Governance reorganization of the Arizona public health association

Non-profit professional associations, such as the Arizona Public Health Association, are advocates for their profession and they serve the interests of their members. As associations grow in membership and as greater demands are made on its governing body, efficiency of operations and responsiveness to members' needs may become sluggish. Such was the case of the Arizona Public Health Association. The board of directors expanded to meet various needs but the efficiency and effectiveness of the board suffered. The election of a new executive board in 2010 prompted the board to take action. The actions proposed were to revise the mission and vision statements and to reorganize the governance of the association. Using the Kurt Lewin (1947) Change Management Model as a guide, a plan for the reorganization was written. The staged 3 year plan allowed the membership to approve/disapprove at the association's annual meetings each stage of the reorganization. Stage 1: Unfreezing. During the year 1 stage, executive board members articulated the rationale for the change process. A communication process was designed to inform members what reorganization might mean, to gather input from members, and to prepare a motion for approval at the annual meeting. Stage 2: Change (or Transition). During the year 2 stage, the executive board members and the executive director of the association planned out what changes would be made and how to implement them. Policies and procedures were rewritten and changes to the by-laws were prepared for membership approval. Stage 3: Freezing (or Refreezing). During the year 3 stage, the changes were fully implemented. An evaluation of the changes will take place prior to the association's annual meeting in September 2013 along with discussion of lessons learned.