Join the Board of Governors

All members of the Board of Governors are expected to contribute actively to the effectiveness and impact of the association. Each Chair is responsible for recruiting, engaging, and supporting committee members while ensuring that duties and responsibilities are carried out in alignment with the mission and strategic priorities of the association.

Core Skills and Competencies (Required):

• Strong organizational, planning, budget and project management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively across generations, and perspectives.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and collaborate with multicultural and geographically dispersed teams.
• Self-motivated, reliable, and solution-oriented, with a positive approach to challenges.
• Proficiency with the Google platform, Zoom and similar online collaboration technologies.
• Comfortable working collaboratively across committees/teams and functions to achieve shared goals.

Additional Skills and Experience (Beneficial):

• Prior service to the Alumni Association or Board.
• Previous experience serving on a board of directors and/or working with volunteers.
• Strong verbal communication and facilitation skills.
• Fluency in more than one language.
• Experience motivating and supporting teams working remotely and across time zones.

Expected Participation in:

• Annual Alumni Week and other alumni activities when possible (ex. European Alumni Meeting, volunteer projects, on-line activities etc.).
• Board of Governors’ meetings as scheduled (monthly Zoom call, spring in-person session).
• Committee/Team meetings.

The Alumni Engagement Committee/Team connects alumni with meaningful service opportunities by recruiting and supporting candidates for Board of Governors’ roles and helping committee chairs build diverse volunteer teams. Guided by diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and working with the Internal Development team, the committee/team promotes best practices in engagement to sustain a strong, representative alumni community.

Responsibilities and Duties

Primary

1. Actively recruit positions to fill vacancies on the Board of Governors and provide the slate of prospective nominees to the Internal Development Chair (who oversees the interview and election process).
2. Assist Board members with the sourcing of the volunteers needed for their committees, teams, and programs.
3. Collaborate across all teams and committees to understand their projects in order to provide the volunteers needed to meet these goals.
4. Create opportunities to be accessible to alumni to inform them of the volunteer opportunities available and guide to the different opportunities.

Secondary

1. Ensure the diversity and inclusion guidelines are implemented across all committees/teams and programs.
2. Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Additional Volunteers: as needed to support projects.

Beneficial Skills and Experience

• Familiarity with alumni spanning multiple casts/crews, eras and regions

See General Requirements for further information.

Revised: Jan. 2026

The Communications Committee/Team connects every part of the UWPIAA. As the voice of the Association, this committee/team works across all other Board functions to share our vision, programs, and events with alumni worldwide. From social media to newsletters to website updates, Communications ensures our messages are timely, accessible, and engaging. This multi-disciplinary role requires a strong leader and team blending strategy, creativity, and technical know-how to keep alumni informed, inspired, and connected. Whenever possible, communications will be inclusive and accessible (i.e. subtitles, visual descriptions), ensuring that all alumni can engage. The goal is to spark interest, foster connection, and build pride in being part of the UWPIAA story.

Responsibilities and Duties

Primary

1. Manage UWPIAA’s social media pages, ensuring timely and consistent updates across all platforms with aligned announcements and posts.
2. In collaboration with the Tech Committee, oversee and regularly refresh website content and design to keep it current, engaging, and easy to navigate.
3. Produce and distribute the UpBeat e-newsletter, coordinating content, writing articles, and inviting contributions from the alumni community.
4. Maintain and grow the e-newsletter mailing lists, actively working to expand readership and alumni engagement.
5. Develop and deliver an annual communications and tactical plan covering events, programs, and initiatives across the Association.

Secondary

1. Create, implement and maintain the UWPIAA Style Guide.
2. Take/edit photos, record video, capture testimonials for promotional uses.
3. Archive imagery and communications releases.
4. Provide regular statistics for websites, e-newsletters, and social media pages, to measure impact and set goals to increase engagement and overall effectiveness.
5. Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Additional Volunteers: as needed to support projects

Beneficial Skills and Experience

• Strong proofreading and copy-editing skills
• Basic knowledge of web design and imagery production
• Experience with social media management
• PR and/or media experience

See General Requirements for further information.

Revised: Jan. 2026

The Internal Development Committee/Team helps maintain clear governance guardrails, supporting the UWPIAA Board of Governors (BOG) in working together as an inclusive, effective, and well-governed body. They oversee compliance, inclusivity, and diversity across UWPIAA actions and activities.  They support Board member onboarding, internal learning, and BOG elections.

Responsibilities and Duties

Primary

1. Serve as arbiter of governance by adhering closely to the bylaws and other legal documents, ensuring clarity and accountability.
2. Organize and deliver training for BOG and committee members that aligns with UWPIAA’s vision, mission, and objectives. This includes onboarding, orientation on responsibilities (budgets, communications, etc.), and equality/diversity training.
3. Partner with the Secretary and Committee/Team Chairs to ensure Code of Conduct, gender-neutral language, and inclusivity guidelines are consistently upheld.
4. Conduct regular reviews and propose revisions of bylaws and governing documents (including Memos of Understanding) in collaboration with External Relations, the Secretary, and Finance.

Secondary

1. Oversee the entire election process for diversity and inclusion (with the Secretary).
2. Develop the Nomination Committee schedule for each BOG recruitment cycle.
3. Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Beneficial Skills and Competencies for the Committee Chair

• Strong understanding of nonprofit governance structures and bylaws, legal, as well as regulatory and fiduciary obligations of boards.
• Understanding and awareness of diversity and inclusion issues and best practices.
• Understanding of compliance, including GDPR as it applies to the UWPIAA.
• Dedication to the continual progression of diversity and inclusion goals and the association’s vision and mission.
• Experience in human resources or business management, training, social science, or any other associated fields.
• Experience in developing and delivering training materials across multiple formats (online, in person, documents, etc.).

Additional Volunteers: as needed to support projects.

See General Requirements for more information.

Revised: Jan. 2026

The Strategy Committee/Team shall be responsible for developing and executing the strategic plan, developing and testing new ideas, evaluating the Association’s priorities, and maintaining, and/or providing course corrections to current plan implementations to achieve the Association’s goals. They shall establish working relationships and synergies across the UWPIAA sustaining transparency and accountability to those carrying out the UWPIAA’s strategy.

Responsibilities and Duties

Primary

• Annual review and update of:
  1. the overall strategic plan. 
  2. the implementation plans, roadmaps, metrics, rationale documents creating a rolling 3 year plan.
  3. revision of roles, and job descriptions if needed.

Secondary

1. Liaise with each BOG member regarding the ongoing progress in their role and alignment with respect to the overall strategy to maximize engagement.
2. Provide updates to the Executive Committee reporting on alignment with vision, and identifying growth opportunities.
3. Work with BOG Members to develop and test new ideas including implementation plans and communication plans.
4. Develop a Strategy Committee, as needed, to carry out activities.
5. Present revised implementation plan with recommended UWPIAA priorities annually.

Beneficial Skills and Experience for the Committee Chair

• Prior experience in strategic planning and organizational development.

Additional Volunteers: as needed to support projects.