Perspectives on Service with the US Servas Board

by Ann Myatt James - US Servas Election Committee, 

As a part of our continuing efforts to encourage and solicit our membership to consider a term of service with the US Servas board of directors, we sought the perspective of a recent board member. Ms. Eileen (Lee) M. Rowley was elected to the US Servas board of directors in 2023 for a 3-year term of service that ended in December 2025. During this period, US Servas underwent a number of major changes as a 501c3 nonprofit for which Ms. Rowley contributed her patience, leadership, and expertise. Specifically, she spent nearly two years collaborating with board colleagues, a nonprofit attorney, and other stakeholders on a re-organization of US Servas’ existing operations which included a merger and consolidation of the organization’s New York and Nevada operations and the writing and passage of a revised set of organizational bylaws. 

We met virtually via MS Teams to chat about her experiences serving as a director on Monday, July 20, 2026. A brief transcript of our conversation is provided below. Please note that the wording of the first and final interviewer remarks have been modified from their original versions. Some of our conversation was omitted, and portions of the automatically generated transcript were revised for clarity, readability, and new information.

Interviewer (Ann): Can you tell me a bit about your experiences serving on the US Servas board of directors?

Ms. Rowley (Lee): The three years that I spent serving on the US Servas Board surprised me in many ways. Looking back, it was a very positive experience. One of the main reasons it's been a positive experience is because I got to be on a team–there were nine of us voting members and several other people who participated in our monthly board meetings.  I am surprised at how amazing these other board members were.  These were really people that I enjoyed working with and were just a great team. So, part of my experience was positive in terms of being on a team and being a team player.

I think for me personally, this is an organization in which board service gives you an opportunity, a vehicle to make a real difference in the world, driving the organization in ways that you think are important. To the extent that you can take an idea and sit down with your colleagues and inspire them by putting forth your idea and the reasons why, and convince them to move over to your side, there’s a real opportunity to do so.  And how often do you get an opportunity like that?

I think another thing that I really enjoyed about being on the board is knowing that financially the organization is in very good shape.  How do I as part of my responsibility as a board member want to use some of that money to do good in the world?  Peace building, environmental improvements, and using the organization’s finances responsibly is an important aspect of being on the board.

Another thing that I appreciated about being on the board, and this can change by board policy from year to year, is that we are given a generous travel budget every three years. There is about $2,000 for board travel for the international conference [once every three years.  This amount supported my attendance in Dijon, France for a week in October 2025.  

In terms of work, it is a lot of hard work and being on this board requires a significant time commitment. On an annual basis there are two planning sessions that are basically all-day sessions, usually virtual, because board members can be anywhere within the US but occasionally it might be in person.  Annually, there is an additional $700 earmarked for Servas-related travel on an as-needed basis.

The other positive aspect of board service is an opportunity for real growth. You have an opportunity as a board member to try on various roles from the organization’s six branches and discover if you have skills and experience that you can contribute.  For me personally this has meant that I continue to be an interviewer.  This means I continue to interview potential new Servas members.  I did that as a board member and I’ve continued that role following the end of my directorship.  When I was on the board, I served on the investment committee, part of the governance branch, and I continue in that capacity.  And then there are ad hoc committees like the election committee, which I serve on and is what we are involved in right now. I also contributed several years ago to the planning of the national conference.

And so, in terms of participating on the board, if you have technical skills, there's a place for you. Every operation within the organization is powered by volunteers.  If you have marketing skills, there's a place for you. If you have volunteer management skills, there's a place for you. Another opportunity is serving with member help, helping members who need a little technical assistance with their annual renewal of membership. And the best part about putting in this hard work is that you're working with other volunteer-minded, amazing people who are altruistic, and they are doing the work because they believe in the organization and they just want to do it

Ann: Hmm..

Lee: But it’s also very satisfying. It’s something to be proud of. I think another aspect of getting more deeply involved with US Servas…is that you get to know many of our members on a deeper level and that’s also very gratifying.

Ann: Did you find your time commitment was within the 3–6-hour range estimated in the application process?

Lee: I think that's about right. And there are monthly meetings. And another thing I appreciated about being on the board is that our time was valued so board meetings did not drag on forever.

Ann: Okay.

Lee: Everybody tried to get the work done and share as much information prior to each board meeting as possible so that when the actual board meeting happens, people had already read the reports and are able to focus on finishing up old business and working on new business. I think that's good.

Ann: Were there any challenges that you would want to share with anyone related to board service that they might want to consider?  

Lee: … well like in order to do a good job, there is some pressure to fulfill your promises and maybe a little anxiety and pressure in that respect.  You know, you want to do a good job.

Ann: Hmm...

Lee: A lot of work to do… Um, should we talk about the fun?

Ann: What? Oh, fun. Yeah.

Lee:  So I want to share my experience of October of 2025, where I spent seven days in Dijon, France, with people from all over the world. That was such a memorable experience.  And I got to go as a board member. There was work to do at that meeting on an international level to review bylaws and propose changes. It was run like a meeting at the United Nations.  There was a representative from each country, they had little paddle boards affixed with their country name, and they got to vote on  proposals.  There was passionate discussion.  I got to meet people from all over the world. It was an amazing experience.

Ann: Oh!

Lee: … And afterward, I did a four-day bike ride along the canals of Dijon.  I wouldn't have done that myself personally without my board involvement.  So even though I could have gone without being on the board, I think being on the board kind of brought me into that world. And it was amazing. It was very memorable.  

Ann: Hmm... Is there anything that you wish you would have known prior to starting your service?

Lee: I guess I was surprised that it did involve the amount of time that it took. But looking back now, I wouldn't have changed anything. So I am happy to have had the experience, and I would recommend the experience to other people who have superpowers to share with the organization.  It's rewarding.  It's rewarding on a personal and professional level because there are plenty of opportunities for personal growth as well and an opportunity to share your priorities and make them a reality by working with fellow board members. There's a lot of potential for doing many good things.  You can really have an impact.

Ann: Are there any specific examples where either you shared your priorities and you were able to build or develop something specific or that some of your collaborators were able to do that? Like, were there any particular programs or new or innovative things that came out of it that you could talk about?

Lee: Well, I personally really am very passionate about the youth program… youth being defined as between 18 and 30 years old. The Servas Youth Language Experience (SYLE) program is an exchange of different cultures between people in the United States visiting other countries and vice versa.  I was very happy that the board has subsidized travel for our youth to go abroad.  We've put aside scholarships or travel money for youth that need a little help.  And I really believe in that.  I thought that was a really great use of our money. I know other people have really been passionate about acknowledging the good work that's being done in the United States in developing peace programs, so we've been able to acknowledge these nonprofit organizations and reward them with money to support their programs.  And I think that's a very good use of some of the organization’s funds.

I also really admire the board, the current board, for significantly underwriting the cost of our national conference that will be held this year on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis in early August so that it's very affordable for our members to attend.  I think that's a great use of putting some of our funds forward.  Because I feel, and I know this is true with Servas International President, Radha Radhakrishna, that part of our mission is to make it easier for people to get together, and do things together and share our stories.  To share opportunities to go on a hike together, listen to music together, perform music, just exchange with one another. And so, to the degree that we can make that easier for people, I think that that is a wonderful way to inspire the board to make that easier for our members.

Ann: Thank you so much for your time today.

Servas US is continuing to welcome your questions and applications to serve on its board of directors until 30 September 2026. Please visit our Run for the Board website to access the most up-to-date information about the process, key dates of importance, video introductions, and application materials. Please contact the Servas US Elections Committee at elections@usservas.org as you have questions or require assistance in the completion of the application form because of a disability.