SSDP is governed by a Board of Directors and a Board of Trustees, a designated body of the Board of Directors. Elected student members and appointed alumni make up the Board of Directors; all are volunteers and each member serves a two-year term. Members are expected to fundraise $1,000 annually to contribute to the organization. Some of the responsibilities include: crafting strategy for the organization, monitoring compliance and financial affairs, overseeing SSDP’s Executive Director, planning the annual SSDP strategy summit, and preparing Congress. Each member serves on various Board committees that range from international outreach to fundraising. If you’re interested in looking at the bylaws, check them out here.
This year, twenty candidates are running for six spots on the Board. Candidates come from chapters all across the U.S., Nigeria, and Ghana. The first Congress session begins at 8 pm on Friday, March 24, at the annual conference in Portland. Candidates will answer questions about their leadership capacity, fundraising capability, and vision for drug policy in front of their SSDP peers. Before the conference, be sure to check out the candidate applications or the candidate highlights if you’re in a rush.