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A Q&A With ABA’s President About the Vote to Change the Bylaws
Printer-friendly versionABA member bookstores are now voting on a bylaws change that, if approved, would move the association from a nine-person Board to a 10-person Board by making the position of Board president a separate and distinct position that serves one two-year term.
Here, ABA President Michael Tucker of California’s Books Inc. answers questions about the proposed amendment and why it is an important change for the association.
BTW: As someone who is approaching the end of his final term as president, and who before that served four years as a director, why do you think it’s important for membership to approve this change to the bylaws?
Michael Tucker: As the bylaws now stand, the position of ABA president is filled by an existing director who is elected by bookstore members for a one-year term. At the end of that term, the president may be elected for a second one-year term if he or she has not come to the end of a second three-year term as a director. If a sitting president is at the end of a second term as a director, as the bylaws now stand, he or she cannot serve a second one-year term as association president.
By institutionalizing the position of president as a two-year office separate and distinct from the nine-member Board, we’ll ensure continuity in leadership and expand the diversity of opinions on all issues crucial to ABA members. Having had the privilege of serving as ABA president for almost two years now, I have seen how important continuity is to meeting the association’s ends policies, in everything from developing initiatives that respond to the changing marketplace and planning educational programming, to fostering relations with publishers and other industry leaders and working with vendors to create new affiliate relationships for ABA members.
BTW: If the amendment is approved by membership, how will the composition of the Board be determined?
M.T.: There would be eight directors, one president, and one vice president/secretary. As in the past, candidates for directors will be put forth by the Nominating Committee and, if approved by the Board, their names will appear on the ballot sent to membership. Directors can serve up to two three-year terms on the Board.
In odd number years, the ballot will also include the Board’s nominees for president and vice president/secretary presented for election by ABA’s bookstore members. All current Board members in their second terms as directors will be considered by the Board as possible nominees for president. Other Board members will be considered as nominees if there aren’t at least two Board members in their second terms as directors.
For vice president/secretary, the Board will consider as possible nominees all current members of the Board with at least two years of service on the Board. The vice president/secretary is elected by bookstore members for a single term of two years, which, unlike the office of president, is subject to and not in addition to the six-year limit on terms of service established for directors.
In addition, any bookstore member can submit a petition for additional director or officer candidates. And, of course, the ballot will include room for write-in candidates for both officers and directors.
Members can read the full text of the proposed bylaws changes by clicking here.
BTW: If the bylaws amendment is approved by membership in the online voting that ends on March 11, what would it mean for this year’s elections?
M.T.: At its January meeting, the Board selected Becky Anderson of Anderson’s Bookshops to serve as the association’s next president and Steve Bercu of BookPeople in Austin, Texas, to serve as vice president/secretary. If the bylaws amendment is approved by membership, the 2011 Board ballot sent to members at the end of March will put forth their names for election to two-year terms.
BTW: If membership approves a Board of 10 members, what happens if during Board deliberations there is a tie vote?
M.T.: Under Robert’s Rules of Order, a tie vote means a motion is defeated.
BTW: Is there anything else that you would like to say to members regarding the bylaws amendment?
M.T.: The Board truly believes this change is in the best interest of the association, and I urge members to cast their votes in favor of the amendment. If anyone has questions about the proposed bylaws change (or any other issues of concern that might come up between now and when I leave the Board in May), I urge them to contact me at [email protected].