NSA Colorado Elections

 The NSA Colorado Chapter elects all of its officers and board members. Elections are held once a year at the April or May Business and Election NSA/CO chapter meeting.  Members can vote by electronic or printed ballot.

The Nominating Committee, consisting of the Immediate Past President, the President-Elect, one other member of the Board and two (2) other Professional Members of the chapter, shall accept nominations and prepare a slate of nominees to fill the positions of all Board Members whose terms are expiring and ascertain the availability and qualifications of such nominees to serve in those positions. The Nominating Committee shall solicit and accept recommendations from the board and shall determine those who are best qualified to serve from demonstrated leadership ability at chapter activities and an absence of previous ethical violations in accordance with the NSA Code of Professional Ethics. Selection proceedings shall be confidential and the Nominating Committee shall not be required to notify individuals who were nominated but not selected of those reasons for non-selection.

If you choose to run as a candidate for the board of directors of the Colorado Chapter of the National Speakers Association, there are obligations and responsibilities you need to be aware of and accept. They are outlined below.

The officers of the chapter are President, President-Elect, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Professional Development, Vice President of Industry Relations, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past-President and four Director positions. All officers shall serve a term of one year, except the Directors who will serve two-year terms. The President-Elect will serve for three consecutive years, as President-Elect, President and Immediate Past President. The term of office is NSA/CO's fiscal year beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30 the following year.

Eligibility: To be eligible for office, you must be a member in good standing with all dues paid to both the Colorado and National Speakers Associations. Any member of the chapter who meets those criteria is eligible to participate in the election process. It is recommended that you have been an active member for at least one year.

Board Responsibilities: The Board of Directors meets at least 10 times a year outside of the monthly meetings. There are 10 monthly board meetings and one retreat. Per the bylaws, any board member who misses three consecutive board meetings without presidential permission shall be automatically dismissed from the board. You must be willing and able to attend as many board meetings as possible. Chapter bylaws require two business meetings. One business meeting is held in October to present the budget and programs, and a business and election meeting in April or May, or as designated by the Board, for the election of new officers. Board roles are outlined in the NSA/CO bylaws with copies in the Colorado Chapter’s Directory and at this web site.

Click here to view NSA/CO bylaws.

In addition, it is important that you attend the monthly NSA/CO program meetings. Board visibility at the monthly meetings is essential for the membership to see that their elected representatives are involved and participating.

Board Positions:

President: The president is responsible for creating a vision and goal for the year. It is his or her responsibility to provide direction and to set the tone for the chapter. The president should be highly visible at chapter meetings and accessible to the membership. She/he is the executive officer of the association and is the focal point for all of the concerns of the chapter members. In addition, the president invests many hours on the phone and on e-mail communicating with other board members about chapter business and with the National Association. The President also attends special meetings at the NSA's national convention and communicates with other chapter presidents.

President-Elect: The President-Elect shall assume the office of president when the president is unavailable at meetings. It is a year devoted to preparing to become President. She/he may chair committees and assist the President in carrying out the President's vision. She/he also works with the board to set long-term goals and objectives to be carried out over time. The President-Elect participates as a voting member of the NSA/CO Board.

Vice-President of Membership: This is a time intensive job and very rewarding position. This person is the point of contact for all new members and guests. He/she is the first impression most people have of the chapter via telephone and then at the meetings. She/he is responsible for assembling and disseminating membership packets and other information, as well as assisting new members in meeting the requirements of membership to NSA and NSA/CO. This position requires excellent organization and follow-up skills. At the monthly meetings, this person introduces new members to the membership and coordinates the First-Timers Meeting. He/she is responsible for coordinating with and reporting to NSA on membership logs.

Vice-President of Professional Development: The VP of Professional Development (VPPD) is crucial to the success of the chapter. Directing the a programming committee, the VPPD assists and coordinates in finding and booking appropriate speakers; arranges for their travel and accommodations; and coordinates with the facility where NSA/CO holds its’ meetings. She/he coordinates meeting planning and helps the committee attend to all of the details of the monthly meeting including agenda, meals, room setup, audio/visuals, and keep within the program budget. This position is time intensive and very rewarding. It is a high visibility position with lots of responsibility. At the NSA/CO monthly meetings, the VP of Professional Development and the President share the platform and run the meetings. You will learn the skills of running meetings for 100 plus members and guests.

Vice-President of Industry Relations. The Vice-President of Industry Relations’ primary function is to facilitate communications with the meetings industry associations and to take a proactive role in bringing meeting professionals together. The VP of Industry Relations represents NSA/Colorado as a board member of the Meetings Industry Council (MIC). The Vice-President of Industry Relations will be responsible for interacting with the Strategic Partnership Council Representative who oversees Colorado on behalf of NSA National. This position is time-intensive due to the requirements of active involvement on two boards and attendance at monthly meetings, conferences, and events.

Secretary: The secretary takes minutes at all official meetings and is the keeper of the records. He/she is the last word on the official word that is in the association records. This position requires a good typist who can takes notes on their own laptop. She/he must disseminate the minutes of the board meeting to the board members and create a highlight version for dissemination to the membership. The Secretary is responsible for the NSA/CO archive. Record keeping and organization skills are a must in this position.

Treasurer: The Treasurer is the chief steward of the chapter’s financial funds and records so that security and value are provided to members, affiliates, and staff. The Treasurer must have a reasonable level of financial skill and knowledge and high organizational skills. The Treasurer is critical to the financial well being of the chapter, serves as Board liaison, and provides oversight of the Chapter bookkeeper. She/he supervises receipt and disbursement of all funds and prepares the annual operating budget. This position also works closely with the registration process on a monthly basis. This is a time intensive position and requires attention to detail.

Directors: There are four Director positions on the board. Two are elected each year for two-year terms. They are vital to the leadership of the chapter. While there is no defined role for directors other than to participate in the direction of the chapter at the board meetings, directors direct committees for programs and events such as the Mentor Program, FastTrack Program, and Speakers College.

Click here to view Job Descriptions of Board Members.