2026 Call for Board Nominations

The Board of Regents is the governing body of CHEST and is responsible for its strategic direction. The Board of Regents is the highest leadership position in which one can serve at CHEST.

Board members are expected to:

• Uphold their fiduciary duty to act in CHEST’s best interest
• Prioritize the organization above individual or external interests
• Partner with the CEO to establish CHEST’s future direction

CHEST advances the best health outcomes for patients with lung disease through education, advocacy, research, and philanthropy. CHEST is the professional home for more than 18,000 pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine professionals seeking clinical education and connection to the chest medicine community.

CHEST’s values—community, inclusivity, innovation, advocacy, integrity, and science-based—drive our mission and support our long-term vision.

Strategic Focus

Board candidates should have a strong understanding of CHEST’s current organizational strategy and goals. CHEST is focused on innovation and education that improve clinical practice and patient outcomes in critical care and respiratory medicine by expanding our community and growing revenue annually.

CHEST will achieve its goals through investment in the following pillars:

• People and Culture: Attract, retain, and develop individuals who embody CHEST values and advance the mission.
• Education and Engagement: Deliver innovative and accessible educational experiences that support and expand CHEST’s community.
• Social Impact: Exercise CHEST’s values, voice, and capabilities to promote equitable, sustainable impact.
• Research and Knowledge: Identify challenges affecting clinicians, and provide timely, practice-driven evidence that advances care.
• Financial Health: Achieve strong financial results while investing in innovation and diverse mission-driven growth.

Candidates are expected to review the CHEST Annual Report 2025 for a complete overview of highlights and areas of focus from the last year.

Regent-at-Large, Board of Regents

The Board of Regents is CHEST’s governing body, responsible for setting the organization’s strategic direction and ensuring alignment with its mission. The Board works closely with the CEO to ensure CHEST has sufficient resources and direction needed to succeed.

Core Responsibilities

• Define and support CHEST’s mission and purpose
• Select and evaluate CEO
• Support CEO performance and leadership

Organizational and Resource Effectiveness

• Understand and uphold fiduciary duties: care, loyalty, and obedience
• Ensure financial accountability
• Oversee financial planning and organizational health
• Monitor adequate resources to support operations

Strategy and Organizational Impact

• Enhance CHEST’s public standing and visibility
• Safeguard legal and ethical integrity to maintain accountability
• Provide oversight and support of advocacy and philanthropic efforts

Commitment to Service

• Build and maintain a high-performing Board
• Dedicate sufficient time, preparation, and engagement (see below)

Candidates are expected to review the detailed Regent-at-Large position description prior to applying. The FCCP designation is required to serve on the Board of Regents.

President

The President serves as Chair of the Board of Regents and plays a critical leadership role in facilitating the actions of the Board and acting as a bridge between the Board and the CEO. While the CEO reports to the Board, the President is the CEO’s primary contact.

The President bears the legal responsibility of ensuring the organization complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws and adheres to its mission. The President has responsibilities related to strategy and leadership, fiscal oversight, advocacy and development, meeting administration, communications, and Board development.

The President should demonstrate strengths in:

• Strategic planning and facilitation
• Financial and fiscal oversight
• Meeting leadership and agenda development
• Communication skills and styles
• Understanding of organizational operations

Candidates are expected to review the detailed President position description prior to applying.

Currently, CHEST’s Board consists of 18 members, representing a wide array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Current representation includes:

• Practice Settings: Academic medicine, community hospitals, large group practices, and university hospitals
• Clinical Specialties: Pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine
• Geographic Diversity: Strong presence in the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast United States
• Demographics: Diverse gender identities, age ranges, and racial/ethnic backgrounds

Board Needs and Opportunities

Candidates are encouraged to assess how their experience, skills, and roles may complement and strengthen the current Board composition and include this description in their application materials. CHEST is committed to building a Board that reflects the diverse makeup of its community and the evolving needs of the fields.

We encourage applications from individuals across a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. We welcome all qualified applicants who are passionate about advancing CHEST’s mission.

Serving on the CHEST Board of Regents requires significant and ongoing time commitment.

