NCMA FREE STATE
CHAPTER OFFICER
ELECTION GUIDE
Chapter election process is described in this guide.
Ver 1.5 Mar 13
Contents
Elected officer positions for the Free State Chapter: ................................................................................... 3
Timeline for elections: .................................................................................................................................. 3
OFFICER ELIGIBILITY AND DIRECTIONS ......................................................................................................... 5
Eligibility .................................................................................................................................................... 5
Procedures for Determining Nominees ........................................................................................................ 5
SAMPLE LETTER FOR REQUESTING POTENTIAL CANDIDATES ...................................................................... 7
STATEMENT OF INTEREST FORM ................................................................................................................ 12
FOR NOMINEES FOR OFFICERS OF THE FREE STATE CHAPTER OF NCMA .................................................. 12
** NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS COMMITTEE............................................................................................ 13
ASSESSMENT OF CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION..................................................................................... 13
SAMPLE BALLOT .......................................................................................................................................... 14
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Elected officer positions for the Free State Chapter:
a. Chapter President (**This position is filled by the current President-elect and is only subject to
a ballot election when the President-elect position is unfilled.)
b. Chapter President-elect
c. Chapter Secretary
d. Chapter Treasurer
e. Chapter Vice President of Programs and Education
Timeline for elections:
3
Feb
Mar
Apr
A Nominations and Elections Chair is appointed
by the Executive. Request volunteer committee
members. The committee is usually staffed by
senior chapter leaders who are very familiar with
the chapter’s operations and members. The
committee shall operate within the guidelines of
the national policy on “Nominations and Elections
Committee” and ensure that chapter elections are
completed by May 1 of each program year. Post
election schedule to website. Chapter Bylaws
contain information on chapter officer terms. Post
description of officer duties to website.
Membership chair sends out email to members
with nomination form and officer position
descriptions. Focus on how to avoid emails going
to members’ junk mail. After statements of
interest are received, the Nominations and
Elections Committee contacts individuals for
interest and additional information. The
Nominations and Elections Committee determines
if each candidate meets the qualifications for
office and develops a ballot with qualified
nominee names.
Beginning of April-Membership chair then sends
out ballots with candidate’s bios.
Elections should be completed by April 30 of the
current program year to provide adequate time for
transition and planning.
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OFFICER ELIGIBILITY AND DIRECTIONS
Eligibility
Members interested in being considered for a board officer position should meet certain
minimum qualifications, including the following:
1. Demonstrated experience of one year or more in the contracting or procurement
profession.
2. Willingness to make contributions in the form of effort, ideas and attendance in Chapter
meetings and Chapter supported functions.
3. Credentials, competencies and/or experience that would be of benefit to the operations of
the Board and the accomplishment of strategic objectives of the Free State Chapter of
NCMA.
4. For Treasurer, government security clearance or successful background check is required.
Members are sought from across the association, without regard job/position, employer, or other
affiliation.
Directions for Identifying Potential Candidates
Candidates may be recommended by Free State Chapter members, or may express self-interest in
a position. The Statement of Interest Form contains basic information about the candidate and
his/her capabilities to serve in the position.
Procedures for Determining Nominees
The Nominations and Elections Committee will contact each interested candidate and solicit
additional information, including:
1. List of current professional position(s) held;
2. List of academic degrees awarded;
3. List of NCMA and other volunteer positions held;
4. Written statement signifying an understanding of the time and travel commitments of the
office which will include attendance at one or more Chapter training sessions and
national conferences held in other states;
5. Written statement that the candidate has verified that his/her company or agency has
indicated that, if elected, they will be allowed to serve on the Board of the Free State
Chapter of NCMA without presenting a conflict to their employment;
6. Written statement that the candidate is currently and will continue to be a member-ingood-standing of the NCMA; and
7. Resume
The Nominations and Elections Committee will verify that the candidate is currently “in good
standing” as a member of the NCMA and that the candidate is assigned to the Free State Chapter.
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They will also verify that they receive from each candidate a statement that, if elected, they are
willing to serve and honor the commitments of the position and that they have verified with their
employer that serving in such a role will not constitute any conflict of interest with their duties as
an employee.
