the activists we serve.

Eight of the nine Board positions are open for election. Meredith ‘Duck’ Bardus, who serves as Board Secretary, is the only carry-over member. She currently serves as the only full Board member. All others currently serving on the Board are interim members. That means that each Frontline member who votes in the election can cast up to eight votes (one vote for each member you’d like to see elected), including a vote for yourself, if you’ve announced your candidacy by completing the required application.

If you have questions about the process, email your Frontline contact, or use the contact page here.

This is a timeline of the elections process:

• May 11, elections announcement by email/ online

• May 28th application period closes; instructions for voting will be emailed

• May 31st we send out candidate profiles

• June 1-7 time to register your vote

• June 11 we announce Frontline’s new Board of Director

Good luck to all our candidates!

Frontline Board Member Position

Minimum Qualifications:

- Current Frontline member

- Demonstrated commitment to social-justice work

- Dedication to nonviolence as a civil resistance strategy

- Previous collaboration with Frontline Directors and/or Board highly preferred

Duties:

- Make decisions at the policy-level regarding communications, operations, recruitment, finances, security, legality, and general program development as they pertain to Frontline members and the activists we serve

- Oversee, evaluate, and manage projects and partnerships that contribute to the development of Frontline’s reach and impact of our mission statement

Executive Committee duties

- Secretary: Responsible for formal written communications to the Board (internal) and formal written communications to affiliate agencies (external); creates weekly agendas and records minutes and attendance for Board meetings; general record-keeping duties; other duties the Board may require

Treasurer

- Manages bank account; manages grants/funding criteria; files tax documents and other financial paperwork; responsible for financial updates at Board meetings; financial record-keeping duties; other duties the Board may require

Vice President

- Responsible for assuming the duties of the President at their request or in their absence; other duties the Board may require

President

- Be the public face of the Board; work closely with Frontline directors; chair the Executive Committee; other duties the Board may require

Expectations for Board members:

Communication

- Board members are expected to respond to Frontline communications (phone calls, emails, and electronic messages) within 36 hours. Daily examination of and response to Frontline communications is highly encouraged.

- Board members are expected to be up to date on all information communicated and honor commitments made to attend and participate in conference calls and electronic communication.

- Board meetings are weekly conference calls/video chats with mandatory meetings every other week. Board members are expected to attend all mandatory meetings unless prior notice of an absence has been given.

- Failure to meet these expectations may result in dismissal by the Board, per Frontline’s By-Laws.

Confidentiality

- Board members will have access to sensitive information belonging to activists, members, and other Board members and are expected to use extreme caution and follow applicable laws when handling any personally identifiable information (PII) or sensitive personal information (SPI).

- Board members will be asked to sign a legal document pertaining to confidentiality and nondisclosure before joining the Board.

- Board members with medical credentials are expected to adhere to HIPAA guidelines where applicable.

- Board members are expected to install and use encrypted calling/texting apps, encrypted email, and be the sole person with access to those accounts.

- Board members are expected to behave and communicate in ways that show a commitment to maintaining the safety of individuals affiliated with Frontline and the integrity of Frontline as an organization.

- Failure to meet these expectations may result in dismissal by the Board, per Frontline’s By-Laws.

Culture

- Board members’ words and actions should align with Frontline’s operating principles and commitment to nonviolence.

- Board members are asked to be action-oriented and take ownership of their own ideas and suggestions.

- Board members are encouraged to engage with each other in collaborative and creative ways. This environment is maintained through a commitment to being solutions-focused and accountable to each other.

- Board members are encouraged to work through conflicts with each other through direct and respectful communication.

- Board members are encouraged to live our mission and stay committed to their own health and wellbeing through the duration of their service to Frontline (and, we hope, forever). This involves being comfortable asking for help, having honest awareness of our own limitations, and actively communicating with the Board about external commitments (family, work, school, and other priorities).

Please consider the following when voting for candidates for the Board:

- Minimum requirements (outlined above) are met and exceeded

- Previous engagements with Frontline Board and Directors have shown this candidate to be reliable, dedicated, and motivated.

- Candidate brings an area of expertise and enriches the Board (public health, medical, legal, mental health, and fundraising are all fields that need more representation on our Board currently).

- Frontline is a women-led organization. As such, preference should be given to applicants who are women/women of color.