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IAABC Board Service Requirements

Criteria for Board Service at IAABC:

* You must be nominated by at least three other members - you cannot nominate yourself.
* All levels of membership are eligible to run for the Board of Directors (BOD).
* Non-Credentialed Supporting and Credentialed Affiliate members of more than one year's membership with IAABC, and with a minimum of two years' experience in animal behavior, may serve on the Board of Directors. The number of Non-Credentialed Supporting/Credentialed Affiliate members on the board will be limited to two, or no more than 35 percent of the board.
* The candidates with the highest number of votes will be elected.
* There is no requirement that a Supporting/Affiliate member be elected. If the two highest vote-getters are Associate Certified or Certified, no Supporting/Affiliate member will be seated.
 
Nominees must have:
* The ability to actively support and comply with the Mission, Code of Ethics and confidentiality agreement, and adhere to the LIMA guidelines when dealing with people as well as animals.
* Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate with tact and professionalism with other board members, committee members, IAABC members, staff, vendors and other industry professionals, even those with whom you may disagree.
* Outstanding and proven teamwork skills, with the ability to state your opinion with civility and work towards consensus.
* The ability to put the Association's best interests first and foremost above your own (There may be times when you make decisions for the Association that are not popular with everyone).
* The ability to support policies and procedures approved by the Board (regardless of your personal feelings).
* A willingness to be aware of lists and communications to ensure current knowledge of member desires and trends.
* The ability to handle member requests and issues with professionalism and courtesy, citing supporting approved policies and procedures as needed.
* The ability to keep commitments, attend phone meetings every two to three weeks (depending on Board schedule).
* The ability to attend the annual conference (travel and room are paid for by the IAABC. Meals and incidentals are not.), keep up with email and Slack correspondence, and meet deadlines.
* The ability to travel to two, four-day, in-person retreat and one virtual, two-day retreat of the Board of Directors each year.
* A willingness to play an active role in serving on the Board, including decision making and strategic planning.
* Ability to follow through on projects and organizational leadership duties.
* Budgeting skills and attention to fiscal responsibility.
* The ability and willingness to serve as Board Liaison to at least one committee, and to understand the inner workings of all committees.
* Active involvement for at least two years in the profession of behavior consulting or related professions. (Related professions may include animal shelter behavior and training staff, veterinarians or veterinary technicians).
* The ability to work with computers, documents and organizational tools such as Google Drive and Slack (you will get training on these if you’re not familiar with them.)
* You must have reliable internet services.
* The average time required per week is four hours, not including BOD meetings.
* At times there will be more work required, and at times less. You may be asked to help steer or participate in an IAABC project requiring more hours per week.

Member Testimonials

Here I get support, information and training on current, evidence-based knowledge. A great community of international consultants offers great exchange on each relevant topic to support each other helping animals, their owners or even organizations that take care of animals of different species.

Sylvia Czarnecki, Certified Horse Behavior Consultant

I am proud and honored to be certified by, a member of, and educator for the IAABC. I consider the organization to be the industry standard for well-rounded, quality, ethical animal behavior information that is disseminated in a supportive, effective, collaborative environment. The IAABC works very hard to produce not only quantity of educational resources, but also quality.

Katenna Jones, Certified Dog & Cat Behavior Consultant

As a member, I get to network with experts in my field all over the world. This allows me to expand my knowledge in cat behavior as well as shelter behavior. As the feline behavior manager in an open intake shelter, this opportunity to learn from the best has allowed me to ensure the mental health and behavior needs are met for the cats in our care. The IAABC is the "go to" place for people all over the world to find experts in animal behavior. As a certified member my profile is available for the public to view. Since I earned my certification, I've seen my private business almost triple.

Lisa Stemcosky, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant

a woman with brown hair and a grey dog touch noses

IAABC has been an invaluable learning tool for both myself and staff. As a shelter professional, the webinars provide relevant and up to date information to be used in multiple formats. The online convenience allows for continuing education, minus the travel.The mentorship programs are nothing short of amazing, including the pricing . This organization is always looking forward and growing.

Amy Schindler, Shelter Behavior Affiliate