Board members are expected to:

• prioritize their CHEST responsibilities,
• prepare for and actively participate in meetings,
• fulfill their fiduciary duties,
• contribute to the organization’s overall effectiveness and success, and
• actively participate in the organization to help advance the mission and philanthropic efforts of the College.

Core Board Responsibilities

Meetings and Preparation

• Attend quarterly in-person Board of Regents meetings, which includes travel time as established in the annual Board calendar (February, May, August, October).
• Participate in all virtual Board of Regents meetings as needed throughout the year (approximately two - December).
• Dedicate several hours per meeting to review meeting materials (100+ pages) one week prior to each meeting.

Committee Participation

Board members are expected to engage beyond Board meetings as requested by the President by serving in other governance capacities.

• Committees of the Board: Individuals may be asked to participate on at least one Board committee—Finance, Governance, Compensation, or ad hoc Task Force. This includes attending quarterly or monthly calls, based upon assigned group, to review and prepare reports and recommendations to the Board of Regents.
• Board Liaison: Individuals may be asked to serve as a Board Liaison to an assigned standing committee to act as a bridge between the respective groups. Attendance in their regularly scheduled calls will be needed.

Additional Time Commitment - Board President

In addition to the items listed above, the President requires a substantially higher level of involvement, including:

• weekly calls with the CEO;
• biweekly calls with the President-Elect, President-Designate, Immediate Past President, and CEO;
• attending and traveling to CHEST events and external meetings as established per year;
• serving as a member of the Finance Committee and Compensation Committee; and
• regular leadership responsibilities throughout the year, such as communication preparations, annual meeting responsibilities, advocacy and external endorsement requests, and Board meeting preparation and facilitation.

Most importantly, the President is expected to be available for the ongoing needs of the organization, which requires regular, and often daily, attention to issues as they arise.

All materials must be submitted no later than Monday, June 22.

Please see the detailed list of application materials for each position outlined below. Please ensure all materials meet page limits and requirements. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Regent-at-Large Candidates

Regent-at-Large candidates must submit:

1. Nomination form
2. Regent Candidate Issue Analysis Response (Maximum two pages)
3. Curriculum vitae
4. List of relevant CHEST roles, involvement, and contributions
   • Note: You may reach out to CHEST staff to verify participation in activities.
5. Two letters of reference
   • They must be from active CHEST Fellows (FCCP).
   • Letters may NOT be from individuals currently serving in the Presidential line or a member of the Governance Committee.
   • If reapplying, one letter may be reused for one additional year, and one new letter is required for the current application.
   • We ask that you waive your right to view all letters prior to submission.
   • Letters of reference should be sent to Emily Petraglia, Director, Volunteer Operations (epetraglia@chestnet.org).

Presidential Candidates

Presidential candidates must submit:

1. Nomination form
2. Vision statement (Maximum one page)
3. Presidential Candidate Issue Analysis Response
4. Curriculum vitae
5. List of relevant CHEST roles, involvement, and contributions
   • Note: You may reach out to CHEST staff to verify participation in activities.
6. Three letters of reference
   • They must be from active CHEST Fellows (FCCP).
   • Letters may NOT be from individuals currently serving in the Presidential line or a member of the Governance Committee.
   • If reapplying, two letters may be reused for one additional year, and one new letter is required for the current application.
   • We ask that you waive your right to view all letters prior to submission.
   • Letters of reference should be sent to Emily Petraglia, Director, Volunteer Operations (epetraglia@chestnet.org).
7. Letter of support from employer
   • Examples: Director, Chair, Dean, Practice Manager
   • Letter of support should be sent to Emily Petraglia, Director, Volunteer Operations (epetraglia@chestnet.org).
8. Presidential candidates are required to attend an in-person interview at CHEST Headquarters on Friday, August 14.

Submission Process:

To apply, please complete the online application form via the nomination portal. Please log in to the nomination portal using your chestnet.org credentials in the login box on the left side of the page or by selecting “Start Application” below.

For any questions related to the Board nomination process or submitting your materials, please contact Suzanne Sletto Distel (ssletto@chestnet.org) or Emily Petraglia (epetraglia@chestnet.org).