What is the HFESA Board?

The HFESA Board consists of Directors who are responsible for the running of the Society, including governance, setting the strategic direction of the Society, and managing finances and membership benefits. Currently, the HFESA Board of Directors consists of:

• An Executive team (the President, Treasurer and Secretary) and
• Directors from each Branch (known as Branch Directors)

Any financial member can be nominated to be a Director, and these roles must be elected at an EGM or AGM. The only exception to this is the Secretary role, which is elected by the board. Once a new Director/Secretary has been selected, they give written consent confirming that they accept the role and must apply for their Director ID before they are appointed. The tasks for director roles are determined by the Board, however executive roles have specific duties.

The Directors on the Board have a 2-year term commencing in December after the AGM. As per the HFESA constitution, these roles are voluntary however any costs associated with travelling to and attending face-to-face Board meetings are covered by HFESA.

HFESA Board Members and Secretariat (note: SIG Representative Antoine Jdeidani absent from photo).

Why join the HFESA Board?

The Board of Directors at HFESA is a great opportunity to not only influence the direction of HFESA, but learn about running of the society.  Each Director will receive training in governance and be part of a collegiate team working together to promote Human Factors and Ergonomics in Australia. If you want to expand your skills in leadership, and develop your expertise on a professional Board, putting yourself forward to be elected to the Board is an excellent place to start.

How much time does it take to be a Board Director?

The time spent in undertaking Director roles varies through the year, but averages at about one hour per week.  Each Board director must attend the Board meetings held quarterly (typically in Feb, May, Aug and Nov). The online meetings are held on a Saturday, and the face-to-face board meetings are held on a Saturday and Sunday (typically before the annual conference or when budgets are determined). Directors are required to present a quarterly report on activities undertaken in their portfolio at quarterly Board meetings and a report of the activities over a year for the Annual report, presented at the Annual General Meeting.  A manual outlining various tasks for board members is available and those in Executive Director positions (the President, Secretary and Treasurer) provide coaching and mentoring for the incoming executive team. The time spent on Director roles in the executive team is higher than other Director roles due to particular executive tasks taking more time, however all Director roles carry equal responsibility and therefore the delegation of tasks throughout the board can assist in spreading the load.

When do Director roles commence?

Under our current governance processes, all board directors on the incoming board commence on 1 Dec 2026 at the AGM, however the incoming president and incoming treasurer join the board position to attend the remaining board meetings in May, August and November this year before commencing the role of HFESA President and HFESA Treasurer on 1 Dec 2026. The current President also remains on the board in the role of outgoing president for 12 months (until 1 Dec 2027).  This process is designed to enable continuity of strategic planning and mentoring for incoming Directors.

Why do I need to vote for Board roles?

HFESA is run by members for members, and the members who sit on the Board of Directors for HFESA play a crucial role in deciding the direction of the Society. Any financial member can nominate to be a Director and all Directors are elected by members, with the exception of the Secretary, who is elected by the incoming Board.

It is important that members select Directors who will act in the best interest of HFESA, so your vote matters! 

Other board director positions

As per the HFESA constitution, Director roles must be elected at an EGM or AGM.  The only exception to this is the Secretary role, which is elected by the Board after they commence their terms as directors at the AGM on 1 Dec 2026. The incoming president ad incoming treasurer are elected at the EGM earlier in the year to allow time for them to join the board as non-voting guests. This mentoring period has been designed to ease transition into their roles before their terms as directors commences immediately after the AGM on 1 Dec 2026.

Note that Branch directors are voted by members in a ballot at Annual Branch Meetings around October to be elected by members as directors at the AGM on 1 Dec 2026. This means members in a state or territory with a HFESA branch can select the board director from their local branch*. The member voted in as branch director for each branch will be formally elected by members at the AGM on 1 Dec 2026; and their term commences immediately after this AGM. To ensure the incoming board is not entirely made up of new directors at the AGM on 1 Dec 2026, elections for branch directors will be staggered this year and some branch director positions will be carried over and elected in 2027.

*Current HFESA branches are WA, SA, Qld, NSW and Vic. As there is no active HFESA branch in Tasmania, members living in Tas are eligible to nominate or vote for Vic Branch director at the at the Vic Annual Branch Meeting. Any members residing in the NT are eligible to nominate or vote for SA Branch director at the SA Annual Branch Meeting.

A table outlining nominations and elections for directors is below:

Summary of the schedule for electing Board Directors in 2026