Are you a potential candidate for the Loma Prieta Chapter Executive Committee?
By Nominations Committee
Did you know that the Sierra Club is the largest nationwide volunteer-driven environmental organization in the United States? To accomplish that with a consistent voice, our Club has been carefully organized into bylaws-governed chapters. The Loma Prieta Chapter is one of 13 Chapters in California each of which is administered by an elected Executive Committee composed of environmentally conscious Club members willing to provide leadership as we pursue the Club’s goals at the local level.
The Loma Prieta Chapter boundaries encompass San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Benito counties. The Executive Committee provides final policy approval for the chapter and is responsible for ensuring that chapter actions are compliant with Sierra Club and chapter policies and interests.
There are 9 elected Executive Committee members who develop and facilitate execution of an overall strategy to grow and engage our membership and strengthen the chapter and provide support to our chapter’s local entities to carry out the Club's mission of exploring, enjoying, and protecting the planet. Our chapter alternately elects 4 or 5 individuals to serve on its Executive Committee for 2-year terms starting in January of each year. Although it is not known at this time whether any of the current 5 incumbents whose terms are up for reelection will be stepping down we are nonetheless seeking the interest of people who love the Sierra Club, who are concerned about the environment, and who can commit for two years to making Executive Committee and Sierra Club objectives a high priority.
Executive Committee members should be willing to assist our chapter in various leadership areas. Executive Committee members are expected to spend a minimum of 5-10 hours a month on chapter business, and typically take on additional duties such as serving on other chapter level committees covering membership, communications, fundraising, finance, conservation, politics and as liaisons to chapter internal entities, other Club chapters, and to the state and national Club organizations.
The ideal candidate is well-informed in one or more aspects of environmental protection or stewardship, and has one or more of the following qualities:
has some familiarity with the workings of the Sierra Club and/or the Loma Prieta Chapter.
is knowledgeable about city, county or state politics and the interplay of the Club’s conservation issues.
has interest and/or expertise in fundraising.
has experience with nonprofit organizations and volunteer management.
We hope you'll consider applying to serve on our Executive Committee. The deadline to apply is August 1, 2026. Please contact the Nominations Committee.
Shown below is the detailed 2026 Executive Committee Nomination and Election Schedule
2026 Chapter Executive Committee (ExCom) Nomination and Election Schedule
June to July 31:
Send and receive applications and questionnaire answers from members seeking to run for Chapter and Group ExComs.
Interviews with applicants.
The Nomination Committee (Nom Com) decides on whether to nominate each candidate after reading their questionnaire answers and after interviewing the candidate.
August 1: Deadline for submitting applications and questionnaire answers to run for Chapter and Group ExComs to Nom Com.
August 5: Present list of nominated candidates at August 5 Chapter ExCom meeting.
August 6: Notify candidates who were not chosen as nominated candidates. Inform them about petition candidate process and the August 20 deadline for submitting the 40 notarized petitions (per candidate). Each petition candidate must submit their own notarized signatures and each petition signer must submit their notarized signatures (all 40) and the notary's stamp plus the notary's signature must be submitted.
August 20: 5:00 pm Deadline for submitting hard copy petitions (one page for each petition signer with the notary's stamp AND signature. We advise sending your petition packets with all the notarized documentation by certified mail, so that there will be no dispute about when you mailed it.
October 5: Paper ballots are to be mailed to members and an alternative online voting portal is opened.
November 20: Postmarked deadline for members to return ballots. Voting portal closes at 5:00 pm. Ballot counting shall start on November 21 and will continue for as long as it takes. Election Committee (ElectCom) reports election results shortly thereafter this date to the Chapter Secretary who will officially notify candidates, ExCom members, and other interested parties.
December 2: ExCom Meeting: Last meeting of 2026 ExCom Members.