Each year, all AOS members are invited to submit nominations for open positions on the AOS Council, the Society’s governing body. In 2024, the Society will elect four Elective Councilors and the officers of President-elect, Secretary, and Treasurer.


The Council is the central decision-making body of AOS. The Council’s focus is on strategic direction, policy, budget, and effective organizational planning. The Council monitors and strengthens the organization’s programs and services to advance the society’s mission. AOS is governed by its board of management, the Council. The Council consists of voting and non-voting members and officers elected to serve on the Council of AOS.

Currently, the voting members of Council are the four officers (President, President-Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary), twelve Elective Councilors, and the three most recent past presidents. AOS Council also has two non-voting student representatives, and all living past Presidents remain on Council as non-voting members after their term concludes as voting members. The AOS Executive Director, the two Editors in Chief of AOS’s journals, and the Chair of AOS’s Investing Trustees Committee are ex officio, non-voting members of Council.

Responsibilities

The Executive Director makes day-to-day decisions related to administrative, financial, and operational activities of AOS, and the Executive Committee is responsible for the ongoing business and programmatic activities of AOS between Council meetings and as needs arise. AOS’s Fellows approve all changes to the Bylaws.  

AOS Council Nominations

Nominations for the 2024 AOS Council are currently closed. Any Member in good standing may nominate persons for President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Elective Councilors. Nominations should be submitted through the AOS Member Portal.

Nominations for AOS Officers and Elective Councilors must be received by the AOS Secretary four months before the Stated Meeting. Nominations may be submitted in writing or electronically. Officers are elected by electronic and postal ballot prior to the annual meeting, and new officers are announced at the meeting. The AOS Bylaws require that the Secretary and Treasurer be elected or re-elected annually. Of the total of twelve Elective Councilors, four are elected annually to serve terms of approximately three years, beginning at the close of the Stated Meeting. The procedure for nominating AOS Officers and Elective Councilors is outlined in the AOS Bylaws (Art IV, Sec 2).

AOS Officers & Elective Councilors

Officers


President
Colleen Handel (2022–2024)

President-Elect
Sara Morris (2022–2024)

Secretary
Sushma Reddy (2022– )

Treasurer
Matthew Carling (2021– )

Executive Director
Judith Scarl

Councilors


Terms ending in 2026
Sahas S. Barve
Kristen M. Covino
Camila Gómez
Cristina Yumi Miyaki

Terms ending 2025
Christopher Balakrishnan
Nancy Chen
Dan Mennill
Allison Shultz

Terms ending 2024
Emily Cohen
Juan Francisco Ornelas
Daizaburo Shizuka

Jennifer Walsh

Past Presidents


Voting

Michael Webster
Kathy Martin
Steven Beissinger

Honorary

Bonnie Bowen
Erica Dunn
Susan Haig
James Kushlan
John Fitzpatrick
Scott Lanyon
Frank Moore
Dennis Power
C. John Ralph
Martin Raphael
Terry Rich
John Rotenberry
J. Michael Scott
Kimberly Sullivan

Student Members

Olivia Wang (term ending 2024)
Jacob Drucker (term ending 2025)

Ex Officio

Catherine Lindell, Editor-in-Chief
Ornithological Applications

T. Scott Sillett, Editor-in-Chief
Ornithology

Jennifer Owen, Investing Trustee