Scott Miller, chair of the board of directors of the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) made a pledge to diversify the board of directors of the organization during NHF’s Bleeding Disorders Conference on August 1, 2020. During his speech at NHF’s Opening Session, he cited the protests in May and June against racial injustice as an opportunity to assess the board’s diversity. “Now is the time to have open conversations about race in our valued institutions,” he said. Currently, the NHF board has minimal minority representation; out of the fifteen members, four are women. “That needs to change,” Miller said. “We have a board that does not reflect who the bleeding disorders community is.”
NHF board members serve a three-year term, with the opportunity to be elected to serve two additional terms. Typically, the executive directors of NHF chapters nominate potential board members. This is the first year the chair has solicited nominations directly from the bleeding disorders community.
“We need new voices speaking for the bleeding disorders community,” Miller said. “The years ahead are going to be full of change – new therapies, new advancements, and with them, new challenges. We need to embrace new ideas, and one way we do this is to invite new thinkers to the board.”
The NHF board of directors works with the president and CEO of the organization to fundraise, oversee strategic planning, and elevate the mission of NHF. Currently, the board is seeking members with areas of expertise in medical research, finance, and solicitation of major donors. Applicants do not have to have a background in bleeding disorders. Applicants are interviewed by current board members and voted on by the executive directors of NHF’s chapters. NHF does not permit pharmaceutical or specialty pharmacy company employees to serve on its board. The deadline for applications is September 11, 2020.
For more information including how to apply for the board, go to NHF’s board of directors page on the foundation website.
