Committees
Committees are a great place to start your volunteer journey. Choose an area where you can put your passion and natural talent to good use. Most committees have a one-year commitment of July 1 - June 30, those that deviate are noted below. The monthly time commitment averages 2-4 hours and varies by committee.
*To ensure a fair and unbiased process, serving on the PDC or Elevate, or Seasonal steak subgroups while submitting a proposal is considered a conflict of interest. Committee participation must remain free of self-promotion, and we encourage applicants to abstain from serving in those groups during that cycle.
APPLICATIONS WILL OPEN MARCH 16 FOR THE 2026-27 FISCAL YEAR
Communications
To support and amplify the Success Plan goals by nurturing ongoing endeavors while also cultivating inventive concepts to facilitate interaction among members via organizational communication platforms.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The DEI Committee's mission is to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within Associations West and the broader association community. They do this by promoting and engaging the broader association community to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizations, by building Associations West’s culture in advancing its practice of DEI, and by assessing Associations West's DEI plan annually and making any adjustments in concert with the Board of Directors.
ELEVATE Annual Conference
ELEVATE Annual Conference is the largest education event of the year, with nearly 30 professional development education opportunities over three days combined with a networking event each evening. The committee handles location selection, concept/theme design, sponsorship solicitation, attendance, assistance with programming, and volunteer on-site. The meetings are via conference call for a total of seven times per year for one hour and also in-office help two weeks leading up to the event. Committee members put the "steak" (education) and "sizzle" (experience) into this springtime, multi-day education and relationship-building event.
Legislative Advisory Work Group (LAW Group)
The purpose of the LAW group centers on two themes: 1. producing professional development content and resources for members, and 2. providing a peer discussion group to get advice, exchange ideas on advocacy strategy and compare advocacy trends and practices.
Membership Advisory Group (MAG)
Assess staff recommendations and provide best practices for member recruitment, retention, and engagement. The MAG oversees Associations West’s membership recruitment and retention plan, develops Board recommendations for membership dues, and coordinates with regional councils on member engagement strategies.
Professional Development (PDC)
The Professional Development Committee (PDC) has a well-rounded and strategic purpose to advise and shape the educational programming offered through Associations West to association professionals and industry partners. The group’s work spans planning, community engagement, and program design, with a clear emphasis on leadership development and volunteer activation.
Seasonal Spectacular
Seasonal Spectacular is the largest association tradeshow on the West Coast which includes 1.5 days of education programs, EXCHANGE - the Associations West Appointment Show, luncheons, and a tradeshow. The committee will generate booth sales, solicit for attendance, determine concept/theme design, assist with the overall logistics of the event, and manage volunteer duties on-site. Meetings are via conference call for a total of 8 times per year for one hour and also in-office help two weeks leading up to the event
Responsibilities of an Associations West Committee Member
- Be knowledgeable about Associations West and the Council. Be familiar with and understand the following:
- Associations West Strategic Plan, vision, mission, and objectives
- Committee Mission and Responsibilities
- Committee Membership (Roster)
- Associations West Volunteer Policies and Guidelines (Board Manual)
- Be prepared, regularly attend, and actively participate in committee meetings (virtual). Committees meet 4-5 times a year.
- Support developing and implementing the committee mission, goals, and related strategies (brainstorm innovative ideas, act as an advisory group, enhance member engagement programs, etc.).
- Time Commitment: Committee member contributions may vary but are expected to be between two and four hours per month.