Justice Forward Virginia Seeking Board Member
Justice Forward Virginia is seeking to add a new member to its Board of Directors. By-laws adopted in 2022 require the organization to make good faith and reasonable efforts to ensure the board is equipped to fulfill its purpose of transformative change within the criminal legal system, by including historically marginalized and directly impacted people, as well as individuals who are on the front-lines of reform but often excluded from policymaking, such as public defenders and other social justice advocates. In addition, current needs of our expanding and professionalizing organization require increased capacity to better navigate the complexities of nonprofit governance. Factors we may consider in electing a new board member include race, ethnicity, sex, geographic distribution, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, level of interest in and engagement with advocacy for criminal legal reform, professional experience, skills and abilities, experience with nonprofit leadership, governance and legal compliance, and willingness to actively support Justice Forward’s fundraising and advocacy efforts.
Justice Forward’s board is in the process of transitioning from a “working board”— meaning board members govern the organization and staff its operations—to primarily a strategic governing board, where operations are handled by the executive director, with assistance from board members as needed and available. Current board members participate in growing the size and influence of the organization, supervising and assisting the executive director, and aid in the transition to a strategic governing board that oversees a staff-led organization.
The current members of the Justice Forward board would particularly welcome expressions of board interest from people who have shown their commitment to criminal legal reform and/or have experience with leadership and governance of nonprofits working on other social justice issues, who also have one or more of the following attributes: they are a person from a historically marginalized group; they have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system; they live or work in Hampton Roads, the Valley or Southwest Virginia; they have experience with budgeting, nonprofit legal compliance or finance; they have nonprofit governing board or staff leadership experience; they have fundraising experience; or they have experience as a criminal defense lawyer or public defender.
People interested in serving on the board are invited to submit a one-page statement of their interest in and reasons for serving on the board that includes information about how their selection as a board member will assist the board in advancing its goals of transforming the criminal legal system. To ensure consideration, the statement of interest should be submitted by email no later than noon on September 29, 2023, to Andy Elders, chair of the board, at info@justiceforwardva.com.