AAUW’s Board of Directors is made up of 15 AAUW members, including 12 board members elected by the AAUW membership and three board members appointed by the Board of Directors. There are five members of the AAUW Board whose terms are ending in May 2024. Four are elected by the AAUW membership and one is appointed by the AAUW Board of Directors, in accordance with the AAUW bylaws.
AAUW 2024 Election Candidates
2024 AAUW Board of Directors Candidates
Melissa LaDuke
I’m an accomplished educator and research scientist with more than 18 years of professional experience. I am an Air Force Officer, commissioning as a chemist in 2005. Currently, I am an associate professor at National Intelligence University and educate professionals across the Intelligence Community on issues within emerging technologies. I also am the Assessment Director for the Oettinger School of Science and Technical Intelligence, guiding faculty on best practices to support student learning. Prior to this position, I held instructor positions within the U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps before becoming the Deputy Director for Design and Development, Global School for Professional Military Education. In this role, I led a team to help craft online courses for 32,000 students worldwide. I also developed and implemented Air Force-level instructor certification courses while working at Squadron Officer School. My technical roles include managing acquisition contracts and bench-level research within the Air Force Materials and Manufacturing Lab and serving as the Chief of Safety for the Air Force Rocket Lab. I also ran the continuous process improvement office for the 800-person Air Force Technical Applications Center. My volunteer service focuses on education and equity efforts. I currently serve as the Chair of AAUW’s Inclusion and Equity Committee and have been in this role for three years. I also am part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steering Committee at National Intelligence University and advise the Intelligence Community Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics Committee. My research interests, which include adult education, teacher education, and online education, allow me to give back to a larger community. I am an invited conference proposal reviewer for Hawaii University International Conferences and Literacy Research Association conferences and journal reviewer for the Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education and World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology. I am a member of the Literary Research Association, Association for the Study of Higher Education, and International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. I am a highly effective leader, facilitator, and problem solver. If elected to the board, I will bring my track record of superior service and dedication to excellence to help the advancement of marginalized parties and AAUW objectives. I hope to continue serving AAUW members in this important capacity.
Dianne Owens
Dianne Owens is a past president of AAUW California ,2020-2022. She is a long-time member of AAUW Lompoc-Vandenberg Branch and has served as president and other offices. Dianne serves on the Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board as Vice Chair and Youth Committee Chair. She has also served Santa Barbara County as an elected Supervisor of the 4th District. She supervised government contracts in California, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, and Hawaii for a private company that facilitated job search workshops for the unemployed. She is a certified facilitator/trainer with the Institute of Cultural Affairs and Curtis & Associates, Inc. Dianne holds a Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University in Consumer and Family Sciences.
Sona Pancholy
I am a non-profit executive, recovering lawyer, and an advocate. As the President of Meritas, I lead a global alliance of independent law firms reaching 90 countries. Under my leadership the organization creates business opportunities and services for a membership of over 180 firms and 8,500 lawyers. I am an officer of the organization and works closely with the Chair and Board of Directors to set strategy and lead the organization. Prior to joining Meritas, I served as a key leader driving business development, product and service development, and strategic planning for Bloomberg Industry Group, AmLaw 100 law firms, and other nonprofits. I am the daughter of immigrant parents and understand the importance of giving back to the community. I have not only created and lead diversity, equity and inclusion programs at work but have also volunteered my time with various community organizations to help strengthen the voice of women, Asian Americans, and minority communities. I have extensive experience providing executive leadership and serving on nonprofit boards, including the Asian American Justice Center, International Consortium for Law & Development, and the World Jurist Association. By taking time to understand the core mission of each organization, listening it key stakeholders, and identifying community needs, I have ensured that these organizations met or exceeded their goals and served their objectives well. I am honored to have supported AAUW’s International Fellows Program and the International Projects and Grants Program by volunteering my time to review applications and lead the review process. The work of the women from around the world who pursue their dreams while making such an impact has inspired her work long after the few weeks of service ends each year. I am excited to be considered to join the AAUW Board of Directors and to continue my contribution to the organization.
Christine Schmitz
I have more than 35 years of diverse experience as a Certified Public Accountant and Financial Advisor to individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations. My many years of experience working at the Branch, State and National committee levels of AAUW puts me in an ideal position to be able to use my skills to address the current needs of the organization. I have served several terms on the AAUW National Finance Committee and the Investment Committee, as well as the Governance Committee. This service, along with my time as Finance Chair at the State and Branch levels, gives me a unique understanding of the organization. Additionally, my years of service on other non-profit boards, specifically Women First International Fund (previously known as Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund, on which I served for ten years) has given me a broad array of skills which I bring to AAUW. I am familiar with the financial landscape of AAUW and believe I bring valuable insight to this Board. I see this as a privilege and an opportunity to be of service to the organization.
About the AAUW Nominations Process
The member-led national AAUW Nominating Committee reviews applications and recommends candidates for election to the Board of Directors. In accordance with the AAUW bylaws and nonprofit governance best practice, the board selects nominees based on the candidates put forward by the Nominating Committee. All candidates were evaluated on criteria that included, among other things, passion for the mission, vision and understanding of the organization, demonstrated leadership, expertise in areas currently needed by the Board, and commitment and contributions to diversity in multiple areas.
The determination of the recommendations to the Board were based primarily on the following evaluation by the Committee:
- The specific value a candidate would add to the Board and how that aligned with the current needs of the Board.
- The current risks of the organization and the candidate’s experience that could help address those risks.
- The diversity that the candidate would bring to the board in all areas—race, gender, thought, experience, expertise and other.
Additional information on the nominations process can be found below. The Nominating Committee welcomes questions about AAUW’s process and practices.
Please contact us at nominating@aauw.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
The existence of a Nominating Committee is a best governance practice for nonprofit organizations. Nominating Committees are typically tasked with determining the skills and experience needed on the board and to review and vet potential candidates. AAUW’s Nominating Committee works in a similar fashion.
This is a governance best practice for large membership organizations. In the past, membership organizations would sometimes have more candidates on the ballot than open positions, that practice has changed over time. Nominating Committees are now being utilized to determine which potential Board candidates can add substantial value to the Board given the current needs of the organization. The AAUW Nominating Committee has adopted this best governance practice in its process.
The terms of the elected and appointed directors will begin May 16, 2024.
Applications can be submitted at any time. The Nominating Committee is building and maintaining a list of those who are interested in serving at the national level in the future.
Although the Bylaws set a limit on the number of members of the Board, the talents of members are always needed. The Nominating Committee follows up with applicants to discuss opportunities for serving on national committees or on special projects based on interest and expertise and the needs of the organization.
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