Call for CHEST Board of Regents Open Positions

Board candidates should be well-versed in CHEST’s organizational strategy and goals for the next 5 years. Board members have a fiduciary duty and responsibility to put CHEST first and make decisions in the best interest of the organization, including partnering 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 and is the professional home for more than 22,000 pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine professionals seeking clinical education and connection to the chest medicine community. CHEST’s values of Community, Inclusivity, Innovation, Advocacy, and Integrity empower the organization to conduct its mission in service of achieving the vision.

Goals: In the next 5 years, 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 accomplish this through investment in the following pillars:

• People: Attract and invest in individuals who embody CHEST values to drive the mission forward.
• Education: Deploy innovative educational experiences to support and grow our community.
• Social Responsibility: Exercise the authority of CHEST’s values, voice, and capabilities to promote change that equitably impacts our community.
• Research: Identify challenges and opportunities affecting CHEST’s community while disseminating research and guidance that advances clinical practice.
• Financial Health: Achieve approved revenue and margin targets while diversifying and expanding income streams, monitoring reserves, and investing in growth opportunities to fortify the future.

Candidates are expected to review the CHEST Annual Report 2023 for a complete overview of highlights and areas of focus from the last year.

The Board of Regents is CHEST’s governing body and is responsible for the strategic direction of the organization. The Board works collaboratively with the CEO to ensure the organization has sufficient resources and direction to advance the mission. The basic responsibilities of the Board include:

• Determining and supporting the organization’s mission and purpose
• Selecting the CEO
• Supporting the CEO and reviewing their performance
• Understanding and upholding fiduciary duties to the organization, including the duties of care, loyalty, and obedience
• Ensuring effective organizational planning, including oversight of the financials
• Ensuring adequate resources
• Managing resources effectively
• Determining, monitoring, and strengthening the organization’s programs and services
• Enhancing the organization’s public standing
• Ensuring legal and ethical integrity, and maintaining accountability
• Building a competent Board, and assessing Board performance
• Providing oversight and support for the organization’s advocacy and philanthropic efforts
• Dedicating the appropriate time and preparation to ensure successful Board service (see below)

Candidates are expected to review the complete Regent job description prior to applying.

The President is the Chair of the Board of Regents and is responsible for 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 have experience/expertise in the following areas:

• Facilitating strategic planning
• Fiscal and financial oversight
• Meeting administration and agenda development
• Outstanding communication skills
• Understanding of organizational operations

Candidates are expected to review the complete President job description prior to applying.

Currently, CHEST’s Board of Regents consists of 20 members, representing a wide array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. The Board has representation in various areas, including:

• Academic medicine, large and small group practices, government, and private settings
• Pulmonary, critical care, sleep, interventional pulmonary, pediatric critical care, thoracic surgery, and ethics specialties
• Varying regions of the US, particularly the Midwest
• Varying genders and races/ethnicities

Candidates are expected to review the current Board composition outline in detail to determine if/how your application will fill an existing gap on the Board.

CHEST is particularly interested in candidates who have skills, experience, and/or backgrounds in the following areas:

• Finance
• Business acumen
• Health economics
• Strategic focus
• Critical care
• Hospital system administration
• Private practice
• Advocacy
• Diverse backgrounds and lived experiences

Please note: Candidates are not required to be a physician to apply for the Board.

The time commitment necessary to be a successful Board member is not insignificant. Board members are asked to prioritize their CHEST responsibilities and commit to spending the time required to prepare for and participate in Board meetings and fulfill their fiduciary duty to the organization. Full Board member participation is critical to the organization’s cohesiveness and success.

This includes:

• In-person attendance for quarterly Board of Regents meetings as established in the annual Board calendar, including travel time
• Remote attendance for all virtual Board of Regents meetings as needed throughout the year (approximately two)
• Dedicated time (several hours) to review the agenda and detailed packet of materials (100+ pages) 1 week prior to each meeting
• Participation as a member of at least one committee of the Board (Finance, Governance, Compensation, or ad hoc Task Force), including quarterly to monthly calls as established to review and prepare reports and recommendations to be presented to the Board
• Service as a Board Liaison to an assigned committee of the organization, including attending regular committee and/or Chair calls and serving as a bridge between your assigned committee and the Board.

In addition, Board members are expected to dedicate ongoing time and dedication to actively participate in the organization and help advance the mission and philanthropic efforts of the college.

In addition to the items listed above, the President must also allocate time to the following areas:

• Weekly calls with the CEO
• Biweekly calls with the President-Elect, President-Designate, Immediate Past President, and CEO
• In-person attendance and travel to relevant CHEST events and external meetings as established per year
• Participation as a member of the Finance Committee and Compensation Committee
• Regular leadership responsibilities throughout the year, such as communication preparations, annual meeting responsibilities, advocacy and external endorsement requests, and Board meeting preparation and facilitation

In addition, and 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.

Note: If selected to serve on the Board of Regents, please know that the location of the Winter 2025 Board Meeting will require a valid passport. This meeting will be held in February 2025.

Please see the detailed list of application materials for each position outlined below. All materials must be submitted no later than Monday, July 1.

Regent-at-Large candidates must submit:

1. Nomination form
2. Responses (not to exceed 2 pages) to the Regent Candidate Issue Analysis (Template will download to computer.)
3. Curriculum vitae
4. List of relevant CHEST experience/activities (Note: You may reach out to CHEST staff to verify historical activities or positions.)
5. Two letters (not to exceed) of reference from active Fellows of CHEST (may NOT be from individuals currently serving in the Presidential line or a member of the Governance Committee)
   • If you have applied for this role previously, you may carry over one letter of reference for 1 additional year, and we ask that at least one new letter of reference be submitted for your current application.
   • We ask that you waive your right to view letters prior to submission.
   • Letters of reference can be sent to Emily Petraglia (epetraglia@chestnet.org) from the writer.

Presidential candidates must submit:

1. Nomination form
2. Vision statement (not to exceed 1 page)
3. Responses to the Presidential Candidate Issue Analysis (Template will download to computer.)
4. Curriculum vitae
5. List of relevant CHEST experience/activities (Note: You may reach out to CHEST staff to verify historical activities or positions.)
6. Three letters of reference (not to exceed 1-2 pages) from active Fellows of CHEST (may NOT be from individuals currently serving in the Presidential line or a member of the Governance Committee)
   • If you have applied for this role previously, you may carry over two letters of reference for 1 additional year, but we ask that at least one new letter of reference be submitted for your current application.
   • We ask that you waive your right to view letters prior to submission.
   • Letters of reference can be sent to Emily Petraglia (epetraglia@chestnet.org) from the writer.
7. Letter of support from current place of work (eg, Director, Chair, Dean, Practice Manager)
   • We ask that you waive your right to view letter prior to submission.
   • Letter of support can be sent to Emily Petraglia (epetraglia@chestnet.org) from the writer.
8. Please note: Approved candidates will be invited to an in-person interview on Friday, August 30 at CHEST HQ. To be considered, candidates must be able to attend this interview.

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).