Elections are Coming—Will YOU Serve on Our Board of Directors?
Do you love where you live?
Are you interested in protecting natural spaces, plants, and animals in your area?
Are you passionate about locally grown food?
Do you want to give back to your community?
Would you like a say in how tax dollars are spent?
If so, West Multnomah SWCD’s Board of Directors could be the place for you to serve the public while you share your thoughts and expertise!
On November 5, 2024, Multnomah County will hold a general election that includes Board of Director positions for West Multnomah SWCD. As does East Multnomah SWCD, if you live outside of our District bounds but within the county.
Seven elected members make up our board. Five of these members are Zone directors who represent a specific part of the District. The other two members are At-Large directors who represent the District overall. All positions serve a four-year term.
Four director positions will be open for election in November 2024, with terms beginning January 1, 2025:
Zone 1 – representing Sauvie Island north of Reeder Road and parts of the Multnomah Channel on the east and west side.
Zone 2 – representing Sauvie Island South of Reeder Road, as well as parts of the Multnomah Channel and the West Hills directly across from Wapato Bridge.
Zone 3 – representing the farthest northwest portion of the District, West of US 30 and North of Cornelius Pass.
At-Large 1 – representing the District overall.
Type in your address on our mapping tool and find out.
Learn How to Join Our Board
With this event (held 6/13/24), we teamed up with other surrounding Soil and Water Conservation Districts to bring you a walk through of the basics of what a Soil and Water Conservation District board director does, what qualifications are needed, and what steps candidates need to take to get on the ballot and get elected. Hear from Directors who’ve just started to serve and who’ve served for many years. You are sure to walk away feeling inspired and ready to take the next step in becoming an elected Directors of a Soil and Water Conservation District!
Read the slideshow from the event
Watch the full recording of the Zoom information session, below
What does a board director do?
Board members help guide West Multnomah SWCD by working with district leadership to establish policy and strategies. Specific duties include ensuring fiscal responsibility, adopting the budget, attending board and committee meetings, representing West Multnomah SWCD at local and regional events, and helping set the strategic direction for the organization. Read more about our current Board of Directors.
A diversity of lived experiences, identities, and skill sets among board members helps us provide communities in our District with useful services. While conservation is core to our mission, West Multnomah SWCD is strengthened when board members bring expertise in a variety of fields, whether from professional or lived experience, such as community organizing, outreach, education, financial management, business, human resources, public service, agriculture, environmental services, and more.
Am I eligible to run for a director position?
At-large directors must reside within the boundaries of the conservation district and be a registered voter in the District. Zone directors must be a registered voter and reside within the specific zone they represent.
Please note that as of last year, there is no longer a land-ownership or land-management requirement for Board Directors. That means anyone who is a registered voter in the District and lives in the District is eligible to run. This change will open the Board to folks who had not previously been eligible to run and may bring great energy and insight to the role.
The West Multnomah SWCD office can help you determine if you are eligible for an at-large position or a zone position. Email info@wmswcd.org if you’re unsure.
Help guide West Multnomah SWCD as an elected board director.
How to file as a candidate
- Candidates must submit their “Petition for Nomination Signature Sheet” to the local county elections official for signature verification.
- Candidates must retrieve their certified “Petition for Nomination Signature Sheet” from the county elections official and submit it, plus the Declaration of Candidacy form, to ODA by between 8 a.m. on July 18 and 5 p.m. on August 27, 2024, at 5 p.m. The County Clerk does NOT submit your petition to ODA for you.
Please see the full guidance on running for an SWCD director position, including links to all required candidate forms, in the Candidate Packet for SWCD Director Elections, provided by Oregon Department of Agriculture.
Important Dates 2024
- June 13 – online information session about joining our Board of Directors
- July 18th – First day to file Declaration of Candidacy & Petition for Nomination (signatures must be verified)
- August 27th – Last day to file Declaration of Candidacy & Petition for Nomination (5 PM)
- September 9th – Last day to file a statement for inclusion in county voters’ pamphlet
- November 5th – Election Day
- January 1st, 2025 – First day of Director term
Join a board meeting to see what it’s like!
Our board meetings are held every month on Zoom, typically at 6pm on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Email info@wmswcd.org to get notification and the Zoom link to join, so you can get a sense of the meetings. Our agendas and minutes are also posted on our site.
Questions?
Our virtual info session will go over board requirements and leave plenty of time for Q&A with board members, staff, and Sandi Hiatt, from Oregon Dept. of Agriculture. Participants will also receive the recording. RSVP here!
If you have more questions, contact Sandi Hiatt from Oregon Dept. of Agriculture: 971-301-3605, sandi.hiatt@oda.oregon.gov.
