In Good Company
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ByLaw Changes for Member Vote: President to serve 2 years
During the Annual Business Meeting on October 21st there will be a motion presented to make several changes to the bylaws. This page explains those changes.
If you are unable to attend the business meeting, you may vote by proxy. Proxies have been emailed to members. If you didn’t receive yours, please contact us.
Presidential Succession Model Changes
The NYSVMS Board has approved a two-year leadership cycle designed to provide continuity, mentorship, and strong strategic direction for the Society.
President-Elect (2 years) – Prepares to become President by learning the role, engaging in leadership activities, and may chair committees or lead strategic planning initiatives.
President (2 years) – Serves as the chief elected officer of the Society, leading the Board of Directors, presiding at meetings, and representing the membership.
Past President (2 years) – Provides continuity and historical perspective, mentors newer board members, and may chair the Governance or Nominating Committees.
Why This Model?
This structure gives each leader time to learn, serve, and mentor. It ensures the Society always has an experienced officer team in place to guide decision-making and support new leaders.
Benefits
- Greater continuity and stability in leadership.
- More time for each President to advance strategic priorities.
- Stronger mentorship and knowledge transfer across officer roles.
- Clear leadership pipeline, with overlap across roles to prevent gaps.
Considerations
- Longer overall officer commitment (six years total across the ladder).
- Less frequent opportunity for new members to step into officer roles.
- Requires careful planning to maintain engagement and balance workloads.
Specific Bylaw Changes Required
There are very few changes required to the bylaws and these are shown in the attached redline document.
Specifically:
Article IV
Section 1A3. The President shall serve for one year two years, until his or her successor is elected and qualified.
Section 1B3. The President-elect shall serve for one year two years, until his or her successor is elected and qualified.
Section 1C4. The Immediate Past President shall serve for one year two years, until his or her successor is elected and qualified.
ByLaw Change to update President/Executive Director description
The current bylaws are not consistent with the current useage of terminology for President and Executive Director roles. This is being updated for clarity, but the Executive Director will still have the title Executive Director (not CEO)
Article IV
Section 1A1. The President shall be the chief executive elected officer of the Corporation
Section 8F. The Executive Director serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the corporation
ByLaw Change to simplify committee structure
The current bylaws specify a very complex committee structure that was relevant at the time they were written. However in practice the committee structure changes frequently as member needs and association priorities change.
Therefore the entire committee structure has been removed from Article VII Committees. We currently have many committees and these will continue. However only these critical committees are required in the bylaws.
In its place section 1 says:
Section 1. Committees. In addition to the Executive Committee authorized by Section 9 of Article V of these Bylaws, the Executive Board shall annually appoint the following standing committees and subcommittees of the Board, each of which shall consist of at least three (3) Members of the Executive Board:
1. Budget, Finance and Audit
2. Nominations and Leadership Development
3. Management Relations