Dear ISSDP colleagues:
We are seeking nominations to fill one (1) vacancy on the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP) Board as Rebecca Askew’s term of office has finished. We are now inviting ISSDP members to nominate themselves or other members to be elected for a four-year term.
ISSDP Board: The role of the ISSDP is to advance education and research on drug policy through publication, dissemination, and engagement. Board members are the Charity Trustees of the Society. Their role is to manage the property and business of the Society, which involves discussions on conferences/seminars, meetings, relations with other associations, and the principles/policies of ISSDP. Board members are also actively involved in ISSDP business through sub-committees which advance ISSDP interests and priorities. In addition to sub-committee meetings, Board meetings are held at least four times per year – hybrid at the annual conference and online thereafter. Board members serve a four-year term, the newly elected trustee will start in September 2026.
Nominees: The Board is elected from and by the membership. ISSDP by-laws state that Board members must represent at least four different countries. Each member of the Board is considered to represent the country of their primary institutional affiliation, regardless of country of birth or citizenship. We particularly encourage nominations from the Global South.
Nomination Process: Members may nominate themselves or other members. Nominees require support by a proposer and seconder who must also be current ISSDP members. The proposer and seconder should ensure that their nominee is an ISSDP member and willing to serve. Please copy the nominee, proposer and seconder into the nomination email to indicate their support.
The nomination should include a one-page statement and photograph with the following details:
• A short biography of the nominee;
• A note on the skills they offer as a Board member;
• Why they wish to stand and what they hope to accomplish as a Board member.
The closing date for nominations is Friday 31 July, 2026.
Please email nominations in a Word document with photograph included to the ISSDP Elections Chair, Aileen O’Gorman: aileen.ogorman@uws.ac.uk.
After the closing date for Nominations, a ballot listing all nominees and their one-page personal statements will be circulated to ISSDP members for online voting for three weeks from 10 August (polls close 31 August, 2026). Please contact the Election Committee if you have any questions.
Current ISSDP Board: President (Caitlin Hughes, AU), Vice-President (Aileen O’Gorman, SCO/UK) and Trustees: Rebecca Askew, UK; Yatan Pal Singh Balhara, IN; Laura H. Atuesta Becerra, CO; Alissa Greer, CA; Marie Jauffret-Roustide, FR; Gideon Lasco, PH; Bronwyn Myers, AU; Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, USA (immediate past President); Jessica Storbjörk, SW; Liesbeth Vandam, PT. The Founding President (Peter Reuter, USA) is an ex-officio Board member. Rachel Lees Thorne (Treasurer) and Winnie Agnew-Pauley (Secretary) are Board attendees.
ISSDP Electoral Committee: Aileen O’Gorman (Chair) (aileen.ogorman@uws.ac.uk), Karen Laidler (kjoe@hku.hk), Rosario Queirolo (rosario.queirolo@ucu.edu.uy), Nicola Singleton (Nicola.Singleton@kcl.ac.uk).
