An Update on our Bylaws Vote
Following our Town Hall meeting in November which reviewed our proposed bylaws changes, we’ve heard from several members with concerns about the proposal to shift from an election to a selection process for the Secretary-Treasurer position. We appreciate those who were willing to directly share feedback and concerns.
Based on member feedback, the Board of Directors has chosen to pause our bylaws vote on this matter and reconsider our proposal to shift to a selection process for the Secretary-Treasurer. The Board is currently working through a plan for moving forward, and we look forward to sharing more information with you soon.
In the meantime, we plan to move forward with seeking approval for the more standard clarification edits that were recommended by our attorney to follow California non-profit requirements. You can expect to see that email in your inbox in the coming weeks, along with the full explanation for all proposed changes. The proposal to move to a Secretary-Treasurer selection process will not be included in these proposed bylaws changes.
NAMSS aims to be transparent and to serve the best interests of our members and the industry. We’re grateful for your continued engagement, for your passion for NAMSS and your willingness to share your concerns and recommendations with us. We look forward to sharing more information about our new path forward soon, but please feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions or comments.
The current NAMSS bylaws can be found on our website.
Article 7: Board of Directors
These updates are based on our attorney’s recommendation and California requirements. These are not a change to our current processes.
The changes in this section clarify that officers are included in the Board composition and include language updates to clarify term limits. We have some new language here to explain that if there is a vacancy in a Board position, anyone appointed to fill that vacancy would still be allowed to be elected to another term. This is a rare circumstance, but a change we’re recommending for clarity and so processes are well defined.
This section includes more language updates to match California requirements. This is not a change in practice – these requirements have been in place and will remain in place.
This new language provides parameters for a board member to resign from the Board. This was the attorney's recommendation to ensure that we have a process in place.
The additional language clarifies the process for replacing an open position on the Board. This is not a change to process, but we’re adding additional language for clarity, and language which states that anyone who is appointed to fill a vacancy would not then be disallowed from running for a full term on the board.
These language edits are for clarity and are not a significant change to the process.
This is new language to provide clarity into the process if an officer were to resign. This is an effort to ensure our bylaws are in the best possible shape while we’re making updates.
This is not a change to process, but the original bylaws language unintentionally accelerated president turnover, which is not desired.
Article 10. Committees
We are not eliminating these committees, but removing specific committees from the bylaws allows the Board to change and establish committees and makes us nimbler and better able to respond to change. The committees remaining in the bylaws language are core to our business processes.
Article 14. Conflict of Interest
This change is for clarity's sake and does not involve a change in our processes.
If you have questions about any of these recommendations, please reach out to NAMSS: info@namss.org or (202) 367-1196.