Dear ASHA members, students, clients and other stakeholders:

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the highest paid (at 500K+) and arguably the most influential position in the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). There is a CEO search currently underway by the ASHA Board of Directors (BOD). This is a critical time for us as a community to support the BOD’s pledge to work against racism and other forms of injustice by ensuring that the next CEO prioritizes social justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity. The purpose of posting this letter on the Change.org platform is to inform and engage the wider ASHA community. The ASHA Board of Directors was notified of the circulation of this letter on May 21, 2021.

Once you are logged onto Change.org, you may sign this petition as well as include a comment. Under “reasons for signing,” please indicate if you are a speech-language pathology or audiology professional, student, client, or other stakeholder to specify your relationship to this search. Once you finish signing, Change.org will request a donation from you. Please do not contribute money. Donations do not benefit this petition. Please instead share this letter.

In addition to signing the petition, please be sure to also provide your input to the ASHA BOD by visiting the following link so that your own personal concerns are officially registered with ASHA: https://www.asha.org/form/board-of-directors-feedback/ 

Sample Signatures:
First Last, M.S., CCC-SLP, speech-language pathologist in the public schools
First Last, B.A., audiology graduate student at University Name
First Last, parent of a child who receives speech therapy services
First Last, speech therapy client
First Last, public school educator who works alongside SLPs
 
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To the ASHA Board of Directors,

As you are aware, the retirement of ASHA’s longtime Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Arlene Pietranton, was announced on April 29, 2021 after 17 years in the position. A search for her replacement is underway, and ASHA has engaged the executive search firm Spencer Stuart in Washington D.C. with consultant Leslie Hortum. The search for a new CEO comes at a time when members expect ASHA to fulfill its promise to address systemic racism and institutional inequities as stated in the Response to Racism position statement approved by the Board in June 2020. As the CEO is appointed by the Board of Directors, we are writing to ensure that the next CEO prioritizes social justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity and will commit to working against racism and other forms of injustice. We also advocate for ASHA members’ participation as key stakeholders in a democratic decision-making process for the search and selection of the new CEO with regard to these aims.

The next CEO will play a key role in determining whether ASHA will engage in the organizational transformations necessary to meet its commitments for antiracism and to make social justice, equity, and inclusion – not only diversity – a top priority for ASHA. At an annual salary of over $500,000, the CEO is the highest paid position in our $65 million-revenue association. It is also arguably the most influential position in ASHA. According to the ASHA Bylaws, the CEO is endowed with the power to supervise and has general charge of all operating functions and activities of ASHA and to carry out the policies, programs, orders, and resolutions of the Board of Directors. While members of the Board of Directors serve no more than 3 consecutive years, the CEO contract has no term limits. In sum, the appointment of the next CEO could determine the direction of our association for decades to come.

We advocate for a transparent, participatory, and inclusive candidate search and selection process. Like a university, ASHA is a large, not-for-profit endeavor that is entrusted with performing work that is in the public good. Searches for university presidents are notable for their transparency, and for the focus they put on hiring someone who is credible to the university community, and who will work in the community’s interest. With this in mind, we ask for the following:

• Preparing for the search, we ask that the Board of Directors inform members of the search process in regular updates, ongoing email communications and messages linked to the ASHA.org home page.  This communication should inform members, students, clients and other stakeholders of anticipated milestones in the search, and allow members to give feedback on the search process before the candidate search begins.
• Relatedly, we ask that the CEO Position Requirements and Position Description be made available to members, students, clients and other stakeholders, and that this be discussed in a public forum that allows members to give feedback.
• Given the importance of issues related to racial and ethnic diversity, social justice, and equity, we ask that the finalists be limited to individuals who demonstrate a history of working against systemic forms of exclusion, and working for social justice, equity, inclusion and diversity in their current role. The pledge items found at this site is one resource for evaluating the qualities of the candidates: https://ncrje.org/resources/anti-racism-ceo-pledge/.
• When the candidates are selected, we ask that the BOD provide membership with the opportunity to hear about the qualifications, experiences, and leadership vision of the finalist candidates, while respecting whatever privacy and confidentiality requirements the search must operate under.
• We ask that the CEO candidates participate in a live forum with ASHA members, for example, through a web-based interview open to the membership.
• We ask for clarity if there is an expectation that the candidates will be anonymous. In this case, a web-based chat with the finalist would allow anonymity to be maintained, while still allowing for input from the membership. Members of ASHA who interact with the candidate should be allowed to complete a survey to express their opinions, and this should be shared with the board.
• We ask that the search be broad, and that candidates from across the country be sought. 
• We ask that regular updates be given to the membership through a webpage that can be accessed through the ASHA.org home page.  

Thank you for working with ASHA constituents and other stakeholders to make the CEO search a transparent and equity-driven process.