The Foreign Service Journal, March 2019

66 MARCH 2019 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS dent serves as an ex-officio member of all committees (except Elections). The president may establish an advisory council of volunteer members of the Foreign Service or the public at large to advise the president on issues of interest to AFSA. Section 3. The Secretary. The secretary oversees the keep- ing of the official records of the board. The secretary takes the lead on board governance issues and coordinates orientation of new board members. Section 4. The Treasurer. The treasurer serves as the chief financial officer of the Governing Board. The treasurer oversees budget planning and execution, as well as investment portfolio management, collaborating with AFSA staff in these matters. Section 5. The Vice Presidents. The vice presidents for the agencies represented by AFSA serve as the primary labor negotiators for employees in their bargaining units. They advise the president and other board members on workforce policies affecting their constituencies. They have a duty of fair represen- tation as the exclusive employee representative of all employees within their bargaining units and negotiate collective bargaining agreements covering all employees in each unit described in Sections 1012 and 1013 of the Foreign Service Act. In coordina- tion and with guidance from the president, they represent their constituents with the public, including the Congress. Section 6. The Retiree Vice President. The retiree vice president serves as the primary advocate for retirees and, in coordination with the president, takes the lead on advocacy and outreach on retirement issues. The retiree vice president is responsible for finding and recommending to the Executive Committee and the Governing Board retired AFSA members to serve on and give the Foreign Service perspective to the For- eign Service Grievance Board (FSGB) and the Foreign Service Labor Relations Board (FSLRB). Section 7. Smaller Constituencies. Board members repre- senting agencies with fewer than 100 AFSA members perform the same activities and have the same responsibilities as the vice presidents.” Justification: The current bylaws mention the existence of various officers, but then fail to establish their duties, authori- ties and activities. This constitutes a “worst” practice, which no other organization we researched displayed. This addition establishes officer “best practices” as demonstrated in the organizations we studied and, indeed, delineates what our officers have actually been doing in recent years. Amendment Number 6 Amend Article VI, Section 1 by inserting a new subparagraph: “(a) Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers of the association as defined in Article V, Section 3. It will meet intersessionally between board meetings and is chaired by the president, if available. AFSA staff members may be invited to attend discussions on matters pertaining to their responsibilities. The committee will support the board by reviewing and revising as necessary the proposed annual budget for presentation to the board for approval, reviewing existing and proposed new standard operating proce- dures and similar documents for presentation to the board for approval; and discussing other matters impacting the interests of AFSAmembers and bringing any proposal resulting there- from to the board for decision. The committee will support the president in implementing the policies of the board by providing a forum for discussions, discussing staff matters that impact the core functions of AFSA such as staffing reorganization and deciding matters that do not rise to the level of board action. All decisions of the Executive Committee shall be reported to the next session of the Governing Board for ratification.” If adopted, Article VI, Section 1 would read: Section 1. The following committees and boards shall exist on a permanent basis: (a) Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the officers of the association as defined in Article V, Section 3. It will meet intersessionally between board meetings and is chaired by the president, if available. AFSA staff members may be invited to attend discussions on matters pertaining to their responsibilities. The committee will support the board by reviewing and revising as necessary the proposed annual budget for presentation to the board for approval review- ing existing and proposed new standard operating procedures and similar documents for presentation to the board for approval; and discussing other matters impacting the interests of AFSAmembers and bringing any proposal resulting there- from to the board for decision. The committee will support the president in implementing the policies of the board by providing a forum for discussions, discussing staff matters that impact the core functions of AFSA such as staffing reorganization and deciding matters that do not rise to the level of board action. All decisions of the Executive Committee shall be reported to the next session of the Governing Board for ratification.” (b) Committee on Elections: The Committee on Elections shall have full power within the association, subject to applica- ble law, regulation, these bylaws and the association budget, to conduct regular elections for the Governing Board, recall elec- tions, referenda and any vote on amendments to these bylaws. The committee shall establish regulations for these procedures and interpret relevant sections of the bylaws, resolve disputes and determine and declare election results. The Committee on Elections shall be composed of at least five members, including a chair and at least one member from each constituency. The board shall appoint the chair and mem- bers of the committee for two-year terms beginning July 15 of each even-numbered year, and shall fill vacancies occurring