Why?

Removing the committee service requirement would allow anyone interested in running and serving the community as a member of the Board to do so. This could also potentially allow voters to select from a wider range of candidates.

 

SECTION 3.3 Qualifications

All nominees and Directors shall:

(A) Be over the age of eighteen (18);

(B) Be members of the Association, good standing, entitled to vote; must disclose any felony convictions or pending felony charges, and qualify for coverage under the Association’s current Directors and Officers Insurance and Employee Malfeasance Insurance policies.

(C) H̶a̶v̶e̶ c̶o̶m̶p̶l̶e̶t̶e̶d̶ a̶t̶ l̶e̶a̶s̶t̶ o̶n̶e̶ (̶1̶)̶ y̶e̶a̶r̶ o̶f̶ s̶e̶r̶v̶i̶c̶e̶ o̶r̶ b̶e̶ c̶u̶r̶r̶e̶n̶t̶l̶y̶ s̶e̶r̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ o̶n̶ a̶ S̶t̶a̶n̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ C̶o̶m̶m̶i̶t̶t̶e̶e̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ s̶c̶h̶e̶d̶u̶l̶e̶s̶ a̶t̶ l̶e̶a̶s̶t̶ t̶e̶n̶ (̶1̶0̶)̶ m̶e̶e̶t̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ a̶t̶ t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ O̶r̶g̶a̶n̶i̶z̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶a̶l̶ m̶e̶e̶t̶i̶n̶g̶, a̶n̶d̶ h̶a̶v̶e̶ a̶t̶t̶e̶n̶d̶e̶d̶ m̶o̶r̶e̶ t̶h̶a̶n̶ h̶a̶l̶f̶ o̶f̶ t̶h̶e̶ s̶c̶h̶e̶d̶u̶l̶e̶d̶ m̶e̶e̶t̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ a̶s̶ s̶e̶t̶ f̶o̶r̶t̶h̶ a̶t̶ t̶h̶e̶ O̶r̶g̶a̶n̶i̶z̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶a̶l̶ m̶e̶e̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ t̶o̶ q̶u̶a̶l̶i̶f̶y̶ a̶ m̶e̶m̶b̶e̶r̶ f̶o̶r̶ B̶o̶a̶r̶d̶ c̶a̶n̶d̶i̶d̶a̶c̶y̶. T̶h̶e̶ G̶o̶o̶d̶-̶S̶t̶a̶n̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ c̶o̶m̶m̶i̶t̶t̶e̶e̶ s̶e̶r̶v̶i̶c̶e̶ m̶u̶s̶t̶ h̶a̶v̶e̶ o̶c̶c̶u̶r̶r̶e̶d̶ w̶i̶t̶h̶i̶n̶ t̶h̶e̶ s̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ (̶7̶)̶ y̶e̶a̶r̶s̶ p̶r̶i̶o̶r̶ t̶o̶ t̶h̶e̶ d̶a̶t̶e̶ t̶h̶e̶ m̶e̶m̶b̶e̶r̶ p̶e̶t̶i̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ t̶o̶ r̶u̶n̶ f̶o̶r̶ t̶h̶e̶ B̶o̶a̶r̶d̶ o̶f̶ D̶i̶r̶e̶c̶t̶o̶r̶s̶ a̶n̶d̶ m̶u̶s̶t̶ b̶e̶ c̶o̶m̶p̶l̶e̶t̶e̶d̶ a̶t̶ t̶h̶e̶ t̶i̶m̶e̶ t̶h̶e̶ c̶o̶m̶p̶l̶e̶t̶e̶d̶ N̶o̶m̶i̶n̶a̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ P̶e̶t̶i̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ i̶s̶ o̶p̶e̶n̶e̶d̶. Fully and truthfully complete a disclosure form, approved by the Board, with the completed forms being made available to the membership for inspections, to be updated on an annual basis by current directors;

(D) Agree, in writing, to abide by the Association’s Board of Directors Ethics Policy; and

(E) Be free of any conflict of interest including but not limited to: (1) the type of conflict referred to in Section 3.6.; and (2) the conflict of interest where a person and his/her spouse, child, parent, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and/or anyone who shares the person’s residence, serve in office as Directors at the same time.

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Rationale: 3.3 Qualifications

This bylaw is being updated to eliminate the committee service requirement, thereby increasing the eligible pool of members that may run for the Board. These changes, based on counsel’s advice, will also improve the transparency and integrity of the election process.

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In recent discussions surrounding the qualifications for candidacy for the Board of Directors of our Association, a proposed amendment has emerged that aims to broaden the pool of eligible candidates. The suggested modification involves removing the current requirement for committee service, thus allowing any interested community member to run for a Board position. This change addresses the critical need to enhance community engagement by providing voters with a more diverse selection of candidates. Under the existing bylaws (Section 3.3), the qualifications for all nominees and directors outline several key criteria: Candidates must be over eighteen (18) years old. Candidates must be members in good standing within the Association and entitled to vote. Nominees must have completed at least one (1) year of service on a standing committee, which should involve attending more than half of the scheduled meetings. Candidates must agree in writing to adhere to the Association’s Board of Directors’ Ethics Policy. Candidates must be free from any conflicts of interest, including those defined under Section 3.6 of the bylaws. The proposal aims to remove the committee service requirement specified in point three of Section 3.3. By doing so, the amendment seeks to create an environment where potentially a greater number of qualified individuals can step forward and offer their services on the Board. The rationale behind this amendment is multifaceted: By eliminating the committee service prerequisite, more community members, regardless of their prior engagement level, can seek election to the Board. This increased accessibility ensures that a broader range of voices are represented, contributing to a more vibrant and inclusive community governance. Legal counsel has supported this change, indicating that it may also bolster the transparency and integrity of the election process. Transparency in the election process fosters trust among community members and enhances participation in future elections. Broadening the eligibility criteria empowers individuals from varied backgrounds and experiences, potentially leading to a more diverse leadership team that better reflects the community’s demographics and perspectives. In conclusion, the proposed removal of the committee service requirement represents a strategic initiative to invigorate community engagement. By enabling a more comprehensive range of candidates, the election process can become more inclusive and equitable.