District leadership elections are held every two years, in odd-numbered years. In the election, each chapter advisor may cast a ballot online for members of the District Committee from a list of coaches who are active (affiliated with a school) in the district. Each school has one vote.
The first step is to let your fellow district coaches know you are interested in serving. Coaches who work with teams in more than one geographic district may stand for election to both districts. However, the coach may only serve on one District Committee at a time. In the event of election to two districts, the coach will be required to choose one district to serve and decline the other spot.
Board of Directors elections are conducted in even numbered years. Any member coach with five years of Association coaching experience (i.e., coaching as an NSDA member) may become a candidate for the Board by advising the Executive Director in writing before January 20 of the even numbered year via certified mail.
All candidates are allotted a column in Rostrum, our coach magazine, to support their candidacy. Each chapter votes online for up to four directors, and each active member school may cast one ballot.
Other, less formal options for leadership exist at the National Tournament and through resource creation or member feedback groups throughout the year. Volunteers are essential to maximizing our output as a nonprofit organization! Please contact director@speechanddebate.org if you would like to be considered for this type of contribution.