Meals on Wheels California Call for Nominations 2026

The Meals on Wheels California Governance Committee is pleased to announce our 2026 Call for Nominations. The Committee is currently seeking interested candidates to apply to join the MOWCA Board of Directors. The Committee welcomes nominations of executive staff from member organizations as well as representatives from affiliated fields such as gerontology, finance, legal, or logistics. The Board is committed to an inclusive culture that values and embraces diversity of thought, perspective, geography, experience, background, and people.

Nomination Process:

Prospective candidates for elective office should familiarize themselves with the Board Member position description and the legal and ethical considerations for Board Members and shall complete the nomination form. This form will serve as the basis for the Committee’s applicant screening and slating. Only slated candidates will appear on the ballot. To be considered, Nomination Forms must be received by September 30, 2026 no later than 5pm PDT.

Should the Committee approve your candidacy for slating, please be advised that your picture and the biographical and other information contained in the Nomination Form may be made available (in full or in part) to MOWCA Membership as part of the announcement and may also be made available to the general public. As such, by submitting your application, you agree that materials you submit may be made available to MOWCA membership and to the public, and further acknowledge that MOWCA has no control over subsequent disclosures that may be made by MOWCA members.

Qualifications:

For all candidates, the Committee will review each application and determine whether the candidate meets the criteria and qualifications for elective office, as established in the Bylaws and by the Board.

For all candidates, the Board has set forth the following as minimum qualifications for election to the Board:
A candidate for Board of Directors must:

  • Serve as the chief executive or an executive level position of a Member program or be employed in a high level position in an affiliated field as outlined below;
  • The Member program must be in good standing at the time of nomination and election;
  • Have the written consent of the organization’s Executive Director/CEO if the applicant is not the Executive Director/CEO of the member organization.
  • Be employed in an affiliated field whose expertise may benefit MOWCA and the MOWCA board in meeting their strategic objectives. Examples of such fields include: gerontology, finance, legal, or logistics.
  • Commit the time and resources necessary to prepare for, attend, and fully participate in Board meetings, assigned Board Committees, and related functions;
  • Understand and agree to act as a representative and in the best interest of Meals on Wheels California, not of their individual program;
  • Actively support the mission and vision of MOWCA;
  • Actively and demonstrably support and participate in MOWCA initiatives.

Review and Slating by the Governance Committee:

Using the above qualifications, the Governance Committee will make a determination as to whether a prospective candidate meets the minimum qualifications to be eligible for elective office. The Committee or its designee may also contact a prospective candidate if there are questions about the materials submitted or if clarification is needed.

Once the basic eligibility criteria have been met, the Committee will carefully review the responses contained in the Nomination Form apply the following desirable qualifications for service, will conduct interviews to develop its recommended slate of candidates to put forward to the Board, and subsequently to the Membership for a vote.

Additional Desirable Qualifications:

  • A willingness and aptitude to speak on a state level to advance the vision where all Member organizations have a guiding, unified voice, and a statewide resource for collaboration, engagement, communication, and fellowship;
  • An ability to be an advocate for MOWCA and its programs with legislators and other policy makers;
  • An ability to operate at a strategic level consistent with good Board governance practices;
  • The overall personal and professional skills, competencies, and experience to help diversify and strengthen the Board and to advance MOWCA’s mission;
  • The ability to assist in the cultivation of statewide relationships with donors, foundations, and corporations to garner financial resources and support fundraising efforts for MOWCA’s benefit as appropriate;
  • Prior experience serving on a Board.

The Governance Committee will distribute a ballot to all MOWCA Members for voting purposes with its recommended candidate slate for the open positions. The ballot will be open for 30 days. All decisions of the Committee and Board are final.