Note from the Associate Editorial Director: Answering your questions about the Leadership Council

by Linnea Archibald

We opened applications for the 2026/2027 term of the ACDIS CDI Leadership Council a couple of weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been delighted to see the applications come in from so many accomplished leaders in the industry. As some of you may already know, I spend a lot of my time with the Leadership Council and it’s a privilege to get a front row seat to all the fascinating conversations and valuable network-building that takes place within its membership.

If you’re a leader in the CDI field working for a non-vendor organization, it’s likely you meet the prerequisites to join the Council this term, but I wanted to take a little space to answer some of the most common questions we receive in case you’re on the fence.

Q: Another leader at my organization is already on the Council. Can I join too, or is there a restriction regarding how many leaders per organization can join?

We do not have a cap on how many leaders per organization can join the Council at one time, so we’d love to have your whole CDI leadership team join us this term! Many directors join initially and then advocate for their managers, supervisor, etc. to join us in future terms after seeing the value the Council holds.

If you’ve already applied, please share the application link with the other leaders on your team: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2026-2027-Council-app

Q: Do I need to be an ACDIS member to join the Council? Is there an additional fee to join?

You do not need to be a member of ACDIS in order to join the Council (though many Council members are ACDIS members and we do offer a 10% discount on ACDIS membership dues to members of the Council).

Additionally, the Leadership Council is entirely free to join. We do require that you meet the eligibility requirements and participate in 75% of the surveys offered to the Council throughout the term. You can read more about eligibility and participation requirements by clicking here.

Q: I hold leadership responsibilities over staffing, budget, or educational decisions, but my title isn’t a traditional leadership title. Do I meet the prerequisites?

While we can’t guarantee that you are eligible, it’s likely you are based on your leadership responsibilities. If you fill out the application and we see that your title is “nontraditional,” we will reach out for greater clarity around your role responsibilities to ensure the Council is a good fit for you.

We also ask explicitly on the application whether you have decision-making responsibilities over staffing, budget, or education, so that helps give us greater insight into your eligibility.

Q: I was a member during the 2025/2026 term and have met the participation requirements this term, so do I need to complete the application still? What about if I failed to meet the participation requirements?

While Council members who met the participation requirements for the 2025/2026 term will be renewed with no questions asked for the new term, we do need everyone—regardless of participation status—to complete the application for the new term for a couple of reasons.

First, completing the application ensures that we have your most current contact information, job title, and organization listed in our Council records so that you continue to receive our communications for the new term and we can accurately match you with relevant opportunities within the Council based on your title, etc.

Second, the Council application includes sections to indicate your interest in Council opportunities such as our annual mentorship program, member-led book clubs, and Mastermind groups. Without your application on file, we’re unable to enroll you in any of those additional Council programs.

Q: How long is the application open? When does the new term begin?

The application will remain open through August 31, 2026, with the new term beginning in early September. Each term runs through August of the following year, so this term will be September 2026 through August 2027. Our first group meeting will take place on the first Thursday of October and subsequent meetings will take place every other month for the duration of the term.

I hope that answered most of your questions, but please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at linnea.archibald@hcpro.com if you have any other questions that I didn’t address! As always, you can find even more information about the Council on the ACDIS website by clicking here, and you can complete the application through August 31 by clicking here.

Editor’s note: Archibald is the associate editorial director of publications and membership for ACDIS. Contact her at linnea.archibald@hcpro.com.