Board of Governors Application

The Board of Governors will accept nominations each Fall. Exact dates will be shared when the new application window opens.

If you are interested in the Board, several members hosted a “Pathways to the Board of Governors” webinar about their journey to the board. The recording of the webinar can be found here.

Contact the GUAA at guaa@georgetown.edu with any questions.

Each of the application components below must be provided in order to qualify for consideration for the Board of Governors:

1. An online application form (launches each Fall)
2. A one to two page summary of your Georgetown involvement—this is essentially a “Georgetown Resume” that will allow the committee to understand your leadership roles for and participation in specific Georgetown club/class/alumni group events. A sample can be found here.
3. A biography or professional resume/CV (no more than two pages) including, but not limited to, your professional accomplishments, community involvement, and any other relevant activities (paid or unpaid) that would be important for the Nominations Committee to consider.
4. A personal statement, to include answers to the following questions:
   • Why do you wish to serve on the Board of Governors?
   • What are your three most impactful Georgetown volunteer experiences and why?
   • What are your three most meaningful post-graduation Georgetown experiences and why?
5. At least two (2), but no more than three (3), letters of support for your nomination; Letters of support should be from members of the Georgetown community.

Letters of support should be collected and submitted by the applicant themselves. These letters should help the committee understand:

1. How long and on what basis, the person writing the letter has known the applicant.
2. Why the recommender believes the applicant should be a Governor, and what impact she/he can have on the Board and broader GUAA.
3. Any other information the recommender believes is indicative of the nominee’s commitment to Georgetown and its alumni.

Note: Letters of support should not be a regurgitation of the applicant’s volunteer activities with Georgetown. Those should be included in the Georgetown Resume, described above.

In order to access the application form, alumni must have a NetID and password. If you need to obtain your NetID, please call UIS Help at 202-687-4949 or email help@georgetown.edu and they will be happy to assist you.

Application packets should not contain any photographs. All documents should not exceed two pages single-spaced.

Application packets remain valid only for the current year. If you were not chosen for a previous election slate and still wish to be considered, you will need to submit a new application packet.

The application window opens each Fall. Exact dates will be shared once the application window opens.

The Nominations Committee reviews completed applications in a closed meeting during Winter Leadership Weekend in February. Immediately following the meeting, committee members will reach out to those alumni who have been selected to stand for election. Pending the positive response of the applicant, the Executive Director releases the slate of Governor nominees who will stand for election to the general alumni population, and the Office of Advancement.

Once the slate is announced, all living Georgetown alumni, with a valid email address on-file, receive an email inviting them to vote online or to request a paper ballot in GUAA Elections which run from mid-April through mid-May every year. Those without an email address receive a postcard by mail.

After voting has closed, the results of the Election are ratified at GUAA’s Annual Meeting in June. This information is released by email blast and posted to the website, Georgetown Alumni Online, upon certification of the results by the Judge of the Election. Slated Governors are then notified and an orientation process begins which culminates in an in-person orientation during Fall Leadership Weekend, which typically occurs in late September.

If you have any questions regarding the nominations process, the Board of Governors or GUAA, please contact guaa@georgetown.edu.

Fall (typically October–December): The Board of Governors’ Nominations Committee accepts new Governor applications

February: The Board of Governors’ Nominations Committee selects the nominees for the Governor Slate

April–May: Elections are held for the all alumni community to ratify the Governor Slate

June: GUAA holds its Annual Meeting to verify Election results

July 1: Elected Governors begin their three-year term

Members of the Board of Governors are required to attend two of three board meetings annually. Fall and Winter Leadership Weekends are hosted on Georgetown’s campus in Washington, D.C. In the spring, there is a board meeting at John Carroll Weekend, which is in a special destination each year. Additionally, board members join two to three committees and participate in a variety of initiatives including alumni-student programming, strategic planning, investment decision-making, and communications, primarily via Zoom calls until the in-person full board meetings.

