Youth Leadership Opportunities

National directors are youth representatives for the state or country in which they live. These leaders promote and support AjPHA within their state and are voting members who will have a say in the rules, by-laws and executive committee of AjPHA.

How to Become a National Director

• The ideal national director is an active, involved AjPHA member with a passion for improving the association. If you have an active AjPHA membership, are in good standing and are 17 years of age or younger as of January 1 the year you will take office then you are eligible to become a national director.
• The next step is to get nominated! Your regional club youth advisor may nominate you or you can nominate yourself. Nominations must be submitted by January 1.
• After nominations are received, voting will open. Voting will be conducted online from March 1–31 and the official results will be posted by April 15. All current AjPHA members will receive a login and password to vote for the national directors in their state.

Current Directors

Two youth leadership groups, the AjPHA National Directors and the AjPHA Executive Committee, represent members of the American Junior Paint Horse Association on the national level. Executive committee members oversee all AjPHA affairs, report the status of the association to members, and help govern and direct the course of AjPHA.

How to Get Elected

The ideal executive committee member is an active national director looking to grow their impact on the AjPHA program. You must be a current AjPHA national director and at least 12 years old as of January 1 of the current year to be eligible to apply for the executive committee.

If you’re interested in serving on the AjPHA Executive Committee, you have to submit your application by May 15! Make sure you know the responsibilities of the office you are applying for before you submit your application. If you have any questions, contact the APHA director of youth and amateur activities.

After you apply, start campaigning! Voting takes place during the annual AjPHA Membership Convention. Convince your fellow APHA members that you should be their representative!

Executive Committee Project

It is part of the AjPHA president’s role to develop an AjPHA Executive Committee project that they will work on during their office term. The AjPHA Executive Committee Project will need to be measurable and in some way benefit AjPHA members.

Current Project

Makenna Noon’s project, titled “Bridging the Gap: Connecting Youth to the World of Paint Horses,” aims to reduce the barriers preventing young people from getting involved with Paint Horses. Makenna’s project has three goals. First, she strives to increase accessibility by making participation easier for youths with limited resources. Second, she looks to improve participation by leveraging Paynt Points and by exploring scholarship opportunities. Finally, Makenna hopes to collaborate with other youth organizations to create more opportunities for young people to interact with Paint Horses.

Current Officers

2024-2025 Officers