AHCA/NCAL Board Elections

Nate Schema, AHCA Board of Governors (BOG) Vice Chair candidate resigned from the board and announced he will not run for AHCA’S Vice Chair. We are grateful for Nate’s years of dedicated service to the association and will miss his voice representing the sector.

The previously released slate of AHCA BOG candidates included Nate as the candidate for Vice Chair. This position is now open. Two current Board members have modified the positions they are running for based on the new officer opening. Tina Thomas will now run for Vice Chair instead of Secretary/Treasurer and Barry Carr will now run for Secretary/Treasurer instead of At-large Representative. The AHCA/NCAL Credentialing Committee decided to reopen applications for the AHCA BOG for Vice Chair and Secretary/Treasurer. Please find a list of current Board members running for those positions below.

Vice Chair – Tina Thomas, WI, Mission Health Communities
Secretary/Treasurer – Barry Carr, IL, Ignite Medical Resorts

An expedited application period is open until 5:00pm ET on Friday, August 21, 2026. All AHCA provider members in good standing interested in running for one of the above mentioned positions may complete an application.

It is important to note for the elected seats, the AHCA bylaws prevent more than one state affiliate or corporation from being represented on the board. The following state affiliates are represented by current AHCA Board members not up for election, so candidates from these states will not be accepted: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky and Minnesota.

The following states are represented by certified candidates: California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin. For these states, a candidate from the same state could run but only one person from each state can be represented on the AHCA Board.

AHCA/NCAL’s Credentialing Committee will conduct the certification process for all candidates seeking office for AHCA. The elections will take place at the Delivering Solutions 26: AHCA/NCAL Convention and Expo to be held October 11 - 14 in Boston, MA.

All candidacy materials must be submitted electronically no later than 5:00pm Eastern time on Friday, August 21, 2026. All candidates will receive an email of receipt when their paperwork has been received.

For questions, please contact Christy Herle at cherle@ahca.org or 202-898-2839

General Information

AHCA Board of Governors and NCAL Board of Directors Candidate Materials Related to the Application

AHCA/NCAL Governance and Election Information

Duties of Officers and Members of the Board of Governors

AHCA/NCAL Provider Members

Link to application

AHCA/NCAL Governance and Election Information

Associate Business Members

The Associate Business Member election for the positions of AHCA Board of Governors ABM President and NCAL Board of Directors ABM Representative were completed for the 2025-2027 term.

Congratulations to ABM President, Bill Charnetski of PointClickCare and ABM Representative, Sarah Dirks of Behavioral Health Solutions.

They will serve a term of two years, commencing October 2025 until October 2027.

Additional Questions?
Please contact Hannah Gallagher at hgallagher@ahca.org or at (202) 266-1954.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are the AHCA/NCAL Board Elections?

Elections occur at the COS meeting held during the AHCA/NCAL Convention.

Who Elects The Board?

AHCA BOG members are elected by the COS members. Each state appoints a primary and secondary member to the COS. Each state gets one vote. NCAL BOD members are elected by the NCAL BOD and the NCAL State Leaders.

How Do I Campaign?

Candidates for both boards use a variety of methods to campaign. Candidates typically reach out to the state executive in their state for guidance and direction. Examples of campaign activities include but are not limited to: phone calls and/or emails to the voting bodies; phone calls and/or emails to state executives; receptions held at AHCA/NCAL events; or token gifts and candidate literature set out prior to the COS meeting at the AHCA/NCAL Convention.

Candidates are responsible for the organization of their campaign and any resulting costs. AHCA/NCAL staff members are not permitted to assist with the campaigns including but not limited to the shipping or distribution of materials.

How much time is involved to serve on the American Health Care Association (AHCA) Board of Governors (BOG) and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) Board of Directors (BOD)?

AHCA BOG

The AHCA BOG holds an orientation in January for new members. There are up to five face to face meetings held during the year, frequently in conjunction with other AHCA/NCAL events like Congressional Briefing and the Regional Multifacility Spring and Fall meetings. Conference calls are held twice a month. Many are briefing calls not requiring action. Board members are expected/encouraged to attend AHCA/NCAL conferences. In fact, AHCA provides complimentary registration to Board members.

AHCA BOG members typically serve as liaisons to various AHCA committees. Those committees also hold regular conference calls and typically one to three face to face meetings. Committee participation is not mandatory for AHCA BOG members. AHCA BOG members are expected to attend both AHCA Council of States (COS) meetings, once during Congressional Briefing and once during Convention.

NCAL BOD

The NCAL BOD holds an orientation for new members. There are two face to face meetings held during the year. Conference calls are held monthly. NCAL BOD members are expected/encouraged to attend AHCA/NCAL conferences.

Active participation on at least one NCAL committee is required. Those committees also hold regular conference calls but do not hold face to face meetings. NCAL BOD members are expected to attend the COS meetings at convention. In addition, they are expected to attend NCAL Day, the AHCA/NCAL Annual Convention, Congressional Briefing and the AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit.

What is the financial commitment?

AHCA BOG and NCAL BOD members are reimbursed as all committee members in accordance with the AHCA/NCAL Travel Policy to include airfare and per diem. AHCA BOG and NCAL BOD members receive free registration to AHCA/NCAL conferences. Board members are also encouraged to contribute to the AHCA/NCAL Political Action Committee.

What is the Credentialing Committee and what do they do?

The Credentialing Committee is responsible for the certification of the AHCA BOG and the NCAL BOD. Before the official slate of candidates is released, the Credentialing Committee reviews the applications and decides if each candidate will be certified. The Credentialing Committee reviews the applications, conducts a criminal and education background check, checks references and reviews survey data. Once the credentialing process is complete the slate of certified candidates is released. Additional details may be found in the General Information and Requirements for All Candidates.