STC Washington DC Chapter Administrative Council Roles

text that says Running for Office: Lorem ipsum Each April, the chapter holds elections for officers on the administrative council. The administrative council consists of the following officers: President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past President. The extended administrative council includes anyone else the council deems advisable, such as managers of active committees and of local Special Interest Groups (SIG).

Chapter officers (except for the Immediate Past President) are elected; other members of the extended administrative council are appointed. Only chapter officers are eligible to vote on administrative issues. Other members of the extended council serve as advisors to the officers on administrative issues. All members of the extended council must be chapter members in good standing. Duties and responsibilities of the administrative council are described in the Chapter Bylaws PDF file (84 K).

A request for nominations is issued in March. The Nominations Committee will work with the nominees to select a slate for the elections that are held in late April to early May. Winners are announced in May. The new officers are installed at the Chapter Service Recognitions Luncheon in May or June.

The sign of a healthy chapter is a contested election.

Nominate Candidates for 2008-2009

Nominations are now open for the 2008-2009 slate of candidates for the Administrative Council. All positions except Treasurer are available for Washington DC Chapter members who wish to become leaders of the chapter. All require meeting attendance.

Send nominations for candidates (including yourself) to the Chapter President, Kristen Sweet, at

If you're interested in serving as an officer, there are lots of benefits: professional development, networking, learning opportunities, and the opportunity to take on new responsibilities.

Candidates should meet the requirements of the position. The following provides job descriptions for each office.

President

Candidates for this position must have at least one year of leadership or management experience. The source of this experience can be a job or another volunteer organization. The president is the chapter's executive administrator and is responsible for all chapter operations. The president exercises general supervision over the affairs of the chapter (i.e., is an ex officio member of all committees), delegates duties to the other officers, and represents the chapter within STC and to the public.

The President has the following duties (duties may be shared with a co-officer):

Preside at chapter and administrative council meetings.
Prepare and distribute the president's weekly e-mail announcement. To prepare this e-mail, collect information about upcoming chapter events and competitions, Society-level activities, and general chapter news and information. Also recognize significant achievements of chapter members.
Hold administrative council meetings. Collect status reports and agenda items from the administrative council and key volunteers to discuss at the meeting.
Hold a summer planning meeting for all chapter officers and committee managers in which you discuss chapter plans and goals for the year, determine budgetary items, and provide leadership training resources to incoming officers (refer to the Leadership Community Resource [LCR] materials at stc.org).
Work with the treasurer to create the chapter's annual budget.
Maintain regular communication with committee managers and officers to ensure committee activities are progressing along as planned.
Communicate with administrative council members and committees to ensure the success of the chapter's goals and achievements.
Communicate with chapter members, the LCR, the Society Board, other STC communities, and other related communication organizations as needed.
Respond to member and nonmember inquiries.

Other duties the President may carry out include the following:

Prepare the quarterly Community Status Report and submit it to the Society Board.
Appoint committee managers with the approval of the administrative council.
Work with the Events committee to develop educational programs, webinars, and other networking/social events (at least 5 per year).
Mentor administrative council members to assist and encourage them in performing their duties and to prepare them for moving into another position on the administrative council.
Work with the Membership committee to recruit new members and retain existing members.
Obtain corporate sponsorship from local businesses and industries, including door prizes and money for chapter events.
Work with the Nominations committee to identify new officers for the annual election.
Assist the Immediate Past President with the preparation for the chapter achievement award.
Work with the administrative council to identify candidates for the Distinguished Chapter Achievement Award, Associate Fellow, and J.R. Gould Award; prepare and submit the paperwork for these honors and awards.
Hold an annual business meeting to announce election results; induct new administrative council members.
Honor and recognize chapter volunteers throughout the year.
Encourage members to contribute to Intercom, Tieline, Technical Communication, and other professional publications.

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First Vice President

The First Vice President has the following duties:

Assume the duties of the President in the absence or incapacity of the President, and perform such other duties as the President or administration council may assign.
Assist the President with filling out applications and reports to the LCR and the Society Board.
Confer with and advise the President on policies and programs.
Attend all administrative council meetings, submit a monthly status report, and attend all chapter events.
Manage a major committee of their choice or as assigned by the President such as the Membership Committee, Nominations Committee, Public Relations Committee, Speakers Bureau, Strategic Planning Committee, or the Volunteers Committee. (A major committee is defined as one that consists of several members and enables the First Vice President to learn people and task management skills.)
Although not required, it is desirable for the First Vice President to run for President the following year.

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Second Vice President

The Second Vice President has the following duties:

Act for the First Vice President when the occasion arises.
Attend all administrative council meetings and submit a monthly status report.
Preside at meetings of the chapter, the administrative council, or the extended administrative council in the absence of the President and First Vice President and performs other duties as assigned by the President or council.
Manage a major committee of their choice or as assigned by the President such as the Competitions Committee, Education Committee, Events Committee, Membership Committee, Nominations Committee, Public Relations Committee, or the Volunteers Committee. (A major committee is defined as one that consists of several members and enables the First Vice President to learn people and task management skills.)
Although not required, it is desirable for the Second Vice President to run for First Vice President the following year.

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Secretary

The Secretary has the following duties:

Attend all administrative council and extended council meetings and submit a monthly status report.
Prepare complete and accurate council meeting minutes; distribute, and report the minutes of all administrative council and extended council meetings in a timely manner.
Prepare and distribute official chapter correspondence not specifically assigned to another officer or committee manager.
Sign chapter documents as required.
Maintain a contact list of officers and committee managers (including mailing addresses and telephone numbers) and ensure that the latest version is distributed or made available to all extended council members.
Maintain records for the use of the council members.
Ensure changes to the chapter's bylaws that require a vote by all chapter members are included in the annual election ballots.
Maintain the chapter bylaws when required and submit changes for review and approval to the Society Board.
File minutes and official chapter documents (including financial reports) in the chapter archives.
Perform other duties as the President or council may assign.

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Treasurer

The Treasurer is responsible for the chapter's finances and all financial obligations. This involves monitoring chapter expenses, paying bills and depositing income, keeping accurate records, reporting chapter finances monthly, and preparing the annual budget and other periodic reports required to maintain our nonprofit status.

The Treasurer serves for two years. Candidates for Treasurer should be be well-organized and attentive to detail. Previous experience as a treasurer is greatly helpful. The Treasurer has the following duties:

Attend all administrative council and extended council meetings and submit a monthly fiscal status report.
Receive and disburse chapter funds (as authorized by the administrative council).
Submit budgets as required by the President or council, including the annual financial report to the Society's Treasurer.
Maintain paper and electronic records of the chapter's scholarship fund and checking accounts. This includes the check register and a file containing all canceled checks and statements.
Maintain copies of all statements, bills, and reimbursement requests.
Maintain books and records so they can be inspected at any time by the administrative council or an independent auditor named by the administrative council.
Submit a statement of the chapter's financial status to the membership annually. The report to the membership may take the form of a statement published in the chapter newsletter.
As soon as possible after June 30 of each year, and in accordance with the STC Bylaws, prepare the end-of-year Chapter Financial Report and submit it and supporting chapter financial records to the STC Treasurer before the September 30 deadline.

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Immediate Past President

The outgoing chapter president becomes the Immediate Past President for the following year.

The Immediate Past President has the following duties:

Attend all Administrative Council meetings
Counsels the President and the Administrative Council as needed
Performs such other duties as the president may assign.

For more information about the officers' responsibility or the nomination process, please see the Chapter Bylaws PDF file (88 K).

If you have any questions about the nomination process or the election, contact Vacant , Nominations Committee Manager, at

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