Effective 1 July 1997, the members of the AURA Board of Directors are:
| Bruce Margon (Chair) | University of Washington |
| Richard Zdanis (Vice Chair) | Case Western Reserve University |
| James Hesser | Dominion Astrophysical Observatory |
| John Huchra | Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics |
| Gloria Koenigsberger | Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico |
| Leonard Kuhi | University of Minnesota |
| Morton Lowengrub | Indiana University |
| Jeremy Mould | Mt. Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatory |
| Dennis O'Connor | Smithsonian Institution |
| Goetz Oertel, ex officio | AURA |
| Robert Rosner | University of Chicago |
| Paul Schechter | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Lee Anne Willson | Iowa State University |
The Board is composed of thirteen members. Twelve are elected by the Member Representatives* and serve for staggered three-year terms. The President of AURA is a member ex officio. The Member Representatives annually elect the Chair of the Board from among the members of the Board. The Board elects its Vice Chair.
The by-laws prescribe that at least four of the twelve Directors shall be Member Representatives, at least four shall not be Member Representatives, and at least two Directors shall come from non-US institutions. Further, no more than four Directors may be non-US citizens.
The Board establishes the policies of AURA, approves its budget, elects members of the Management Councils, and appoints the AURA President and Center Directors. At their annual meetings, the Member Representatives hold the Board accountable for the effective management of AURA and the achievement of its purposes.
Effective 1 July 1997, members of the OC include:
| Bruce Carney (Chair) | University of North Carolina,Chapel Hill |
| Michael A'Hearn (Vice Chair) | University of Maryland |
| Susan Kleinmann | University of Massachusetts |
| Richard Larson | Yale University |
| Richard Margison | University of Illinois |
| Goetz Oertel, ex officio | AURA |
| Maria Teresa Ruiz | Universidad de Chile |
| David Schramm | University of Chicago |
| Juri Toomre | University of Colorado |
| Arthur Walker | Stanford University |
The OC is a Management Council of the Board. Its members are trustees and advocates for the mission of NOAO. The OC provides stewardship and oversight, and gives support and advice to the NOAO Director on important policy and management matters.
The OC consists of nine core members and the AURA President, ex officio. Core members are elected by the AURA Board. Council members serve staggered three-year terms. At least four of the members are derived from the Board of Directors or the Member Representatives, or in combination therefrom, and at least four come from outside the Board and Member Representatives. Management Councils elect their own officers. The OC may elect up to three "non-core" members to add expertise not already within its core membership.
Lorraine Reams
*The president of each AURA member institution appoints one person to serve as its representative. Member Representatives typically are either astronomers or high-level administrators.