https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9560-1643
As students of biology, we are all likely familiar with the concepts of homeostasis and allostasis. Homeostasis suggests that, when a living system is impacted by a change, it will seek to return to its original structure, whereas allostasis says the system will react, adapt, and modify to a new structure—often a better and more stable one.
You could certainly call a professional society like the Entomological Society of America a living system, and recent years have seen ESA go through a great deal of change. The Society is a different organization than it was even just five years ago, pre-pandemic; we are indeed allostatic.
This pursuit of improvement has brought about changes in ESA’s meetings, publications, advocacy efforts, and just about all corners of Society operations. That includes a new effort to adapt ESA’s governance structure, as well. This year, we’re asking ESA members to consider a “Governance Upgrade,” a set of proposals that collectively aim to simplify the ESA Governing Board structure, elevate volunteer leaders with critical skillsets, and enable the Society to better respond to change. We hope you will take the time to learn about the Upgrade and provide your feedback so it can meet the needs of ESA members.
How We Got Here
ESA has a strong history of self-reflection. The 2007 “Renewal” consolidated ESA’s membership structure into the Sections we know today and led to the addition of the International Branch in 2009. In 2018, members developed and approved changes to ESA bylaws that simplified many Society policies and procedures. In 2010 and 2021, respectively, student and early-career professional representative positions were added to the Governing Board. And in 2023, ESA approved a pilot project to test a new Section for educators.
However, aside from adding a couple seats, the basic structure of ESA’s Governing Board has rarely been evaluated. ESA’s 2023–2025 Strategic Plan, adopted by the Governing Board in November 2022, directed Society leaders to examine governance processes and maximize efficiency.
Answering this call to action, a member task force was formed in January 2024. Task force members examined current ESA governance as well as expert perspectives in nonprofit management and found room for improvement. Modern best practices in nonprofit management emphasize board structures that prioritize efficient decision-making and aligning volunteer skillsets with organizational strategy. The task force delivered several recommendations to the Governing Board in the summer of 2024, and the resulting Governance Upgrade proposal seeks to incorporate these proposals into the ESA’s governance structure so that the Society may continue to thrive in the future.
Since late October, we have been asking ESA members for their questions and feedback via a comment form, a webinar, a forum at the 2024 Annual Meeting, and forums at 2025 Branch Meetings.
Seven Proposals
As a whole, the ESA Governance Upgrade focuses on simplifying the ESA Governing Board structure, elevating volunteer leaders with critical skillsets, and enabling the Society to better respond to change. (For details on each proposal and how existing ESA governance practices as defined in ESA bylaws would be modified, see Table 1.) What follows is a summary of the reasoning behind each proposal, and we encourage members to also explore these ideas in more detail online (see QR code in sidebar).
As a whole, the ESA Governance Upgrade focuses on simplifying the ESA Governing Board structure, elevating volunteer leaders with critical skillsets, and enabling the Society to better respond to change. Here, a comparison outlines current practices and how they would change under seven core proposals, along with a brief explanation of the underlying reasoning.
| Proposal | Current Practice | Recommended New Practice | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1: Reduce overall size of Governing Board. | 18 members: 12 representatives, 5 officers, and 1 non-voting executive director. | 8-10 members: 3-5 at-large members, 4 officers, and 1 non-voting executive director. (Discontinue representative positions and remove position of Vice President-Elect.) | A smaller board of directors will improve decision-making and lessen overall demand on ESA’s pool of volunteer leaders. |
| 2: Select Governing Board members based on knowledge and skills, not representation of constituent groups. | Board members elected by Society constituency groups: One from each Branch (six) and Section (four), one student member, and one early-career professional member. | Board members selected from ESA membership at large based on knowledge and skills. | Selecting board members based on knowledge and skills will better align volunteer leaders with the Society’s strategic needs and with board members’ legal responsibilities as caretakers of the Society. |
| 3: Empower ESA Leadership Development Committee as a nominating committee to identify, recruit, evaluate, and nominate volunteer members for service on Governing Board. | Leadership Development Committee loosely designed to develop leadership talent within Society. | Leadership Development Committee charged to identify, recruit, evaluate, and nominate volunteer members for service on the Board based on needed knowledge, skills, and competencies. | Identifying knowledge, skills, and other competencies needed for Governing Board service and evaluating candidates via interviews would better surface leaders with demonstrated qualities to match ESA’s strategic needs. |
| 4: Elect Governing Board members and officers via annual non-competitive slate of nominees. | Board members nominated and voted upon by constituencies; Vice President-Elect and Treasurer voted upon by full membership. | Leadership Development Committee assembles non-competitive slate of nominees for at-large Governing Board positions, put forth for ratification by ESA membership, and for Vice President and Treasurer, ratified by the Board. | A single, uncontested slate of nominees for Governing Board service would be based on a clear and purposeful process to elevate leaders with qualifications aligned to the Society’s needs, replacing a system of elections with low turnout and “popularity contest” perceptions. |
