A proposal was brought forward at the CSMA Board meeting on Dec 7 that would change the makeup of the Board of Directors. This change in the constitution for CSMA requires an opportunity for members to give feedback prior to a final vote by the Board.

The proposed changes would impact Article IV of the CSMA Constitution.

Current language:

ARTICLE IV – Officers and Board of Directors

1. The elected officers shall comprise the Executive Board, consisting of: President, Vice-President/President-Elect, Secretary, Immediate Past President, Advocacy Coordinator, Education Coordinator, Digital Media Coordinator, and Middle School Coordinator.
2. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Executive Board, Executive Director, Regional Representatives, and Special Committee Chairs.

Proposed language (additions italicized):

ARTICLE IV – Officers and Board of Directors

1. The elected officers shall comprise the Executive Board, consisting of: President, Vice-President/President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Advocacy Coordinator, Education Coordinator, Digital Media Coordinator, and Contest Coordinator.
2. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Executive Board, Executive Director, Secretary, JEA State Director, Regional Representatives, and Special Committee Chairs.

Additional Clause to Article IV-

The Secretary will be appointed by the president to serve as a non-voting member of the Board of Directors.

The change in the Secretary position from a voting member of the Executive Board to a non-voting member of the Board will put the voting board at an odd number of members. This is beneficial to the board in order to avoid tie votes and is the preferred structure for a nonprofit organization. This will also allow some flexibility in finding candidates for the position.

The Board believes that the responsibilities of the Middle School coordinator could be delegated to the  other board members. The needs of our middle school members are the same as our high school members and could be addressed within the same board responsibilities. The board remains committed to all of our members, including middle schools, and will work in their best interests through our Advocacy, Education, and Digital Media Coordinators.

The Board has identified some areas for growth within our organizations Contests and Critiques. The addition of a board member that can focus on those areas specifically should help to address those concerns. This will include updating our current contest offerings, creating new contest opportunities, and evaluating our current critiques tools for possible revisions.

Please use this form to provide your feedback about these proposed changes. This form will close on January 15.