Open UCDA Board of Director Positions
UCDA Board of Directors
The UCDA Board of Directors serves in partnership with the Executive Director to provide leadership and governance of UCDA, a national nonprofit professional organization 501c6, to uphold the mission and purpose of serving its members and adhere to the organization's ethical, legal, and financial standards and management. View the detailed UCDA Board of Directors role description: https://www.ucda.com/board-member/
Current Open UCDA Board Positions
Co-Digital Content Director
Term: Two years (Beginning January 1, 2026)
Application: Self-Nomination
Appointment: The UCDA Board and Executive Director review and approve candidates based on qualifications. The board may vote to appoint a nominee or bring multiple candidates to the organization's membership for a vote.
The Co-Digital Content Director performs the general duties and responsibilities of all board members as well as specific duties related to digital communications, social media strategy, and email marketing campaigns. This position is filled by two co-directors who collaborate to execute and maintain all digital content and communications on behalf of the organization.
An ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:
- Superb communication skills, including writing, editing, and content creation
- Strategic thinking skills
- Self-motivated
- Service-oriented
- Willingness to learn and collaborate
- A committee or other similar team environment
- Able to lead and execute effective cross-channel communications
- Project management skills
- Ability to engage and motivate members and other stakeholders
- Experience working on a board is preferred, but not required
Email Marketing and Communications
- Manage and execute outward-facing email campaign communications
- Insider Newsletter
- Event-specific Emails
- Special Announcements as needed, such as Krider Prize, scholarships, and other promotions
- Maintain monthly email campaign schedule and email lists
- Add new members and remove expired members from contact lists
Social Media and Digital Content
- Create and manage a comprehensive social media strategy across all UCDA social media accounts
- Execute social media posting calendar using the Hootsuite platform
- Actively execute strategies to grow followers, activity, and influence on social media
- Produce digital content and assets for website, events, programs, email campaigns, membership campaigns, and UCDA Journal
Cross-Channel Coordination and Branding
- Coordinate cross-channel consistent messaging and branding between email and social media
- Maintain branding files on UCDA Shared Drive
- Oversee branding usage and assist with guideline creation/upkeep
- Support strategic plan and effective marketing promotion for events, memberships, sponsors/stakeholders, thought leadership, and jobs
Leadership and Reporting
- Co-lead the digital content committee with monthly meetings
- Submit monthly board reports, including:
- Email campaign metrics and social media analytics
- Committee activities and strategic recommendations
- Actions needed from the Executive Director and the board for upcoming content
- Coordinate with Directors and the Executive Director to support strategic objectives
- Assist the Executive Director on additional communications tasks as directed
- Attend monthly UCDA Board meetings
- Attend the annual UCDA Design Conference
Co-Director Structure
The two Co-Digital Content Directors will collaborate to fulfill all responsibilities listed above. Directors may divide tasks based on individual strengths, preferences, and availability, while maintaining consistent communication and coordination to ensure seamless execution of all digital content and communication strategies.
More information on Board Roles
This role will remain open until a qualified candidate is selected.
Programming Director
Term: Two years (Beginning January 1, 2026)
Application: Self-Nomination
Appointment: The UCDA Board and Executive Director review and approve candidates based on qualifications. The board may vote to appoint a nominee or bring multiple candidates to the organization's membership for a vote.
The Programming Director leads successful planning, management, and execution of quality and profitable programming relevant to our membership—working with all board members to plan the organization’s annual calendar of events, activities and programs that reflect UCDA’s strategic goals and objectives.
An ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:
- Excellent communication skills, including writing, editing, and content creation
- Strategic thinking skills
- Self-motivated
- Service-oriented
- Willingness to learn and collaborate
- Experience working with a committee or other similar team environment
- Able to lead and execute effective cross-channel communications
- Superb project management skills
- Ability to engage and motivate members, event chairs, volunteers, committee members and other stakeholders
- Experience working on a board is preferred, but not required
Primary Responsibilities
- Leads in producing successful programs in collaboration with event chair, co-chair, coordinator, fellow board members, and volunteers.