| 5: Modify selection of officers so that Vice President is chosen from current or recent Governing Board members and Treasurer is chosen from members with relevant expertise. | Any ESA member in good standing is eligible to serve as Vice President-Elect or Treasurer. | Nominees for Vice President position must be current or recent Governing Board members. Nominees for Treasurer must have previously served as treasurer in an ESA Branch or Section. | Officers are entrusted with the highest level of leadership for the Society and should be well prepared for their roles through previous service as members of the Governing Board or Treasurers for Branches or Sections. |
| 6: Create an Advisory Council with representation from ESA constituency groups to support the Governing Board’s development and decision-making. | Non-existent | Create a body of ESA member leaders to advise the Governing Board on matters of importance. This body may include representative positions filled by ESA constituency groups (Branches, Sections, Students, Early Career Members, and others). | An Advisory Council would channel the voice of ESA members to inform Governing Board strategy and would employ a representative structure that encompasses a diversity of constituencies within ESA membership—including Branches, Sections, and beyond. |
| 7: Modify ESA Bylaws to allow amendments by Governing Board. | Bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 majority vote of members who vote in a duly announced ballot initiative. | Bylaws may be updated by Governing Board as needed. | Allowing the Governing Board to amend ESA Bylaws places this critical responsibility in the hands of volunteer leaders who are most informed and who are formally and legally obligated to consider the organization’s best interests. |
| Proposal | Current Practice | Recommended New Practice | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1: Reduce overall size of Governing Board. | 18 members: 12 representatives, 5 officers, and 1 non-voting executive director. | 8-10 members: 3-5 at-large members, 4 officers, and 1 non-voting executive director. (Discontinue representative positions and remove position of Vice President-Elect.) | A smaller board of directors will improve decision-making and lessen overall demand on ESA’s pool of volunteer leaders. |
| 2: Select Governing Board members based on knowledge and skills, not representation of constituent groups. | Board members elected by Society constituency groups: One from each Branch (six) and Section (four), one student member, and one early-career professional member. | Board members selected from ESA membership at large based on knowledge and skills. | Selecting board members based on knowledge and skills will better align volunteer leaders with the Society’s strategic needs and with board members’ legal responsibilities as caretakers of the Society. |
| 3: Empower ESA Leadership Development Committee as a nominating committee to identify, recruit, evaluate, and nominate volunteer members for service on Governing Board. | Leadership Development Committee loosely designed to develop leadership talent within Society. | Leadership Development Committee charged to identify, recruit, evaluate, and nominate volunteer members for service on the Board based on needed knowledge, skills, and competencies. | Identifying knowledge, skills, and other competencies needed for Governing Board service and evaluating candidates via interviews would better surface leaders with demonstrated qualities to match ESA’s strategic needs. |
| 4: Elect Governing Board members and officers via annual non-competitive slate of nominees. | Board members nominated and voted upon by constituencies; Vice President-Elect and Treasurer voted upon by full membership. | Leadership Development Committee assembles non-competitive slate of nominees for at-large Governing Board positions, put forth for ratification by ESA membership, and for Vice President and Treasurer, ratified by the Board. | A single, uncontested slate of nominees for Governing Board service would be based on a clear and purposeful process to elevate leaders with qualifications aligned to the Society’s needs, replacing a system of elections with low turnout and “popularity contest” perceptions. |
| 5: Modify selection of officers so that Vice President is chosen from current or recent Governing Board members and Treasurer is chosen from members with relevant expertise. | Any ESA member in good standing is eligible to serve as Vice President-Elect or Treasurer. | Nominees for Vice President position must be current or recent Governing Board members. Nominees for Treasurer must have previously served as treasurer in an ESA Branch or Section. | Officers are entrusted with the highest level of leadership for the Society and should be well prepared for their roles through previous service as members of the Governing Board or Treasurers for Branches or Sections. |
| 6: Create an Advisory Council with representation from ESA constituency groups to support the Governing Board’s development and decision-making. | Non-existent | Create a body of ESA member leaders to advise the Governing Board on matters of importance. This body may include representative positions filled by ESA constituency groups (Branches, Sections, Students, Early Career Members, and others). | An Advisory Council would channel the voice of ESA members to inform Governing Board strategy and would employ a representative structure that encompasses a diversity of constituencies within ESA membership—including Branches, Sections, and beyond. |
| 7: Modify ESA Bylaws to allow amendments by Governing Board. | Bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 majority vote of members who vote in a duly announced ballot initiative. | Bylaws may be updated by Governing Board as needed. | Allowing the Governing Board to amend ESA Bylaws places this critical responsibility in the hands of volunteer leaders who are most informed and who are formally and legally obligated to consider the organization’s best interests. |
As a whole, the ESA Governance Upgrade focuses on simplifying the ESA Governing Board structure, elevating volunteer leaders with critical skillsets, and enabling the Society to better respond to change. Here, a comparison outlines current practices and how they would change under seven core proposals, along with a brief explanation of the underlying reasoning.
