AAUW’s Board of Directors is made up of 15 AAUW members, including 12 board members elected by the AAUW membership and three board members appointed by the Board of Directors.
There are five members of the AAUW Board whose terms are ending in May 2026. Four are elected by the AAUW membership and one is appointed by the AAUW Board of Directors, in accordance with the AAUW bylaws.
Patricia (Pat) Ashe spent her career in leadership positions in both for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals across the United States. Pat had the opportunity to work with thousands of women, dealing with pay inequity, discrimination, other human resource issues, and constantly changing state and national regulatory requirements. Pat participated in major hospital mergers, the development and monitoring of several Strategic Plans, and management of multi-million dollar budgets. Pat joined AAUW Asheville in 2007, undertaking multiple branch leadership roles. She was North Carolina state President for four years and currently is the state board Public Policy Committee Chair She also is the AAUW Asheville/GEM President and participates in both the branch and national Public Policy Committees. In addition to her work with AAUW, Pat is involved with ERA-NC Alliance and a number of local nonprofits. She holds a BSN degree from Fort Hays Kansas State University and a Master’s from Arizona State University.
Sandi Gabe is a seasoned leader with a passion for helping organizations navigate change, strengthen alignment, and expand their impact. She has been actively involved with AAUW at both the branch and state levels, including serving as President of AAUW California, where she focused on strengthening communications, expanding reach, and supporting alignment across the organization during a period of transition. In her professional career, Sandi held senior leadership roles with United Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, and Catholic Healthcare West, leading complex, large-scale initiatives in strategy, organizational design, and operations. She is known for her ability to guide organizations through change, align stakeholders, and deliver sustainable results. She is also active in her community, contributing to nonprofit and civic efforts that required effective communication and engagement to achieve meaningful outcomes.
Cindy Hall served as President of AAUW Pennsylvania for two terms (2022-2026). Prior to her position on the state board, she was Co-President of AAUW State College for two terms. She served on the AAUW National Nominating Committee for several years and currently is Co-Chair of the AAUW 2026 Atlantic States Regional Conference. Cindy holds a Ph.D. from Penn State. Formerly, she was the Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications and Chief Marketing Officer at Penn State where she oversaw major branding and identify initiatives, as well as taught public relations to senior undergraduate students. She attended the in-residence Management Development Program (MDP) at the Harvard Institutes of Higher Education. She has been a frequent presenter at conferences and institutes for organizations including the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Association for Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), American Marketing Association (AMA), and American Educational Research Association (AERA).
Dr. Kathleen Marrs is Professor of Biology at Indiana University Indianapolis, where her research centers on science education and high-impact teaching practices that expand student success. She has held academic leadership and faculty governance roles, including Vice President of Indianapolis Faculty Council, President of the Faculty and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Science, and Director of UCASE, the Urban Center for the Advancement of STEM Education, where she led and secured major NSF-funded grant initiatives to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and student success. Dr. Marrs focuses on mentoring women, particularly in STEM. She holds an adjunct affiliation in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies in the School of Liberal Arts and has served on the Office for Women advisory board. She advises student organizations such as Undergraduate Women in Science (UWIS), Women4Change@IU, and the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), supporting the next generation of women leaders. She contributes to nonprofit leadership through Board service with community organizations including Women4Change Indiana, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, and the Good Trouble Coalition. Dr. Marrs is honored to serve AAUW, where she has contributed on the Governance Committee since 2023. She is committed to advancing equity for women and girls, and is looking forward to help advance the AAUW missions of research, education, advocacy, and leadership development to create pathways for advancing the success of women.
The member-led national AAUW Nominating Committee reviews applications and recommends candidates for election to the Board of Directors. In accordance with the AAUW bylaws and nonprofit governance best practice, the board selects nominees based on the candidates put forward by the Nominating Committee. All candidates were evaluated on criteria that included, among other things, passion for the mission, vision and understanding of the organization, demonstrated leadership, expertise in areas currently needed by the Board, and commitment and contributions to diversity in multiple areas. The determination of the recommendations to the Board were based primarily on the following evaluation by the Committee:
Additional information on the nominations process can be found below. The Nominating Committee welcomes questions about AAUW’s process and practices. Please contact us at nominating@aauw.org.
The existence of a Nominating Committee is a best governance practice for nonprofit organizations. Nominating Committees are typically tasked with determining the skills and experience needed on the board and to review and vet potential candidates. AAUW’s Nominating Committee works in a similar fashion.
This is a governance best practice for large membership organizations. In the past, membership organizations would sometimes have more candidates on the ballot than open positions, that practice has changed over time. Nominating Committees are now being utilized to determine which potential Board candidates can add substantial value to the Board given the current needs of the organization. The AAUW Nominating Committee has adopted this best governance practice in its process.
The terms of the elected and appointed directors will begin May 13, 2026.
Applications can be submitted at any time. The Nominating Committee is building and maintaining a list of those who are interested in serving at the national level in the future.
Although the Bylaws set a limit on the number of members of the Board, the talents of members are always needed. The Nominating Committee follows up with applicants to discuss opportunities for serving on national committees or on special projects based on interest and expertise and the needs of the organization.
Now is your chance to comment on proposed changes to AAUW's bylaws to open membership during the 2025 National Election.
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