WHA Governance

The Western History Association membership elects the primary governing body of the organization, which consists of the President, President-Elect, Executive Director, and seven regularly elected members to serve on the Council. Together, and with the assistance of the Nominating Committee and other committees, these elected officials oversee the broad interests of the association by managing business and creating policies that promote a congenial home for all those interested in the study of the North American West. 


WHA Constitution and Bylaws

To learn more about the rules governing the WHA and its affairs, read the organization's Constitution and ByLaws. More information about the WHA's standing committees is available here.

WHA Council

Shelia McManus, University of Lethbridge (2020)

Jeffrey Ostler, University of Oregon (2020)

Laurie Arnold, Gonzaga University (2021)

Erika Pérez, University of Arizona (2021)

Erika Bsumek, University of Texas, Austin (2022)

B. Erin Cole, Minnesota Historical Society (2022)

Ari Kelman, University of California, Davis (2022)

David Wrobel, University of Oklahoma (2022)

Maria Montoya, NYU and NYU-Shanghai (2023)

Elaine Marie Nelson, Univ. of Nebraska at Omaha


Non-Voting Members:

Donald L. Fixico, Arizona State University (2020)

Martha A. Sandweiss, Princeton University (2021)

Tiffany J. González, Texas A&M University (GSC, 2020)

Anne M. Hyde, Western Historical Quarterly (ex officio)

WHA Executive Committee

David Wrobel

WHA President (2020)

University of Oklahoma


Maria E. Montoya

WHA President-Elect

New York University & NYU Shanghai


Elaine Marie Nelson

WHA Executive Director

University of Nebraska at Omaha

WHA Nominating Committee

Mary E. Mendoza

Penn State University (Chair, 2020)


Carolyn Brucken

Autry Museum of the American West (2020)


Brian DeLay

University of California, Berkeley (2020)


Andy Kirk

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2021)


Julian Lim

Arizona State University (2021)

Proposals to the WHA Council

Do you have ideas to improve or enhance the WHA? We want to hear from you! WHA members who are in current standing can make proposals to the WHA by filling out the document on this membership page (you must be loggged into MyWHA to access the page). Please contact the WHA office with your questions: wha@westernhistory.org


Western History Association

University of Kansas 

1445 Jayhawk Blvd.

3650 Wescoe Hall

Lawrence, KS 66045  

wha@westernhistory.org 



The WHA is located in the Department of History at the University of Kansas. The WHA is grateful to KU's History Department and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for their generous support!