| Proposal | Current Practice | Recommended New Practice | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1: Reduce overall size of Governing Board. | 18 members: 12 representatives, 5 officers, and 1 non-voting executive director. | 8-10 members: 3-5 at-large members, 4 officers, and 1 non-voting executive director. (Discontinue representative positions and remove position of Vice President-Elect.) | A smaller board of directors will improve decision-making and lessen overall demand on ESA’s pool of volunteer leaders. |
| 2: Select Governing Board members based on knowledge and skills, not representation of constituent groups. | Board members elected by Society constituency groups: One from each Branch (six) and Section (four), one student member, and one early-career professional member. | Board members selected from ESA membership at large based on knowledge and skills. | Selecting board members based on knowledge and skills will better align volunteer leaders with the Society’s strategic needs and with board members’ legal responsibilities as caretakers of the Society. |
| 3: Empower ESA Leadership Development Committee as a nominating committee to identify, recruit, evaluate, and nominate volunteer members for service on Governing Board. | Leadership Development Committee loosely designed to develop leadership talent within Society. | Leadership Development Committee charged to identify, recruit, evaluate, and nominate volunteer members for service on the Board based on needed knowledge, skills, and competencies. | Identifying knowledge, skills, and other competencies needed for Governing Board service and evaluating candidates via interviews would better surface leaders with demonstrated qualities to match ESA’s strategic needs. |
| 4: Elect Governing Board members and officers via annual non-competitive slate of nominees. | Board members nominated and voted upon by constituencies; Vice President-Elect and Treasurer voted upon by full membership. | Leadership Development Committee assembles non-competitive slate of nominees for at-large Governing Board positions, put forth for ratification by ESA membership, and for Vice President and Treasurer, ratified by the Board. | A single, uncontested slate of nominees for Governing Board service would be based on a clear and purposeful process to elevate leaders with qualifications aligned to the Society’s needs, replacing a system of elections with low turnout and “popularity contest” perceptions. |
| 5: Modify selection of officers so that Vice President is chosen from current or recent Governing Board members and Treasurer is chosen from members with relevant expertise. | Any ESA member in good standing is eligible to serve as Vice President-Elect or Treasurer. | Nominees for Vice President position must be current or recent Governing Board members. Nominees for Treasurer must have previously served as treasurer in an ESA Branch or Section. | Officers are entrusted with the highest level of leadership for the Society and should be well prepared for their roles through previous service as members of the Governing Board or Treasurers for Branches or Sections. |
| 6: Create an Advisory Council with representation from ESA constituency groups to support the Governing Board’s development and decision-making. | Non-existent | Create a body of ESA member leaders to advise the Governing Board on matters of importance. This body may include representative positions filled by ESA constituency groups (Branches, Sections, Students, Early Career Members, and others). | An Advisory Council would channel the voice of ESA members to inform Governing Board strategy and would employ a representative structure that encompasses a diversity of constituencies within ESA membership—including Branches, Sections, and beyond. |
| 7: Modify ESA Bylaws to allow amendments by Governing Board. | Bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 majority vote of members who vote in a duly announced ballot initiative. | Bylaws may be updated by Governing Board as needed. | Allowing the Governing Board to amend ESA Bylaws places this critical responsibility in the hands of volunteer leaders who are most informed and who are formally and legally obligated to consider the organization’s best interests. |
| Proposal | Current Practice | Recommended New Practice | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1: Reduce overall size of Governing Board. | 18 members: 12 representatives, 5 officers, and 1 non-voting executive director. | 8-10 members: 3-5 at-large members, 4 officers, and 1 non-voting executive director. (Discontinue representative positions and remove position of Vice President-Elect.) | A smaller board of directors will improve decision-making and lessen overall demand on ESA’s pool of volunteer leaders. |
