1.1 Board of Directors. The Association for Business Communication (hereinafter called “the Association”) shall be governed by a Board of Directors (hereinafter called “the Board”).
1.1.1 The Board shall be composed of 6 members at large, a Vice President from each region, the immediate Past President, the President, the Vice President and the Executive Director of the Association. The Vice-President, President and Immediate Past President serve two-year terms.
1.1.2 Six at-large members of the Board shall be elected to four-year staggered terms by the membership of the Association. They are recruited to meet specific ABC leadership needs, including serving as Committee chairs. Before every election, the Board determines needs and informs the Nominating Committee about them. An at-large member’s term of office shall begin on January 1 and shall end four years later unless terminated earlier by resignation, election to a leadership position on the Executive Committee, removal from office, incapacitating illness, or death.
1.1.3 Members of the Board are responsible for meeting at least four times a year (including one meeting at the annual conference of the Association) to formulate policy, to approve the budget, to set dues, and to make decisions affecting the Association.
1.1.4 The Board shall be responsible for evaluating Association activities, for approving the Operational Guidelines, and for recommending courses of action to the Executive Committee.
1.1.5 The Board may conduct business by mail or other channels specified in the Operational Guidelines at the request of a Board member and upon unanimous consent of the Executive Committee or on petition of a majority of Board members.
1.1.6 The Board may hold a special meeting when a majority deems it The President or the Executive Director may request a special meeting by communicating with the members of the Board in advance stating the purpose, time, and place of the proposed meeting.
1.1.7 A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum both for regular and special meetings of the Board and for votes by mail or other channels specified in the Operational Guidelines.
1.1.8 All meetings of the Board shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, as specified in a current edition. Business conducted by mail or another channel specified in the Operational Guidelines shall adhere to the spirit and purpose of Robert’s Rules of Order.
1.1.9 The Executive Director shall ensure that minutes of all meetings of the Board and records of special ballots conducted according to the Operational Guidelines shall be kept and made available to the membership.
1.1.10 Board members are expected to actively participate on the board and to attend scheduled meetings. If a Board member is unable to attend a meeting due to a significant conflict (for example, a teaching obligation that can’t be moved) or emergency, the Board member should communicate their situation with the EC immediately. The Board requires every board member’s attention and participation in order to make timely decisions and to serve the needs of its members.
1.2 Membership. Any individual who subscribes to the purposes of the Association as defined in the Articles of Incorporation and who pays the appropriate dues for that classification of membership shall be considered a member.
1.2.1 Special memberships shall be sustaining, corporate sponsor, student, retired, and honorary.
| 1.2.1.1 A sustaining member is one who contributes an amount set by the Board above the dues that are assessed for a regular member as described in 1.2. | |
| 1.2.1.2 A student member is one who pays a reduced membership fee, is enrolled at least part time in an academic degree program, and is not employed in a full-time academic or professional position. | |
| 1.2.1.3 A retired member is one who is no longer regularly employed by a university or other academic institution. Dues assessed for retired members shall be set by the Board as required to cover the cost of official publications. | |
| 1.2.1.4 An honorary member is one who has been nominated by a dues-paying member for membership for one year without dues being assessed. Continuing honorary memberships are nominated by the Executive Director and approved by the Board. |
1.3 Regions and Regional Representation on the Board.
1.3.1 To further the objectives of the Association, regions shall be established to facilitate communication among members and between the membership and the Board.
1.3.2 The Board may create regions by specifying geographical areas and giving those areas names. The Board may eliminate regions or redefine regions by specifying new geographical boundaries and, when logical to do so, renaming affected areas.
1.3.3 Members residing within a designated geographical region shall be deemed members of that region. Regional designation will be automatically assigned when members register for membership.
1.3.4 Regional Vice Presidents shall be elected from and by the members of each region by a ballot conducted by mail or by another method specified in the Operational Guidelines. A Regional Vice President’s term of office shall begin on January 1 and shall end four years later unless terminated earlier by resignation, election to a leadership position on the Executive Committee, removal from office, incapacitating illness, or death.
1.3.5 Should a Regional Vice President be unable to complete the term of office or cease to be a member of the region from which the Regional Vice President was elected, a special election shall be held to elect a new Regional Vice President from that region to serve a new four-year term.
1.4 Election of Board Members and Officers. The Nominating Committee shall oversee the election of Board members and officers as well as manage the process of selecting recipients for Association awards as specified in the Operational Guidelines.
1.4.1 The Nominating Committee shall consist of the three most recent Past Presidents, the most recent recipient of the Spirit of ABC Award, the chair of the Publications Board, and the Executive Director, who shall be an ex-officio non-voting member. The immediate Past President shall chair the Nominating Committee. If any of the three Past Presidents are unavailable to serve, the current President shall select another Past President to serve.
1.4.2 Any member is eligible to serve on the Board, and any such member may submit their name and/or the name of another Association member for consideration by the Nominating Committee.
1.4.3 Each year, the Nominating Committee shall be responsible for soliciting recommendations to fill elected offices and for Association awards. The Nominating Committee shall poll, in writing, the members of the Executive Committee, the Regional Vice Presidents, the at-large Board members, and the committee chairs for recommendations. The Nominating Committee will gather biographical and other materials required to consider candidates for offices and awards.
1.4.4 The Nominating Committee shall nominate at least two members to run for each at-large Board position, at least two members to stand for each Regional Vice President position, and at least two members to run for the Vice President position. The nominees for Vice President shall be Board members of the Association at the time of their nomination or previous Board members who served within the last five years. The Nominating Committee shall also nominate one member to fill each available seat on the Publications Board.
1.4.5 In making recommendations to the Board, the Nominating Committee will interview all candidates for elected office and consider previous service to the Association; regional affiliation; and service, teaching, research, and/or practice in business communication.
1.4.6 Robert’s Rules of Order notwithstanding, the Board shall consider each name individually and approve a list of candidates whose principal qualifications will be submitted to the membership along with the election ballot.
1.4.7 A ballot containing the names of the candidates and appropriate election materials and voting instructions shall be distributed to the entire membership at least 90 days before the annual conference. Members may return their ballots as specified in the Operational Guidelines.
1.4.8 The candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected to fill known vacancies on the Board. In the event of a tie, the Board will decide the vote by an additional ballot.
1.4.9 The names of the persons elected shall be communicated to the members of the Association within 30 days of their election.
1.4.10 Regional Vice Presidents and Directors at Large may serve up to two consecutive four-year terms with the possibility of running for the same position a third time only after being off the Board of Directors for four years.