The PDGA seeks highly motivated active members who are interested in guiding the policies and strategic priorities for the global governing body of the sport of disc golf. Competitive candidates will demonstrate a background and expertise in the desired knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) listed below, as well as a passion for growing disc golf into a globally recognized recreational and competitive sport.

Beginning with the 2023 elections, the PDGA Global Board of Directors has updated the criteria, guidelines, and procedures for the global PDGA board candidate application process and has reconstituted the PDGA Global BOD Nominating Committee (NC) originally established in 2011 to manage the candidate process. The decision to make this change is driven by exponential growth of membership, sanctioned events, and overall financial position of the PDGA since the start of the pandemic. With this growth in membership comes the added benefit of having increasingly more members with specialties and professional backgrounds to help guide the association through these historic times. The updated qualification criteria and application process ensure we are able to properly screen, vet, and select candidates for the election ballot that best meet the current needs of the PDGA and its ever-growing membership base.

Candidate Qualification Criteria

• Must be an active member in good standing and be at least 18 years of age as of September 1st of current election year
• Must be an active member for at least two consecutive years as of the date of the first call for candidates (April 3, 2023)
• Must not have been on PDGA suspension or probation within the last three years, including violation of the PDGA Community Guidelines; warnings within a 3-year period will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis
• Must pass a criminal background check free of assaults, fraud, and/or other major negative indicators
• Must have a history of conducting themselves in a positive and ethical manner as a member of the PDGA
• Must not have a significant conflict of interest as identified in the PDGA COI Policy; must agree to sign nondisclosure and confidentiality agreement
• Must be available to attend two in-person Summits per year (generally in the Spring and Fall, two days each); must be available to attend video conference meeting once per month typically scheduled for the second Tuesday of the month from 4:00 -7:00 pm ET.
• Must have access to electronic device capable of video conferencing via Zoom, opening Microsoft Office documents, accessing the internet and email, and similar general office administration functions

Candidate Application Process

The self-nominating process has been changed from submitting a 1-page online form, to prospective candidates now completing the below requirements. All candidate material must be submitted to the NC no later than April 30, 2023, 11:59 pm EDT, by emailing BODcandidate@pdga.com.

• Submit a professional cover letter and resume containing the following information:
  • Your intent to run for the Global BOD with the acknowledgement that this position comes with legal fiduciary responsibilities and you are willing to take on those responsibilities if elected
  • Personal goals and priorities as a Director should you be elected. Simply explain why you are running and what you want to accomplish during your tenure
  • List your specific experience, background, certifications, etc., that qualify you to accomplish your goals and priorities and how they align with the PDGA’s KSAs, strategic priorities, and core competencies
  • Disclose any conflict of interest items as detailed in the PDGA COI Policy
• Submit three letters of recommendations attesting to your experience, qualifications, and character, with at least one reference provided by an active PDGA member.
• Applications will be received and initially reviewed for completeness by the NC. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt from the NC and any follow-on instructions if required.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

• Experience developing or managing youth sports and/or recreation programs
• Olympic and/or collegiate sports experience at the management and event organization level; management experience with other sporting governing bodies
• Executive management/leadership experience
• Experience with developing/managing diversity and equity programs
• Experience with policy and strategic planning development
• Legal background
• Accounting, finance, and/or investment management experience
• Education background, curriculum development
• Proficient in marketing, advertising, and/or sponsorship programs
• Strong background in media and communications fields

PDGA Priorities

• Increase number of competitive opportunities for members
• Further develop Youth & Education programs and opportunities
• Education and Training of Event Directors and members (e.g., online training, regional training, etc.)
• Enhanced Affiliate Club Program (more structure, increase value)
• Increase participation of underserved demographics
• Enhance PDGA Majors and Worlds Championships
• International growth, programs, and services

PDGA Core Competencies

• Enabling and supporting organized sanctioned disc golf events.
• Providing membership services that enable organized disc golf competition at all levels that help fund the PDGA’s mission to promote, grow, and sustain the sport of disc golf around the world.

Nominating Committee

NC Composition

NC members will consist of three to five PDGA members. When possible, one or two should be past Directors of the Global BOD, with the remaining two consisting of members with strong backgrounds matching the desired KSAs for the current election cycle. The initial members of the NC will be selected by the Global BOD and the Executive Director; however, for subsequent years the NC will select members of the committee independent of the BOD and ED. The NC will elect the Chair of the committee from within their current group, who will lead the committee through their charter. NC members may only serve two consecutive years on the committee before they are required to sit out for at least two years before being reconsidered for this committee once again. The NC is charged with initial screening, vetting, and ballot selection of the candidates. The names of of the NC members will be posted on the PDGA's Committee page after they are selected.

NC Process

• Initial screening: Nominating Committee reviews cover letters and resumes. The initial review may eliminate candidates who are significantly under-qualified or do not meet the minimum candidate qualification criteria to run for the BOD.
• Vetting: Ensure the candidates have a clean disciplinary history and are in good standing with the PDGA.
• Interviews: Conduct video interviews with the remaining candidates.
• Selection: NC ranks candidates and selects up to 6 nominees for every 2 open positions, and 7 nominees for every 3 open positions. If there are not 6-7 qualified candidates, the NC may select fewer candidates for the ballot. Selection will be based on best qualified to meet the needs of the PDGA as advertised in the call for candidates.
• Background Check: Criminal background checks will be run on the selected candidates before they are officially approved for the ballot and notified of their selection. Should an applicant not pass the background check, the next nominee in line will take their place.
• Notification: Candidates will be notified of the results of the selection process.

Note: A key change to this year’s process is only 6 of the most qualified candidates will make it onto the ballot. This change is being introduced to ensure individual member votes have the most impact when selecting the candidates to best represent their interests. In recent elections there has been up to 18 candidates on the ballot, many of which received under 10% of votes with very little chance of winning. We have received member feedback that the candidate field needs to be reduced as to not dilute member votes across a very large field of candidates. 6-7 candidates are also a large enough field to provide a diverse list of qualified nominees while allowing members adequate time to fully review their stated priorities and experience before selecting 2-3 candidates who best represent their interests.

Key Dates

• April 3-30: Call for PDGA Global Board candidates published. Candidate application are due NO LATER THAN Apr 30, 2023, 11:59 pm ET. Late submission will not be accepted so please allow time for unforeseen circumstances.
• May 1-30: Nominating Committee process begins.
• June 1-30: On June 1, the official candidates will be listed on PDGA.com. PDGA Radio interviews with candidate will also commence and be posted on their bios NO LATER THAN Jun 15.
• July 1-31: Member voting period.
• August 1: Results released.
• September 1: Newly elected Directors begin three-year terms.