| 2: Select Governing Board members based on knowledge and skills, not representation of constituent groups. | Board members elected by Society constituency groups: One from each Branch (six) and Section (four), one student member, and one early-career professional member. | Board members selected from ESA membership at large based on knowledge and skills. | Selecting board members based on knowledge and skills will better align volunteer leaders with the Society’s strategic needs and with board members’ legal responsibilities as caretakers of the Society. |
| 3: Empower ESA Leadership Development Committee as a nominating committee to identify, recruit, evaluate, and nominate volunteer members for service on Governing Board. | Leadership Development Committee loosely designed to develop leadership talent within Society. | Leadership Development Committee charged to identify, recruit, evaluate, and nominate volunteer members for service on the Board based on needed knowledge, skills, and competencies. | Identifying knowledge, skills, and other competencies needed for Governing Board service and evaluating candidates via interviews would better surface leaders with demonstrated qualities to match ESA’s strategic needs. |
| 4: Elect Governing Board members and officers via annual non-competitive slate of nominees. | Board members nominated and voted upon by constituencies; Vice President-Elect and Treasurer voted upon by full membership. | Leadership Development Committee assembles non-competitive slate of nominees for at-large Governing Board positions, put forth for ratification by ESA membership, and for Vice President and Treasurer, ratified by the Board. | A single, uncontested slate of nominees for Governing Board service would be based on a clear and purposeful process to elevate leaders with qualifications aligned to the Society’s needs, replacing a system of elections with low turnout and “popularity contest” perceptions. |
| 5: Modify selection of officers so that Vice President is chosen from current or recent Governing Board members and Treasurer is chosen from members with relevant expertise. | Any ESA member in good standing is eligible to serve as Vice President-Elect or Treasurer. | Nominees for Vice President position must be current or recent Governing Board members. Nominees for Treasurer must have previously served as treasurer in an ESA Branch or Section. | Officers are entrusted with the highest level of leadership for the Society and should be well prepared for their roles through previous service as members of the Governing Board or Treasurers for Branches or Sections. |
| 6: Create an Advisory Council with representation from ESA constituency groups to support the Governing Board’s development and decision-making. | Non-existent | Create a body of ESA member leaders to advise the Governing Board on matters of importance. This body may include representative positions filled by ESA constituency groups (Branches, Sections, Students, Early Career Members, and others). | An Advisory Council would channel the voice of ESA members to inform Governing Board strategy and would employ a representative structure that encompasses a diversity of constituencies within ESA membership—including Branches, Sections, and beyond. |
| 7: Modify ESA Bylaws to allow amendments by Governing Board. | Bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 majority vote of members who vote in a duly announced ballot initiative. | Bylaws may be updated by Governing Board as needed. | Allowing the Governing Board to amend ESA Bylaws places this critical responsibility in the hands of volunteer leaders who are most informed and who are formally and legally obligated to consider the organization’s best interests. |
Governance Upgrade: Learn More and Comment
Have questions about the Governance Upgrade proposals? Ready to share your thoughts? Dig in with these resources, available now or forthcoming, and submit feedback via an online comment form. Scan the QR code or go to www.entsoc.org/governance-upgrade to find links to all of these resources and more.
Full details on Governance Upgrade proposals, including background and additional supporting info.
Frequently Asked Questions
Recordings of a February 2025 webinar and a Member Forum at Entomology 2024 featuring presentations and Q&A about the Governance Upgrade
Member Forums at ESA Branch Meetings in March and April 2025
Reduce the overall size of the Governing Board.
Research indicates that smaller groups (boards, committees, etc.) make decisions more efficiently and effectively. By reducing the number of Governing Board members, we aim to streamline discussions and operations and allow for quicker responses to emerging challenges and opportunities. Although a smaller board obliges each member to take on a larger share of responsibilities, a board composed of members who are eager and truly passionate about leading the Society will be a more enthusiastic, dynamic, efficient, and impactful one.
Select Governing Board members based on knowledge and skills, not representation of constituent groups.
