Rumor has it that members outside the United States cannot take a leading role in DKG. Members outside the United States can and do take leading roles in DKG. Members representing the sixteen countries outside the USA are included by virtue of the Constitution in the appointments considered for each international committee and are regularly elected to the International Nominations Committee (two from Europe are required) and to the DKG Educational Foundation. Europe has been represented on the DKGEF once with Marianne Skardéus (Sweden) elected to that position. The Finance Committee has had several European member and two have served as chair, Birgitta Johansson (Sweden) and Monica Tengling (Sweden).
Three positions on the Administrative Board are exclusively offered to members outside the USA: Latin American Representative, Canadian Representative, and the European Regional Director. The Latin American and Canadian Representatives have been in place since 1999. Until Europe became a region in 1998, there was a European Representative on the Administrative Board. Now Europe is represented on that board through the European Regional Director. To date eleven Europeans have served as European Regional Director.
Six positions on the Administrative Board are open to all members regardless of their nationality: president, 1st vice president, 2nd vice president, two member-at-large and the position of immediate past president. Since 2000 members from outside the USA have held positions at the highest levels of DKG. One Canadian has held the position of international president (Jackie Cuppy, 2004-2006) and then immediate past president (2006-2008). In recent years both a European (Dr. Sigrún Klara Hannesdóttir) and a Latin American (Jeannette Zuñiga) member have served as 2nd vice president. Currently, Dr. Lace Marie Brogden from Canada is the 2nd vice president. Several others have served as member-at-large, including Dr. Christina Lindqvist (Sweden) and Jeannette Zuñiga (Costa Rica).
The conclusion might be that it is hard to get a position on the Administrative Board, but one’s nationality is not the issue. The same avenues for becoming a leader at the highest level are open to all throughout the Society. It is not impossible for members outside the USA to move forward in the Society. Successfully attaining an elected position demands service at all three levels, excellence in that service, and recognition as a leader by all members no matter your nationality or theirs.
The key to having a leading role in DKG is to apply. Currently, most applications come from US members. Members outside the US can change that trend by applying for elected positions for the 2020-2022 biennium. Applications will be posted on the DKG website by July 1, 2019 and are due for consideration no later than September 15, 2019. … And, that’s no rumor!
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