Comment: Raising the curtain—demystifying the ACS Committee on Nominations and Elections

As a former member and chair of several hardworking ACS committees, I can testify that the Committee on Nominations and Elections (N&E) members devote exceptional time and effort to fulfilling their duties for ACS elections. The results of N&E members’ labor are very visible, but much of the committee’s work must be kept confidential for reasons discussed below. Despite this, N&E wants to be transparent about how we conduct our business and address concerns that arise. I hope this Comment will bring clarity by answering many of the questions we receive.

What is N&E doing behind that curtain?

N&E is responsible for receiving suggestions for candidates and nominations by petitions from ACS members, preparing slates of nominees, and conducting ACS national elections for the president-elect, members of the ACS Board of Directors, and elected committees—except our own, thanks to the ACS Council Policy Committee!

For each position, we need to identify at least two candidates. For example, if four positions are open on the ACS Committee on Committees, we must identify eight candidates willing to run. The number of potential candidates on the ranked list created by N&E must be much higher than eight because not everyone we ask will agree to run. Therefore, each list must be large and comprise potential candidates who are fully capable of doing an excellent job in their elected office.

N&E also serves as an election appeals board for divisions and local sections. When issues arise, we work closely with those involved to achieve a fair outcome that is consistent with ACS governing documents and the local section or division bylaws.

Why aren’t candidate slates more diverse?

N&E strives to assemble slates with pools of strong and diverse future society leaders. We seek diversity in all its forms and consider a variety of factors such as district, local section, division, age, race, ethnicity, gender, employment sector, and professional background. Once we have assembled a large list, we begin to contact candidates to determine their willingness to run. Even after we develop a diverse initial list of possible candidates, we have no control over who says yes or no. Those responses can in some cases reduce the diversity of the final candidate slate.

What about international diversity?

ACS is respected around the world, and our global member community continues to grow. Our international members are eligible to serve ACS on the board as directors-at-large or president-elect and in the newly approved international district director position. In 2023, N&E, under the leadership of then-chair Julie Smist, worked closely with divisions and pertinent committees to identify candidates, building robust slates for the international district director position. This work continues as N&E diligently prepares for potential elections that would result from implementation of the Petition for Global Representation on Council.

Why don’t we hear more about what N&E is up to?

N&E takes confidentiality seriously to ensure a fair and unbiased selection process. Internally, our discussions are open and thorough. In our experience, this process is vital for assembling the best possible slate. Those N&E conversations are and will always be confidential. Even the composition of the final slates of those candidates who say “yes” is confidential until it is time to announce them in the council. Unfortunately, the side effect of this confidentiality is that no one outside of N&E is aware of our members’ valiant efforts to create the initial list of exceptional, diverse candidates.

Why does it seem like the same people keep appearing as candidates?

N&E is committed to ensuring that ACS leadership reflects our membership diversity. While it’s natural to consider those we already know in current leadership roles, this approach, in the extreme, can result in recycling candidate pools and a paucity of fresh talent. N&E is working hard to cast a broader net for potential ACS leaders. It is also critical that N&E remains focused on the skill requirements of elected positions and potential candidates who possess these skills. N&E is actively collaborating with the elected committees, the Board of Directors, and other ACS leaders through open discussions to identify specific skill gaps and needs.

Help us identify future ACS leaders!

N&E covets your suggestions as we work to build diverse slates. We give every recommendation, suggestion, and nomination careful consideration. We will continue collaborating throughout the society to identify new leaders, but N&E cannot do this alone. We need your help identifying outstanding future leaders who are representative of our diverse global member community. Please share your nominations online at nominations.acs.org and send questions and suggestions to nomelect@acs.org. Have questions or want to learn more? Join us for our Demystifying the ACS Election Process Webinar at cenm.ag/electionwebinar.

Views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of C&EN or ACS.