Shifting the selection process to focus on specific skills and knowledge ensures that board members are well equipped to address the Society’s strategic needs. The current representative structure has long created an inherent tension between board members’ perceived roles and their legal duties. Board members at ESA (or at any nonprofit association) are legally required to act in the best interests of the organization, but positions based on constituent representation present board members with potentially competing interests—those of their Section, Branch, or membership type versus those of the Society as a whole. Moving to a model of at-large board positions—one currently used by more than half of membership associations—would minimize these potential conflicts of interest and would also enable the shift in board size proposed in recommendation No. 1.
Empower the ESA Leadership Development Committee as a nominating committee to identify, recruit, evaluate, and nominate volunteer members for service on the Governing Board.
The skills that make an excellent scientist are not necessarily the same skills required to be a successful leader of a business or organization. Accordingly, ESA should search for strong future leaders in the same way that any business does—through job interviews. By tasking the Leadership Development Committee with this responsibility, ESA can ensure that candidates for the Governing Board are rigorously vetted and possess the skills and qualifications that match the strategic demands of the Society.
Elect Governing Board members and officers via an annual non-competitive slate of nominees.
Although competitive elections are designed to capture the collective will of the membership, in practice, they likely do not. In recent years, average voter turnout in ESA elections has been 14.7 percent, and nearly half of elections for Governing Board positions have been uncontested. Meanwhile, feedback from members has indicated that elections can be perceived as “popularity contests,” which deters some potentially qualified members from stepping forward to volunteer. In contrast, a non-competitive slate of nominees endorsed by the ESA Leadership Development Committee would be generated from a purposeful and transparent process designed to elevate leaders from among ESA’s membership with demonstrated qualifications that are directly aligned with the Society’s needs. Done right, members could be confident in the quality of this slate. However, should a significant number of members be dissatisfied, a petition process would be available to propose competing candidates.
Modify selection of officers so that the vice president is chosen from current or recent Governing Board members and the treasurer is chosen from members with relevant expertise.
Selecting candidates for vice president and treasurer in this way ensures that these critical leadership roles are filled by individuals who are already familiar with the Society’s operations and challenges. Well-prepared leaders are crucial for effective governance and strategic direction.
Create an Advisory Council with representation from ESA constituency groups to support the Governing Board’s development and decision-making.
Even though the Governing Board may no longer be composed of representatives from various ESA constituencies, input from these groups is still important to the policies and strategies the Board develops. An Advisory Council can serve this purpose, as a vital link between the Board and membership, channeling input from various constituency groups. Such a council could also allow for formal representation of additional constituency groups within ESA membership, in addition to Branches, Sections, student members, and early-career members.
Modify the ESA Bylaws to allow amendments to be made by the Governing Board.
Historically, ESA has undertaken Bylaws amendments infrequently, and the process from proposal to member vote to enactment often takes a year or longer. Like elections, Bylaws amendments have typically garnered low voter turnouts. In other words, members at large have displayed minimal interest in exercising this authority. Requiring member approval for changes to Bylaws, even when members are supportive, significantly slows the Governing Board’s ability to enact meaningful improvements to ESA structures. Allowing the Governing Board to amend ESA Bylaws places this critical responsibility in the hands of volunteer leaders who are best informed to evaluate such changes and formally obligated to consider the organization’s best interests.
An Inflection Point
As members of ESA, all of us are stewards of this professional Society, holding links in a long chain that extends back to our Society’s founding predecessors and forward to the incoming generations of entomologists who will carry the Society forward in the future.
We also should recognize that we are at a unique inflection point—a moment of allostasis—where external trends and the evolution of our profession have presented us with an opportunity to envision new ways forward that can better secure ESA’s ability to serve members and advance its mission. The member task force that developed the Governance Upgrade proposal and the members of the ESA Governing Board have given careful consideration to these recommended changes and are optimistic about their potential for positive change.
Member input is absolutely critical to the potential success of this Governance Upgrade. So, we encourage you to learn more about these proposals, ask questions, and share your thoughts. Take this opportunity to help shape the future of your professional society.
Jennifer A. Henke, M.S., BCE, is the laboratory manager at the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District in Indio, California, immediate past president of ESA, and co-chair of the 2025 Governance Upgrade Task Force.
Robert N. Wiedenmann, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus and former head of the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Arkansas and a past president (2013) of the Entomological Society of America. He was elected as an ESA Honorary Member in 2017 and currently serves as co-chair of the 2025 Governance Upgrade Task Force.