- These programs include the annual in-person Design Conference, annual virtual Creative Summit, monthly Creative Conversations, annual Design Awards competition, and periodic webinars and workshops. The programming director will also work with the Education Director and chair/co-chair/volunteers to assist as needed with planning the annual in-person Design Education Summit.
- Work closely with fellow board members.
- Identify and appoint a chairperson, co-chairperson, or coordinator for each event.
- Oversee, direct, and work with event chairs, coordinators, and committees.
- Work with the treasurer to develop and oversee event-related budgets.
- Assist in securing speakers, sponsors and venues when needed.
- Guiding the direction of the events through an understanding of trends in the industry and the interests and needs of the membership.
- Develop and maintain the event schedule and calendar for the year.
- Lead and moderate programming committee and programming team meetings.
- Create an event summary for each event.
- Work with Co-Digital Content Directors on pre-event promotion and registration,
- and post-event wrap and communications, including social media, email, and advertising campaigns.
- Completes and assists with any and all post-event punch list items.
- Present a programming report at each board meeting
More information on Board Roles
This role will remain open until a qualified candidate is selected.
Co-Membership Director
Term: Two years (Beginning January 1, 2026)
Application: Self-Nomination
Appointment: The UCDA Board and Executive Director review and approve candidates based on qualifications. The board may vote to appoint a nominee or bring multiple candidates to the organization's membership for a vote.
The Co-Membership Director performs the general duties and responsibilities of all board members as well as specific duties related to overseeing all things related to the maintenance, experience, and growth of our association’s membership. This position is filled by two co-directors who collaborate to execute and maintain the duties that follow. This role leads direction, management, and coordination of member engagement including, but not limited to, directing and coordinating a strong and robust volunteer base. This includes engaging members to be coordinators, chairpersons, and committee members as well as single event volunteers. This role works heavily with programming, education, development, and communications on initiatives to increase renewal and grow the membership. It is crucial that this role is savvy in who members are, who they can be (new growth areas and diversity), what interests them, what experiences, values, and benefits will matter to the members. This role is concerned heavily with creating community among members.
An ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:
- Excellent communication skills, including writing, editing, and content creation
- Strategic thinking skills
- Self-motivated
- Service-oriented
- Willingness to learn and collaborate
- Experience working with a committee or other similar team environment
- Able to lead and execute effective cross-channel communications
- Superb project management skills
- Ability to engage and motivate members, event chairs, volunteers, committee members and other stakeholders
- Experience working on a board is preferred, but not required
Duties include:
- Lead strategic objectives, actions, and tasks related to maintaining and growing membership, including growing the diversity of the membership.
- Maintain membership databases (along with Executive Director).
- Develop and submit monthly membership reports for board meetings.
- Identify, develop, and execute strategies and initiatives for membership engagement and growth.
- Represent the organization to the membership in a professional, positive, proactive way.
- Communicate and share benefits of UCDA membership.
- Assist with event registration and event check-in tables.
- Welcome new members through emails, social media, or calls.
- Monitor new members' demographics and make introductions where connections are identified.
- Create and lead a membership committee
- Develop a volunteer coordinator and committee.
- Create and maintain a volunteer ‘training’ program.
- Help to identify new potential coordinators, event chairpersons, and board members.
- Help develop volunteers into leaders.
- Develop strategies and initiatives for enhanced membership engagement and experience.
- Submit a membership engagement report for each board meeting.
Co-Director Structure
The two Co-Membership Directors will collaborate to fulfill all responsibilities listed above. Directors may divide tasks based on individual strengths, preferences, and availability, while maintaining consistent communication and coordination to ensure seamless execution of all membership strategies.
More information on Board Roles
This role will remain open until a qualified candidate is selected.