Board Leadership Applications
Board Leadership Applications
Our Candidate Leadership Guide provides details about the responsibilities, expectations, and time commitment, as well as the competencies, experience, and expertise we are seeking in our Board members. Individuals who possess the competencies, experience, and expertise identified in the guide are highly encouraged to apply.
2023-2024 Candidate Leadership Guide
IFT is currently accepting nominations and applications for positions on the Board of Directors. If you or someone you know are passionate about cultivating a professional community committed to promoting and advancing the science of food and its application and interested in amplifying your involvement in IFT, we invite you to nominate them or apply yourself.
All nominees and applicants for the Board of Directors and President-Elect role must submit a complete application no later than Wednesday, November 1 to be considered.
This policy was approved by the IFT Board of Directors in March 2021.
Any five percent (5%) of Premier Members of the Institute shall have the privilege of proposing a nominee for President-Elect or IFT Board Member by filing a written petition.
Any candidate brought forth by petition must have submitted and completed their nomination and candidate information form through the online process.
Candidates have three weeks from the slate announcement to submit a petition to the CEO.
If there are no eligible candidates through the petition process, the slate presented to the membership by the Leadership Development Committee shall be deemed elected by the petition deadline and communicated to the membership. An eligible candidate is defined as one who submitted and completed their nomination and candidate information form through the online process.
If one or more eligible petitions have been received by the CEO, an election for the contested position(s) only shall be held. Mail or electronic ballots may be used to conduct the election for contested positions.
Nominees (selected by the nomination and the petition process) receiving the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected, provided that a quorum of members (5%) has voted. Tie votes shall be resolved by a majority vote of the members of the Board of Directors.
If one or more eligible petitions are received by the CEO, an election for the contested position(s) only will be held. Should this take place in 2023, an electronic ballot will be utilized. All candidates on the ballot must adhere to the campaign guidelines listed below.
IFT is committed to ensuring members have access and the opportunity to contribute to their fullest potential. Diversity and inclusion are key to our mission to connect global food system communities to promote and advance the science of food and its application. Therefore, we believe it is critical to attract and engage a diverse population of members and food science professionals to lead IFT through Board service. The Board strives to achieve broad representation of membership demographics and multi-representational factors, including career stage, education, areas of practice type and setting (e.g., academia, government, industry, consultancy), broad global and cultural experience, and diverse special interests and expertise (e.g., food safety, regulatory, engineering, agriculture, sustainability, etc.). Please visit our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page for more information.
Please contact Charlotte Patterson, Staff Liaison to Leadership Development Committee, for more information or to submit a question.
"Being on the Board of Directors during such an unprecedented time was one of the highlights of my career. It was a rewarding experience to collaborate with a talented, diverse team to successfully address our enormous challenges while creating the path to a bright sustainable future for IFT. It was a truly transformative experience."