After candidates have been certified by the Elections Committee of the Board of Directors, the candidates will be presented to Sister Cities International voters via electronic communications as well as postings on our website. Voting will be open for approximately six weeks prior to the Annual Business Meeting on Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Tacoma (Washington). 

Voters will be sent an electronic ballot on Friday, June 7 at 11:59 a.m. Eastern Time and must submit their electronic ballot by Wednesday, July 17, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.  Election winners will be announced at the Annual Business Meeting held on Thursday, July 18, 2024. 

Directors are elected by SCI’s member communities, with one or more representatives from each community serving as the voter(s)/delegate(s). Electronic ballots are sent to the primary contact SCI has on record, which is often either the President & CEO, Board Chair, or city liaison for a member community. 

Yes. Votes are weighted as either two, three, or four votes depending on the size of the community. 

Candidates’ answers to the narrative questions – bio, why you are running, skills and assets – will be provided to members. There will also be a virtual candidate forum conducted by the SCI State Representatives that will be posted on the Sister Cities International website. 

The Annual Business Meeting will be on Friday, July 19, 2024, in Tacoma, Washington. 

No. All candidates must commit to attending the Annual Business Meeting. 

Voting results will be announced at the Annual Business Meeting on Friday, July 19, 2024. 

There are up to twenty-seven (27) members of the Board of Directors, including the Chair, Immediate Past Chair (Chair Emeritus), twenty-one (21) At-Large Members, one Young Professional Representative, one State Representative, and two (2) members appointed by the Chair with the approval of the rest of the Board. The twenty-one (21) At-Large Directors serve three-year terms, with the other five serving two-year terms. 

The Executive Committee is composed of the Board Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and three (3) At-Large members. In addition to the Executive Committee, there are committees for Audit, Board Development, Finance, Fund Development, Governance, Human Resources, Membership, and Strategy & Programs. Committees include Directors, State Representatives, Honorary Board Members, or others appointed by the Board Chair. Ad hoc committees or task forces may also be created at the Chair’s discretion. 

The Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and the three (3) At-Large Executive Committee members are elected by the Board during the final Board meeting of the summer leadership meetings, following the election and appointment of new Directors. Officers are elected each year, except for the Vice Chair, who is elected every other year, and who assumes the position of Board Chair upon the expiration of the Chair’s term. 

Each Director must attend four Board meetings every year: two meetings at the Summer Leadership Meetings (Annual Business Meeting) [usually mid-July to early-August], one Fall Leadership Meeting, [usually in October with the location determined by the Board Chair], and one at the Spring Leadership Meeting [generally in March in Washington, DC.] All dates and locations are subject to change. In addition, each Director must serve on at least one committee, which typically meets once per month via conference call, and which may include additional tasks depending on the committee. The Officers’ responsibilities can be found in Sister Cities International’s Bylaws. 

Board members will make a meaningful personal Global Leaders Circle contribution of a minimum $2,500 for each calendar year (or portion of a calendar year) they serve on the Board of Directors. Board Member Global Leader Circle contributions are expected during the first quarter of each calendar year unless individual special installment arrangements are pre-approved by the Board Chair. In addition, each Director is expected to bear the cost of travel, hotel, and incidental expenses for the four (4) required Board meetings. 

Each Director must sign Sister Cities International’s Disclosure Statement, Conflict of Interest policy, and Code of Ethics upon assumption of Board duties. 

Bylaws, Board Policies, and other important institutional documents can be found at https://sistercities.org/governing- documents

Please contact Chair, Peter Svarzbein, at p[email protected] or the SCI Director of Operations, Kerri Carter, at [email protected].