The Committee may discuss whether candidates bring appropriate skills and commitments to the
potential role and determine appropriate steps to take if a candidate is ill-suited to a role. The
Nominations and Elections Committee will notify each candidate if their name has been
approved as a nominee for an officer position.
The Nominations and Elections Committee will then develop a ballot for the election including
names of candidates for each role, and submit that ballot to the Board.
The President will ensure that an election meeting or electronic election is held according to the
Chapter Bylaws.
**The following is extracted from the Free State Chapter Bylaws:
ARTICLE III: ELECTION OF CHAPTER OFFICERS
A. The chair and members of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall be responsible for
filling the slate of officer candidates. The committee shall operate within the guidelines of the
national policy on “Nominations and Elections Committee” and ensure that chapter elections are
completed by May 1 of each program year.
B. Every second program year, the members are to elect a new president-elect, secretary, treasurer,
and vice president of programs and education. To ensure continuity of chapter responsibilities
and a smooth transition, the president-elect shall succeed the president at the end of the
president’s term.
C. Officer candidates shall be nominated from the general chapter membership and elected by an
affirmative vote of the majority of chapter members casting ballots.
D. Chapter elections may be held at a chapter meeting or may be conducted by mail or electronic
ballot. Association members in good standing, whose dues are paid in full and assigned to the
Free State Chapter, are entitled to cast a ballot in chapter elections.
E. Newly elected chapter officers should be installed at the last meeting of the program year, if
possible, to ensure proper authority to act on behalf of the chapter and participate in planning
meetings for the next two program years.
F. Chapter officers may be removed from office for cause in accordance with the national by-laws.
…AND
A. The elected chapter officers shall be called the Chapter Executive Council. The Chapter Executive
Council shall convene monthly and conduct the business of the chapter.
B. The term of office for chapter officers shall be two program years.
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SAMPLE LETTER FOR REQUESTING POTENTIAL CANDIDATES
Dear Members:
WANTED
A few good volunteers to expand their leadership skills and general knowledge of contracting
For only a couple of hours every week or two,
you can really expand your capacity as a contracts professional
by serving as an officer in our NCMA Free State Chapter.
This year the Free State Chapter of the NCMA is conducting elections for officers. We request
our members suggest candidates for one of the four offices outlined below.
(NOTE: Complete job descriptions are available on the Free State website at
http://resources.ncmahq.org/chapters/Free_State/default.aspx)
Free State Chapter Members may identify themselves or another Free State chapter member to
serve in an elected officer position. The interest form is attached. Suggested candidate forms
should be emailed to elections@freestate.org by the date below. Please note that the term of
office is TWO years (July 1, 2013-June 30, 2015).
Please take the time and suggest yourself or someone else—it will help ensure that the Free State
Chapter continues to provide quality learning opportunities for those professionals serious about
the field of contracting and procurement.
SCHEDULE:
Candidate suggestions for officer positions will be accepted from March 13, 2013 through March
27, 2013, inclusive.
The Nominations and Elections Committee will verify candidate qualifications for office and
determine a slate of nominees to be placed on a ballot and presented to the membership for
electronic vote between April 15, 2013 and April 26, 2013.
The results of the election will be announced on April 30, 2013 via email.
Chapter President (Filled from Chapter President-elect serving in immediate prior term)7
Deborah Wessner
Chapter President-elect
Chapter Vice President of Programs and Education
Chapter Secretary
Chapter Treasurer
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
President
The President is the chapter’s chief elected officer and chairman of the board. The President
serves for a period of two years, after which the President-Elect assumes the Presidency for the
next two year period.
President duties include:
• Identifying, developing, and mentoring new chapter leaders;
• Developing the chapter’s annual operating plan, membership recruitment plan, and membership
retention plan with other officers and volunteers;
• Overseeing the performance of chapter officers and other volunteers;
• Ensuring that resources are in place for the chapter to effectively operate and that resources are
used for the purpose intended;
• Ensuring that an annual audit is conducted;
• Voting in the national elections; and
• Serving as the chapter’s voice to the national organization through the elected NCMA board
directors, and sharing national information with chapter officers, volunteers, and members.
