Are you a potential candidate for the Loma Prieta Chapter Executive Committee?
By Mike Ferreira
To contact the nominating committee, send an email to: MichaelJFerreira@gmail.com
Did you know that the Sierra Club is the largest nationwide volunteer-driven environmental organization in the United States? To better connect with our grassroots, our Club has been carefully organized into bylaws-governed chapters. The Loma Prieta Chapter is one of 13 Chapters in California, each of which is administered by an elected Executive Committee composed of environmentally conscious Club members willing to provide leadership as we pursue the Club’s goals at the local level.
The Loma Prieta Chapter boundaries encompass San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Benito counties. The Executive Committee provides final policy approval and financial oversight for the chapter and is responsible for ensuring that chapter actions are compliant with Sierra Club and chapter policies and interests.
There are 9 elected Executive Committee members who develop and facilitate execution of an overall strategy to grow and engage our membership and strengthen the chapter, and provide support to our chapter’s local entities to carry out the Club's mission of exploring, enjoying, and protecting the planet. Our chapter alternately elects 4 or 5 individuals to serve on its Executive Committee for 2-year terms starting in January of each year. Although it is not known at this time whether any of the current 5 incumbents whose terms are up for reelection will be stepping down we are nonetheless seeking the interest of people who love the Sierra Club, who are concerned about the environment, and who can commit for two years to making Executive Committee and Sierra Club objectives a high priority.
Executive Committee members should be willing to assist our chapter in various leadership areas. Executive Committee members are expected to spend a minimum of 5-10 hours a month on chapter business, and typically take on additional duties such as serving on other chapter level committees covering membership, communications, fundraising, finance, conservation, politics and as liaisons to chapter internal entities, other Club chapters, and to the state and national Club organizations.
The ideal candidate is well-informed in one or more aspects of environmental protection or stewardship, and has one or more of the following qualities:
- has some familiarity with the workings of the Sierra Club and/or the Loma Prieta Chapter;
- has executive and leadership ability, is able to look at the big picture and make decisions;
- is knowledgeable about city, county or state politics and the interplay of the Club’s conservation issues;
- has experience leading activities such as Loma Prieta Chapter outings;
- has interest and/or expertise in fundraising;
- has experience with nonprofit organizations and volunteer management.
We hope you'll consider applying to serve on our Executive Committee. Please contact Mike Ferreira at: MichaelJFerreira@gmail.com.
Chapter Bylaws excerpt
The ExCom shall specify the calendar dates and deadlines for appointing the Nominating Committee (NomCom), production of eligible voter lists, receipt of names for consideration by the NomCom, receipt of ballot issue petitions, the NomCom report of names of nominees, receipt of candidate petitions, appointment of the Election Committee, printing and mailing dates for ballots allowing at least four weeks for return of the ballots, receipt of returned ballots, and the date, time and place for counting ballots.
The ExCom shall provide written notice of this schedule and of the opportunity to nominate candidates by petition to all Chapter members.
4.2 Nominating Committee. A Nominating Committee (NomCom) of at least three Chapter members, at least one not an ExCom member, none of whom may be a candidate, shall be appointed annually by the ExCom not later than four months before the designated closing date of the election. Sufficient opportunity shall be given for Chapter members to submit names for consideration by the NomCom. The NomCom shall attempt to nominate at least two more candidates than the number of ExCom members to be elected, and shall report the nominees' names to the ExCom at least two weeks before the deadline for submission of nomination petitions and five weeks before the scheduled mailing of the ballots. Nominees shall be Chapter members who give their consent. If the NomCom chooses not to nominate a willing candidate, the NomCom shall promptly inform that candidate of the opportunity to seek nomination by petition.