The Governing Council is the representative legislative body of the Association. It consists of voting and nonvoting members who represent different constituencies within APHA.
Voting members include: at least two elected representatives of each Section and an additional number of representatives from the unaffiliated membership; one representative designated by each (state or regional) Affiliated Association; the officers of the Association; the chair of the Intersectional Council, the chair of the Council of Affiliates, and chair of the Student Assembly; the elected members of the Executive Board; and three elected representatives and the immediate past chair of the Student Assembly.
Ex officio members of the Governing Council, without vote, include: the chair of the Science Board; the chair of the Action Board; the chair of the Education Board; the chair of each standing committee of the Association; the executive director; chairs of each Section; past presidents of the Association (except the immediate past president who is a member of the Executive Board and thus a voting member of the Governing Council); and the chair of each eligible Caucus as determined by the Executive Board, or alternative representatives.
Section and Affiliate representatives to the Governing Council are elected by their own Section or Affiliate. Officers are not elected by the entire APHA membership but by the Governing Council during its Annual Meeting.
Governing Council Speaker: M. Aaron Guest, PhD, MPH, MSW
Governing Parliamentarian: Greg Ullrich, JD
The primary roles of the Governing Council as set forth in the Bylaws are to:
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Establish policies for the Association and for the guidance of the Executive Board and the officers; amend the Bylaws of the Association and to adopt rules for the conduct of its own business.
- Receive and act upon reports or recommendations from any organization constituent, the Science Board, the Action Board, the Education Board, the Standing Committees and the Executive Board.
- Elect the Executive Board, the officers of the Association, and honorary members.
- Establish Sections of the Association; combine or discontinue Sections; prescribe the composition of the Section Councils; maintain coordination among the Sections; and formulate general rules governing their policies; and recognize Affiliates Associations.
Governing Council Rules of Order
Governing Council Schedule
Governing Council Actions
Annual Meeting Materials
Mid-Year Meeting Materials
Functions of a Governing Councilor
Governing Council Minutes
APHA Bylaws (PDF)
APHA Code of Conduct (PDF)
Public Health Code of Ethics (PDF)
Staff Contact: Courtney Taylor, Governance Liaison,
202-777-2496