President-Elect
This is the chapter’s second-in-command after the President. The President-Elect leads the
chapter in the absence of the president, and is first in the line of succession. (S)he serves as the
senior advisor to the president. The President may assign other roles to the President-Elect, such
as newsletter editor, awards chair, or membership chair.
Chapter president-elect duties include:
• Assuming the duties of the president in the event of his or her absence;
• Advising and assisting the president in the conduct of his or her duties;
• Serving as a member of the chapter’s board of directors;
• Performing functional duties assigned to the position, if any; and
• As president-elect, assuming the duties of the presidency the following program year.
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Vice President for Programs & Education
The Chapter VP for Programs & Education is responsible for identifying and coordinating the
programs and educational seminars provided to benefit our membership. The VP for Programs &
Education is second in line of succession. The VP for Programs & Education's duties include
• Preparing an agenda of programs and educational seminars for the program year
• Coordinating the invitation of speakers for all such programs
• Coordinating announcements and invitations for all such programs
• Arranging for Continuing Education credits to be awarded for attendance to educational
seminars
• Writing articles on programs for the membership newsletter and website
Secretary
The Chapter Secretary is responsible for managing the chapter’s communications and records.
The Chapter Secretary’s duties include
• Notifying board members of board meetings;
• Recording, distributing, and retaining meeting minutes;
• Maintaining the chapter bylaws;
• Notifying the national office of the results of chapter elections and appointments of volunteers;
and
• Absent a Webmaster, maintaining the content of the chapter’s website.
Treasurer
The Chapter Treasurer is responsible for managing the chapter’s treasury. The Chapter
Treasurer’s duties include
• Maintaining the chapter treasury and financial records;
• Obtaining and maintaining a Federal Tax ID number for the chapter;
• Receiving funds from activities and depositing these funds into the chapter’s
bank account;
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• Processing credit card payments;
• Producing and providing financial reports to the chapter board of directors each month;
• Filing the annual financial report with the national office;
• Absent an audit committee, identifying the individual to conduct the annual
audit of the chapter’s financial records; and
• Working with the national office to obtain and set up accounting software.
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STATEMENT OF INTEREST FORM
FOR NOMINEES FOR OFFICERS OF THE FREE STATE CHAPTER OF NCMA
I _____________________________________(name of nominator) am a member of the Free
State chapter of the NCMA. My membership number is _______________.
_________________________________(signature)
For the program years 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, I hereby identify
_____________________________ (name of candidate) ______________ (Member ID) be a
nominee for the office of (check one)
President-Elect;
VP for Programs & Education;
Secretary;
Treasurer
__________________________________ (candidate) is a member in good standing (dues paid)
of the NCMA, is assigned to the Free State Chapter, and has agreed to accept and implement
the duties of the office if elected by the membership. (Please attach a statement signed by the
candidate.)
State why you believe the candidate would succeed in the position and what capabilities they
would bring to the Free State Chapter:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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** NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
ASSESSMENT OF CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION
OFFICE OF _________________________ for Program Years 2013-14 and 2014-15
NAME OF CANDIDATE:________________________________________________
MEMBER NUMBER: ________________________
Verified that candidate is a member of Free State Chapter in Good Standing as of
_____________ (date)
CANDIDATE’s PROFESSIONAL POSITION (Resume attached):
______________________________________________________________________
CANDIDATE’s DEGREES: ______________________________________________
PREVIOUS NCMA POSITIONS HELD: _____________________________________________
Candidate understands and is willing to commit to Time and Travel for conferences to represent
the Free State Chapter.
Yes
Candidate has verified that his/her company or agency has indicated that, if elected, they will
be allowed to serve on the Board of the Free State Chapter of NCMA without presenting a
conflict to their employment.
Yes
Explanation of what member believes he/she can bring to the Board:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Nominations and Elections Committee Comments:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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SAMPLE BALLOT
Office-Choose one per office
Chapter President (Filled from Chapter President-elect serving in immediate prior term)
__X__ [Deborah Wessner]
Chapter President-elect
____ [candidate name]
____ [candidate name]
Chapter Vice President of Programs and Education
____ [candidate name]
____ [candidate name]
Chapter Secretary
____ [candidate name]
____ [candidate name]
Chapter Treasurer
____ [candidate name]
____ [candidate name]
[list bios here]
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