The Opportunities
Each day, significant policy and budgetary decisions are made by the appointed officials who are implementers of electoral power. Appointed seats vary widely from state to state, city to city, and community to community. These can include everything from unpaid, part-time advisory offices or temporary commissions to paid, full-time, permanent positions managing enormous operations of state.
Whatever your background, career or current role, you can find an appointed office that suits your skills and interests. Part-time appointed positions allow you to serve your community and build your resume while continuing in your current career path. Whether you’re interested in engaging more deeply in the area in which you’re currently employed, exploring a new direction in your career, or thinking about a “second act” after retirement, there are an endless number of roles that can meet your needs.
To learn more about the vast variety of positions available, review our chart below. You’ll note these roles cover all kinds of subject matter and affect public policy and administration at the local and state level. And though the list below may seem exhaustive, we promise, it is just the tip of the iceberg of opportunities to serve!
Interested in...
The Arts
At the city and local level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Arts Design Board (Salt Lake City, UT)
Public Art
Commission (Ames, IO)
Cultural and Arts Committee (Lubbock, TX)
At the state level, here are examples of where you can serve:
New Mexico Arts Commission
Washington Motion Picture Board
Alaska State Council on the Arts
Business and Commerce
At the city and local level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Combined Trade Board (Wellington, KS)
Small Business Development Commission (San Jose, CA)
Business Administrator (Camden, NJ)
At the state level, here are examples of where you can serve:
North Dakota Banking Board
Utah Board of Financial Institutions
West Virginia's Department of Commerce
Children and Families
At the city and local level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Youth and Family Recreation and Programs Advisory Board (Salt Lake City, UT)
Youth Commission (Sacramento, CA)
Child Care Advisory Board (Honolulu, HI)
At the state level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
Vermont Child Care Services Advisory Board
Montana Children's Trust Fund
Community Development and Housing
At the city and local level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Housing & Redevelopment Commission (City of Fergus Falls, MN)
Housing & Community Development Division (Casper, WY)
Zoning Board of Adjustment (Council Bluff, IO)
At the state level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Arizona Housing Finance Authority
Arkansas Fair Housing Commission
Delaware Council on Housing
Education
At the city and local level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Board of Education (New Haven, CT)
Community Education Advisory Board (Waseca, MN)
Public Education Ombudsman (Washington, DC)
At the state level, here are examples of where you can serve:
University of Illinois Board of Trustees
Washington Task Force on Basic Education Finance
Alaska Board of Education and Early Development
Environment
At the city and local level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Recycling Advisory Board (Emporia, KS)
Water and Sewer Authority (Pittsburgh, PA)
Green Ribbon Committee on Environmental Sustainability (Nashville & Davidson County, TN)
At the state level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Utah Deivision of Water Quality
Rhode Island Agricultural Lands Preservation Commission
Georgia's Department of Natural Resources
Healthcare
At the city and local level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Board of Health (Borough of Carteret, NJ)
Department of Mental Health (Los Angeles County, LA)
City-County Heath Board (Great Falls, MT)
At the state level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Kansas State Employees' Health Care Commission
The University Hospital, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Wisconsin eHealth Care Quality and Patient Safety Board
Pension
At the city and local level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Comprehensive Municipal Pension Trust Fund (Pittsburgh, PA)
Fire and Police Pensions (Los Angeles, CA)
Board of Trustees for General Employees Pension Fund (Tampa, FL)
At the state level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Maryland State Retirnment and Pension System
Oklahoma State Pension Commission
Texas Pension Review Board
Public Safety
At the city and local level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Citizens Policy Review Board (Pittsburgh, PA)
Fire Board of Appeals (Prescott, AZ)
Safe Housing and Building Advisory Board (Fort Wayne, IN)e
At the state level, here are examples of where you can serve:
South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice
Michigan State Community Corrections Board
Nevada Department of Homeland Security
Taxation
At the city and local level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Economic Development Corporation & Tax Increment Finance Authority (Lapeer, MI)
Tax Incentive Review Council (Wadsworth City, OH)
Tax Reform Commission (Philadelphia, PA)
At the state level, here are examples of where you can serve:
New York Department of Taxation and Finance
West Virginia State Tax Division
New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department
Transportation
At the city and local level, here are examples of where you can serve:
City Transportation Commission (Santa Cruz, CA)
Airport Commission (Iowa City, IA)
Pedestrian/Bicycle/Motor Vehicle Commission (Madison, WI)
At the state level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Washington State Transportation Commission
Oregon’s Governor’s Advisory Committee on Motorcycle Safety
Oregon Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission
Women's Interest Group
At the city and local level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Violence Against Women Board (Washington, DC)
Commission on the Status of Women (Los Angeles, CA)
Commission on Women’s Issues (New York, NY)
At the state level, here are examples of where you can serve:
Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women
New Mexico Governor's Women's Health Advisory Council
Utah Governor's Commission on Women and Families
As you can see, whether you’re a stockbroker, artist, journalist or nurse – you can and should look for positions in appointed office.
