Leadership Tip: Nominating Committee
January is the most common month for nominating committee elections. A few units do elect these committees in the fall. It is important for the president and parliamentarian to review the Nominations and Elections section of the unit bylaws. The section describes how many must be elected to serve, typically at least three, and how many alternates, no fewer than one, are required. The election of the nominating committee must be held at an association meeting at least two months prior to the annual election meeting. The principal always serves as an advisor to the nominating committee. A copy of the bylaws is provided to the nominating committee.
The bylaws section also describes which officers are elected, and if there are any special instructions, like qualifications for office. The Duties of Officers bylaws section should be reviewed by committee members to identify skill sets needed for each officer, as they consider nominees, along with the Job Descriptions available in the California State PTA Toolkit. The information and job descriptions can be shared with potential nominees to inform individuals about the scope of the work involved. The nominating committee does not identify appointed officers (parliamentarian, corresponding secretary) unless the bylaws indicate these positions are elected. The nominating committee does not identify or promise individuals positions as committee chairs.
The slate of nominees must be announced / published at least 28 days in advance of the election meeting, while the meeting itself requires at least 30 days notice. The nominating committee’s work continues after the slate is announced, up to the election, to identify nominees for positions that did not have nominees at the 28 day mark, and to identify nominees for any nominee who decides to withdraw.
If a nominating committee is not elected, or does not complete its work to meet the 28 day deadline, then nominations are called for from the floor at the annual meeting.
For officer vacancies after the election, the board-elect elects an individual to fill the office. This process is described in the Nominations and Elections section of the bylaws.
Refer to the California State PTA website and Toolkit at www.capta.org.
Questions? Contact Linda Mayo, Interim Parliamentarian, parliamentarian@32ndPTA.org
