ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The United Motorcoach Association is seeking nominations from its coach operator members to fill a half-dozen, three-year elected seats on its board.

Sept. 1 is the deadline for letters of nomination for the director positions.

Two directors will be elected from each of UMA's three membership regions. Maps showing the regions are printed in the 2007-08 UMA Membership Directory and the soon-to-be-released 2008-09 directory.

All of the UMA director seats to be contested are the result of expiring terms of incumbent regional coach operator directors, who may seek re-election.

The directors whose seats are expiring are: Region I (the West): Daryl Johnson of J&J Charters in Houston, and Tom Ready of Ready Bus Lines in LaCrescent, Minn.; Region II (the Midwest and South): Robert Hume of Travel Mates of Virginia in Harrisonburg, and Ralph Young of Young Transportation in Asheville, N.C., and Region III (the Northeast): Joan Libby of Cavalier Coach Trailways in Boston, and Godfrey LeBron of Paradise Trailways in Hicksville, N.Y.

Hume announced at the UMA mid-year board meeting here last month that he and his wife have sold their company, will be retiring, and he will not stand for re-election.

Of UMA's 20-member board, 18 are regional directors who must be coach operators and who are elected to three-year staggered terms. In addition, it has one non-coachbuilder associate representative who serves a three-year term, and one coachbuilder associate who also serves a three-year term.

Qualification standards for UMA directors can be found in Article VI of the UMA Bylaws printed in the back of the membership directory.

Nominations for the regional board directorships must come from active UMA members who are motorcoach operators. Candidates nominated for the board must represent an active UMA-member company in good standing. Directors serve without pay, but the association generally reimburses directors for travel and accommodations while performing UMA business and/or attending UMA meetings.

Written letters of nomination must state the candidate's name, company affiliation, home-base location, and be postmarked no later than Sept. 1. Regional UMA Nominating Committees will certify the eligibility of all candidates to produce a list of nominees in each region no later than Oct. 1.

Ballots will be mailed to UMA members by Oct. 15, and must be returned no later than Nov. 15. Winners will be announced in the Dec. 1 issue of Bus & Motorcoach News.

UMA members with questions about nominations should contact the association at (800) 424-8262. Mail nomination letters to: UMA Nominations, 113 S. West St., 4th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314-2824.