Greetings,
In regards to the suggested changes to the IBS Bylaws proposed in May 2020, 17% of the membership responded and 99.2% of the votes were in favor of the change. We thank those of you who participated in this important process! The results of this vote and a small description of the amendments to the IBS Bylaws are shown below:
- The Executive Board consists of twelve Directors and the Society Officers, all of whom shall be elected by the voting membership.
- In addition to their duties and responsibilities as Executive Board members as provided in the Policies and Procedures of the Society, Executive Board members may be asked to serve as non-voting liaisons to one of the Society’s committees or carry out other duties.
- There shall be four Officers of the Society at any one time, with one exception as described below. This group will consist of either (A) the President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer or (B) the President, Outgoing President, Secretary, and Treasurer, depending on the period in question. A new President-Elect shall be elected by the Society during every even-numbered year. That Officer’s term shall commence at the start of the following odd-numbered year. The President-elect serves a one-year term and shall automatically succeed to the office of President at the end of that year, serving as President for two years, after which he or she shall become the Outgoing President, serving for one additional year as an Officer in that role. A new Secretary and a new Treasurer shall be elected by the Society during every odd-numbered year. Both may serve two consecutive terms in office. In addition, the Treasurer shall serve as outgoing Treasurer for one additional year, overlapping with any newly-elected Treasurer. This will ensure continuity in terms of financial planning and oversite of the Society’s biennial International Biometric Conference. An outgoing Treasurer shall serve as a full member of the Executive Board and, in years in which the outgoing Treasurer position is occupied, there shall be five Officers of the society.
- Duties of the Outgoing Treasurer. The outgoing Treasurer shall oversee all financial aspects of the International Biometric Conference held during his or her final year on the Executive Board. In collaboration with the Society’s Executive Director, the outgoing Treasurer shall prepare a financial summary and analysis of the IBC finances and make recommendations to the Board for any future changes.
- Duties of the Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for the official records of Executive Board, Officer, and Society Membership Meetings and shall direct the Executive Director to record and distribute minutes, reports, and notices. The Secretary shall be responsible for overseeing and tracking Society membership as well as engaging regional leaders. The Secretary shall facilitate communication between the Presidents of the Society with the International Business Office, the Executive Board, regional leaders, and Society membership as directed by the President.
Any vacancy in the office of Secretary/Treasurer shall be filled temporarily by a Director, approved by the Executive Board until a new Secretary or Treasurer is elected. The new appointee shall serve a term of no more than two years. Any vacancy occurring in the office of outgoing Treasurer will remain vacant with the relevant tasks undertaken by the Treasurer.