NHAA Board Director positions offer rewarding leadership opportunities for eligible naturopathic and herbal medicine practitioners in Australia. Board Directors share professional experience, gain valuable governance skills, and give back to the practitioner community while carrying out important advocacy, legal and ethical tasks.
Being a Board Director at NHAA: what it means
An NHAA Board Director is a member-elected or appointed person who is part of a group that governs the organisation.
Board Directors work collectively to set strategy and oversee performance, ensuring that the NHAA is operating in the best interests of its members and the professions it represents and that these operations are lawful, ethical and financially sound.
As a Board Director, you’re legally bound by a set of duties that apply to every board position across Australia, not just NHAA’s.
In practice, that means acting carefully and thoughtfully, showing up genuinely engaged, acting honestly and in good faith, and never using your position or the information you gain as a Director for anything other than the association’s benefit.
Individual Board Director responsibilities
Board Directors are advocates for naturopathy and Western herbal medicine, and a direct line between member and community voices and the decisions that affect them. It’s a role that asks for judgment and care, not just attendance.
Each Director is expected to read board papers carefully, ask questions, and bring independent judgment to every decision. Directors contribute their own skills and experience, genuinely listen to differing perspectives, and work as part of a cohesive team acting in the best interests of the NHAA, its members, and the professions it represents.
Board Directors must:
· Manage any conflicts of interest transparently
· Maintaining confidentiality
· Avoid using their position or information gained as a Director for personal advantage, or to the detriment of the association.
Individual Directors can be held personally liable if duties are breached. This isn’t meant to be alarming, it’s standard for any incorporated association, and it’s exactly why the responsibilities above (careful reading, independent judgment, transparency) matter as much for protecting Directors as they do for protecting the organisation.
Collective Board responsibilities at the NHAA
The NHAA Board’s primary role is organisational governance: setting strategy, monitoring performance, and safeguarding the long‑term viability and reputation of the association.
Board Directors ensure that the NHAA advances its mission in education and advocacy and supports members, and that all organisational decisions are aligned with that purpose.
Governance training for NHAA Board Directors
While the benefits of NHAA Board directorship are significant, they do sit alongside other responsibilities and potential liabilities. The NHAA provides ongoing governance training for all new and existing directors to ensure they feel confident navigating their responsibilities.
Board Director activities
Board directors can expect to attend regular board meetings, committee meetings relating to advocacy, events, and education, strategy sessions and planning days. Directors are also asked to review financial reports, risk registers, and key policies.
NHAA Board Directors are expected to:
· Attend regular board and committee meetings relating to advocacy, events, and education, strategy sessions and planning days
· Review financial reports, risk registers, and key policies.
· Represent the NHAA at external events and stakeholder meetings
· Support advocacy positions
The benefits of being an NHAA Board Director
There are many rewarding benefits to being an NHAA Board Director, including:
· Having a direct impact on naturopathy and Western herbal medicine in Australia. Board Directors help NHAA representation of naturopaths and herbalists nationally and globally by influencing policy, and designing member services, education, and advocacy efforts supporting evidence‑informed healthcare.
· Gaining professional growth and governance experience. Board Directors build high‑level skills in strategy, finance, risk, and leadership and deepen their understanding of regulation, scope of practice, and professional standards for naturopathy and Western herbal medicine in Australia.
· Contributing to the profession and community. Board Directorship is a pathway to “give back” to the field by strengthening the professional voices of naturopaths and herbalists, supporting members, and contributing to better health outcomes for the community
· Expanding networks and professional profiles. Board Directors have many opportunities to connect with practitioners, educators, researchers, policymakers, and other key health stakeholders, broadening collaboration efforts and enhancing their professional reputation within the complementary medicine sector.
· Enhancing personal fulfilment and purpose. Many NHAA Board Directors find their role deeply rewarding because it aligns with their professional values, allows them to influence the future of naturopathy and Western herbal medicine, and extends their impact beyond individual clinical practice or industry employment.
Board Best Practices
Nobody expects you to know everything from day one. New Directors are paired with an experienced Board member through our buddy system, so there’s always someone to ask the obvious questions to, and the not-so-obvious ones.
Beyond that, the NHAA provides ongoing support and training in governance and board work, along with mentorship through the Board Member Advisory Committee (BMAC). The first year is about building confidence, grounded in curiosity, ethics, and the courage to make good decisions even when they’re hard ones. From there, Directors keep growing through board-specific events and staying connected to good governance practice, alongside a profession that’s growing right along with them.
Resources (as at August 2026)
Australian Institute of Company Directors
Governance Institute of Australia
Institute of Company Directors, Australia