Members of the Board of Governors are asked to make an annual donation to the school or program of their choice at any giving level.

No. All materials must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. EST on the deadline that is communicated. Letters must be submitted online by the applicant as part of a complete application. Please email guaa@georgetown.edu with questions.

Read these first-hand accounts from Vikram, Melissa, Tim, Mary, and Jenifer, describing their impact on the Georgetown community as a result of their board service. Why join the board? Find out why in this short video.

All components below must be provided in order to qualify for consideration for the Board of Governors:

1. An online application form – will be linked once 2024 application opens
2. A one- to two-page summary of your Georgetown involvement. This is essentially a “Georgetown Resume” that will allow the committee to understand your leadership roles for and participation in specific Georgetown club/class/alumni group events. A sample can be found here.
3. A biography or professional resume/CV (no more than two pages) including, but not limited to, your professional accomplishments, community involvement, and any other relevant activities (paid or unpaid) that would be important for the Nominations Committee to consider.
4. A personal statement, to include answers to the following questions:
   • Why do you wish to serve on the Board of Governors?
   • What are your three most impactful Georgetown volunteer experiences and why?
   • What are your three most meaningful post-graduation Georgetown experiences and why?
5. At least two, but no more than three, letters of support for your nomination. Letters of support should be from members of the Georgetown community and should not exceed two pages single-spaced. Letters of support should be collected and submitted by the applicant themselves. These letters should help the committee understand:
   • How long (and in what capacity) the person writing the letter has known the applicant.
   • Why the recommender believes the applicant should be a Governor, and what impact she/he can have on the Board and broader GUAA.
   • Any other information the recommender believes is indicative of the nominee’s commitment to Georgetown and its alumni.
6. In order to access the application form, alumni must have a NetID and password. If you need to obtain your NetID, please call UIS Help at 202-687-4949 or email help@georgetown.edu and they will be happy to assist you.
7. Application packets should not contain any photographs.
8. Application packets remain valid only for the current year. If you were not chosen for a previous election slate and still wish to be considered, you will need to submit a new application packet.

Yes. Graduates from all eleven Georgetown University schools are automatically members of the Georgetown University Alumni Association upon graduation and are eligible to apply to the Board of Governors.

The mission of the Georgetown University Alumni Association is to generate goodwill and support for the university and to foster a lifelong connection among alumni, our alma mater, and the global Georgetown community. The Board of Governors is the leadership body of the Georgetown University Alumni Association, a 501(c)(3) organization. Governors are elected by a vote of all alumni. Learn more by reading the 2017 GUAA Executive Summary. The Board of Governors meet three times each year and has six officers.

The Nominations Committee will convene over Winter Leadership Weekend to review applications and nominate candidates for the Governor Slate. The timeline follows:

1. Fall (typically October–December): The Board of Governors accepts applications
2. February Nominations Committee recommends nominees for the Governor slate
3. April–May: Elections are held for the entire alumni community to ratify the Governor slate
4. June: GUAA holds its annual meeting to verify election results
5. July 1: Elected Governors begin their three-year term

There are many ways to engage with Georgetown, depending on your current schedule, such as joining a regional club, networking through career services programming, and coaching students on career goals via Hoya Gateway. Explore the many ways you can get involved with Georgetown.

Strong candidates generally have a multi-year and sustained track record of alumni involvement and service in leadership roles. Recent selectees have engaged with the university and alumni community across multiple touchpoints including: class committees, regional clubs, affinity groups (e.g., Black Alumni Council, Hoyas Unlimited, AAP, Law Alumni Board, Med Alumni Board, etc.), and professional alliances (e.g., GEMA, Wall Street Alliance, etc.). Finally, it is highly recommended that individuals attend at least one Fall or Winter Leadership Weekend meeting prior to applying. The Board of Governors’ Nominations Committee seeks to select those who are most qualified from among the diversity of schools, generations, gender, geographic location, and ethnic background. An important goal of the selection process is to target a Board composition that is broadly representative of the alumni base.