Association for Conflict Resolution
Spirituality Section Nominations Open for One Tri-Chair Position for the Spirituality Section


Please consider joining us in a leadership position in the fastest growing section in ACR. We have carefully constructed an organizational model that does not overburden the volunteers, but rather divides the amount of work for a cohesive effort moving forward.

Nomination and Election Procedures

In an effort to encourage you to consider running for Tri-Chair, the Section leadership will be hosting two conference calls to discuss the role of leadership and answer questions for all who might have an interest in learning more. Please join us on the call on:

Friday, May 22 at 10:00 am EST, or
Friday, June 19 at 4:00 pm EST

Dial 1-712-432-1620, code: 962913#

If you cannot make either call, or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact either Tri-Chair Lili Zohar at lili@lilizohar.com before May 25 or after June 19 or Emily Gould at emilygould@aol.com. Please send a note about your willingness to serve to Don Dickey at ddickey@valley.net no later than Friday June 26, 2009 with a brief one-paragraph bio and jpeg photo. Or you may nominate anyone you think would be an effective leader, and we will check with them for their willingness to serve.

Elections will be held online:

On July 3, a slate of nominees will be posted on the ACR Spirituality Section website, and online voting will begin. An email with voting instructions will be sent to all Spirituality Section members.
On July 24, the elections will close. Section members will be informed of the result via email and on the Section’s website on or before July 31. The result will also be announced and the new Tri-Chair inducted at the ACR Annual Conference on October 7-10, 2009. The term of the Tri-Chair will begin at the ACR Annual Conference.

Tri-Chair Model of Leadership

The ACR Spirituality Section uses a tri-chair model with rotating three-year terms. Every year the Spirituality Section elects one Tri-Chair-Elect who serves as a Tri-Chair for three years beginning and ending at the ACR Annual Conference. That individual becomes lead Tri-Chair in the third year of service.

Being elected to the position of Tri-Chair of the Spirituality Section is a rewarding experience and allows the individual to become part of a connected and caring virtual community. The three-year commitment prepares individuals for a professional life that approaches conflict with a holistic view of the work and of the participants.

The Tri-Chairs of the Section work closely with the Leadership Council, the Advisory Board, and members of the Section to accomplish the mission and goals of the Section. The Tri-Chairs telephonically attend monthly ACR Leadership Council meetings as well as monthly spirituality circle tele-meetings. In-person meetings are conducted at the start of the Annual Conference(s).

The ACRSS is a very active section and serves all members regardless of area of practice. The time commitment requested varies depending on the task and the individual. Typically, for the lead tri-chair in the third year, the section activities require a commitment of four hours per week for successful and effective leadership of the section and oversight of volunteer activities and projects. In the first two years, the commitment is less. We hold monthly inspirational tele-meetings each month to maintain a virtual community of support. We have at least four sub-committees with chairs, including: a welcoming committee, a communications committee, a retreat committee, and a caring / outreach committee. We expect more time from the volunteers in preparation of our two annual events: the pre-conference institute in the early fall and the mid-year retreat which serves 100 members each year in February.

To be considered, the applicant must:

Be a visionary leader, and remain, an active member in good standing of the ACR and the Spirituality Section of ACR;

Be willing and able to attend and participate in the ACR Annual Conferences and Section meetings;

Be willing and able to attend an ACR Leadership Council Session before one of the Annual Conference(s);

Be willing and able to participate in Section and ACR conference calls that are scheduled monthly throughout the year.

Demonstrated capabilities include the following:

Ability to effectively communicate to others

Ability to inspire Section members to accomplish the Section work in a timely manner

Willingness to work with their Section constituents to advance their individual and collective interests effectively

Ability to work well with others

Ability to run effective meetings

Ability to effectively represent the interests of the Section in external aspects such as ACR and other Sections.

We Welcome You to Leadership!