President and Chair of the Board of Directors

• In partnership with the CEO, ensure the development of organizational strategy as well as policies, processes, plans, and structures to support that strategy.
  • Lead updating of the strategic plan, ensuring proper member input. 
  • Manage policy issues with the appropriate vice presidents. Support strategic planning and operational planning processes. 
  • Ensure the bylaws and standing rules are updated to reflect strategy. 
  • Establish task forces and advisory groups, as needed, to serve the association. 
  • In service of the above, develop the agendas for and chair the Board of Directors and Executive Committee meetings.
• In partnership with the CEO, Lead the long-term financial health of the organization.
  • Ensure the CEO has proper management controls in place. 
  • Ensure long-term financial planning, development, and risk assessment.
• Communicate the association’s direction, priorities, and positions to internal and external audiences. 
  • Along with the CEO, act as spokesperson for the association in its external relations, including with other associations. 
  • Be comfortable with and skilled at speaking publicly in a variety of contexts.
  • Provide guidance to the Annual Conference Committee (ACC) and its chair to ensure the conference reflects association strategy and direction. 
  • Deliver presentations at member and leadership meetings. Ensure that the membership at large, as well as the leadership, is informed via appropriate media channels of major association activities and direction. 
  • Consult with vice presidents on a regular basis. Maintain an awareness of the major activities in each vice president’s purview, referring questions to the appropriate staff member or vice president. 
  • Chair the Knowledge Community Chairs Coordinating Council.
• Ensure excellent volunteer and staff leadership of the association.
  • In consultation with the CEO, make committee appointments as needed, such as the ACC chair and board committee appointees. 
  • Take the lead in supervising the CEO on behalf of the board and evaluating the CEO’s work. 
• Championing resources and holding the association accountable to its ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion through:
  • working with board committees to identify and implement strategies for increased personal outreach, recruitment, onboarding, and engagement of diversity-focused and underrepresented groups;
  • identifying and avoiding unconscious bias in decision-making;
  • leading the assessment of relevant practices, policies, and procedures of the board;
  • fostering an inclusive environment, within NAFSA, that increases accessibility and participation from underrepresented groups, individuals, and institutions; and
  • seeking to become educated about and understand the multicultural perspectives of member-leaders, constituents, and stakeholders to align with NAFSA's diversity, equity, and inclusion statement

• During the two-year term, the president is expected to attend and lead all full Board of Directorsand Executive Committee meetings. The president is expected to participate in any necessary board conference calls and have significant engagement in the NAFSA annual conference.
• The pace of work in the association is often quite fast, particularly when external events require quick responses. The president is expected to engage in strategy discussions as needed and provide leadership to the entire board at such times. 
• The president sets expectations related to organizational advancement.
• The president sets the tone of relationships in the association. They must remain accessible and visible to the membership, listen to concerns, and ask staff and members of the Executive Committee to address issues, intervening to guide discussion and outcomes if necessary. 
• As the most senior officer of the association, the president should also model working partnerships with NAFSA staff and set expectations of a strong leader-staff partnership throughout the organization. Maintaining the balance between member and staff leadership on various projects is a key element of NAFSA’s culture. NAFSA’s CEO is the primary staff partner to the president.
• The president is expected to make an annual financial contribution to the association, in keeping with their personal giving situation and plan.

• The president should expect to spend a minimum of 1–2 hours per day, or a total of 5–10 hours per week, on their NAFSA work, although this will at times be in the range of 10–20 hours per week. The president’s leadership style is one of the factors influencing the amount of work hours. Additionally, external events sometimes create the need for more intensive work over a short period. While some of the volunteer work can be accomplished outside of traditional business hours, the president should expect to find time in the average business day for NAFSA activities, such as keeping up with emails and attending virtual meetings.
• The demands of the position are such that support from the president’s institution or organization is necessary, both in terms of administrative assistance (scheduling, etc.) and flexibility to attend meetings and conference calls. A letter of support from the appropriate leader at the president’s institution for their two-year leadership role at NAFSA is required.

Experience/Background Required 

• Must be a current member of the NAFSA Board of Directors
• Experience in management and policy roles at the level of CEO, provost, dean, or program director, encompassing strategic planning, financial management, and the capacity to analyze and understand situations on a large scale, considering broader patterns, trends, and impacts that affect the association.
• Substantial and broad experience in international education 
• Membership in NAFSA
• Strong understanding of NAFSA as a strategic organization in the field of international education
• Strong understanding of the NAFSA leadership dynamic and membership landscape
• Willingness and availability to travel
• Demonstrated and documented fiduciary responsibility
• Excellent communications skills, both oral and written
• Demonstrated progression of leadership skill and responsibility (inside or outside the association)
• Strong interpersonal, intergroup and cross-cultural skills
• Ability to work as a member of a team 

Attributes/Skills Desired

• Experience serving on another association’s or not-for-profit organization’s board
• Development or organizational advancement experience
• Proficiency in nonprofit finances, audit reporting, compliance, and development
• Experience serving on high-level NAFSA task forces or leading committees
• NAFSA experience at both the regional and national level
• The ability to identify and avoid unconscious bias in decision-making