About the Administrative Council Elections

Once a year, the chapter holds elections for officers on the administrative council. The administrative council consists of chapter member volunteers who serve in the following positions: President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and one to three At-Large Directors. The extended administrative council includes anyone else the council deems advisable such as managers of active committees and local Special Interest Groups (SIG).

Voting members of the Administrative Council (except for the Immediate Past President) are elected from a slate of volunteer candidates; other members of the extended administrative council are appointed. Only the elected Administrative Council members 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 Operating Procedures (under development).

The sign of a healthy chapter is a contested election.

A request for nominations is issued in early Spring. A candidate may be nominated by any chapter member or candidates may volunteer to nominate themselves. The Nominations Committee wants to have a choice for each elected position and will work with the nominees to select a slate for the elections that are held in the Spring. The Elections Manager will prepare the online ballot, tally the votes, and announce the winners. The new officers are installed at the Annual Business Meeting and Chapter Service Recognitions Luncheon in May, June, or July.

Administrative Council Roles

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

President

Candidates for the office of President 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 (that is, 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 monthly email announcement or blog post. To prepare this email or blog post, collect information about upcoming chapter events and competition, 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 STC Leadership Resource 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 Community Affairs Committee (CAC), 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:

• 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.
• Designate a volunteer and help that person prepare the chapter achievement award application.
• 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, Technical Communication, and other professional publications.

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 CAC 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 chapter committee of their choice or as assigned by the President such as the Events Committee, Membership Committee, 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.

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 Competition Committee, Events Committee, or the Membership 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.

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.
• File minutes and official chapter documents (including financial reports) in the chapter archives.
• Perform other duties as the President or council may assign.

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 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 income, expenses, 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.

At-Large Director

This is an elected position. An At-Large Director serves as a voting member of the Administrative Council and may have the following duties:

• Counsel the President and the Administrative Council as needed.
• Attend administrative council and extended council meetings and submit a monthly status report if applicable.
• Perform other duties the president may assign to manage a special project or to manage a chapter committee such as the Audit Committee, Bylaws Committee, Community Service Committee, Competition Committee, Education Committee, Employment Committee, Events Committee, History Committee, Hospitality Committee, Membership Committee, Nominations Committee, Publicity Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, or the Volunteers Committee.

Immediate Past President

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

The Immediate Past President does not participate in the Administrative Council votes and may have the following duties:

• Counsel the President and the Administrative Council as needed
• Perform other duties the president may assign such as manage the Nominations Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, or the Volunteers Committee.

For more information about the officers’ responsibility or the nomination process, please see the Chapter Bylaws (188 K .pdf).

If you have any questions about the nomination process or the election, contact Carolyn Kelley Klinger, Nominations Committee Manager, at nominations manager.

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