GCFI Guidelines for Nomination of Directors of the Board

Overview

The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) is seeking people with strong knowledge of the marine resource management and conservation landscape in the Gulf and Caribbean region to join the Board of Directors (BoD) of the GCFI. Being part of the BoD is an important and worthwhile role in a well-established Caribbean marine conservation and fisheries organization such as GCFI. The BoD is an active and cohesive international network of experts in disciplines relevant to marine management and conservation, with opportunities to provide leadership and bring valuable support to GCFI’s regional initiatives and activities.

Those who join the BoD are expected to contribute to the mission of GCFI in several ways, including helping with strategic planning, with identifying new funding sources, and with establishing new strategic partnerships. Moreover, they are expected to lead and/or participate in committees helping to plan and operationalize the work of GCFI such as the Fisher Engagement Committee, the Students Award Committee, the Education Committee, the Programme Committee, and the Communications Committee among others. They are also expected to actively engage with GCFI throughout the year via remote and in-person meetings and to provide support during the annual conference every year.

The duration of the term of a Director of the BoD is four years.

Definitions

  • Members or membership: individuals or organizations who are current and in good standing with their annual membership dues. Memberships are different than registrations for the annual conference;
  • Directors: Directors are elected members of the Board of Directors of the GCFI;
  • Nominator: the GCFI member nominating an individual to be a Director;
  • Nominee: the GCFI member applying to be a Director.

 

General description of the nomination process:

  • All Nominees (including Directors of the BoD whose terms expire this year and who are seeking re-nomination) must be nominated by a current member of GCFI through a nomination letter;
  • All Nominees must also provide a letter of interest ;
  • The GCFI nomination committee will check for the (1) completeness of the nomination package and (2) eligibility of both the Nominator and Nominee (see below);
  • If more than one candidate is nominated, a slate with all eligible candidates will be created and presented to the GCFI Membership for vote. Only current GCFI members will be eligible to vote;
  • Nominees with the highest number of votes will be selected to fill in vacant BoD posts and announced during the annual business meeting held at the GCFI conference;

Eligibility:

  • The Nominee must be a current Member of GCFI and have attended at least two of the last three annual conferences preceding his/her nomination;
  • The Nominator must be a current Member of GCFI.

Nomination package checklist:

  1. Nomination letter by a current Member of GCFI (max 350 words):
    • In the nomination letter, the Nominator should briefly outline how the BoD would benefit from the incorporation (or reincorporation) of the Nominee into the BoD.
  1. Letter of interest by the Nominee (max 400 words):
    • In the letter of interest, the Nominee should introduce himself/herself and outline how his/her skills, experience, and ideas could support the mission of GCFI. If the Nominee is currently a Director of the BoD, the letter should also clearly outline how he/she has contributed to the work of the BoD during their previous term in office.
  2. Nominee profile (max 150 words):
    • The Nominee should provide a brief biography that will be used to introduce the Nominee to the GCFI membership. An example of Nominee profile is given at the end of this page.
  1. A photograph of the Nominee to include with the Nominee profile.
  2. Proof of current Membership of the Nominator.
  3. Proof of current Membership of the Nominee.
  4. Proof by the Nominee of attendance of at least two of the last three annual conferences.

All letters must be addressed to the “GCFI Nominations committee”;

Timelines:

  • Call for nominations opens in July 1st 2024;
  • Deadline for submission of nomination packages is Sept 30th 2024;
  • A slate of candidates will be disseminated to the GCFI Membership no later than Oct 31st 2024;
  • All votes will take place through an online platform prior to the annual business meeting;
  • The period for voting will be announced at a later time.

The different items in the nomination package should be collated by the Nominee into ONE single PDF document and sent to [email protected] with the subject: Nomination package for Name of nominee.

All queries about the process should also be directed to [email protected].

Here is an example of the biography of Martin Russell, the current Chair of the GCFI Board