By-Laws | EMAT

EMAT BY-LAWS

BYLAWS

of the

Emergency Management Association of Tennessee

ARTICLE I Name and Territorial Limits

Section 1. The name of this organization will be Emergency Management Association of Tennessee (EMAT, or Association)

Section 2. The territorial limits of this Association are the geographical boundaries of the State of Tennessee.

ARTICLE II Membership

Section 1. Public Active Membership

Any person shall be eligible for active membership who has been appointed as a regular staff member, paid or volunteer, of a public emergency agency and or response organization.

Section 2. Private Active Membership

Any person shall be eligible for membership who works either as a paid employee or Volunteer for any private organization.

Section 3. Honorary Membership

The president may extend this honor to any individual after favorable action by the Board of Directors. It may be withdrawn by the same procedure.

Section 4. Lifetime Memberships

This type membership is open to any person who has been active member of the Association in good standing, or its predecessors, and who has been offered such membership by the President after favorable action by the Board of Directors, two thirds of the members present and voting, concurring. This honor should be considered automatic for any active member in good standing who requests it at the time of their retirement. This honor may be withdrawn by the same procedure.

ARTICLE III Voting Rights

Section 1. Voting rights are restricted to members as defined in Article II, Section 1, 2 and 4.

Section 2. Proxies or absentee ballots are not allowed

ARTICLE I NAME and TERRITORIAL LIMITS

Section 1

The name of this organization will be Emergency Management Association of Tennessee (EMAT, or Association)

Section 2.

The territorial limits of this Association are the geographical boundaries of the State of Tennessee.

ARTICLE II MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.

Public Active Membership

Any person shall be eligible for active membership who has been appointed as a regular staff member, paid or volunteer, of a public emergency agency and or response organization.

Section 2.

Private Active Membership

Any person shall be eligible for membership who works either as a paid employee or volunteer for any private organization.

Section 3.

Honorary Membership

The president may extend this honor to any individual after favorable action by the Board of Directors. It may be withdrawn by the same procedure.

Section 4.

Lifetime Memberships

This type of membership is open to any person who has been an active member of the Association in good standing, or its predecessors, and who has been offered such membership by the President after favorable action by the Board of Director's two-thirds of the members present and voting, concurring. This honor should be considered automatic for any active member in good standing who requests it at the time of their retirement. This honor may be withdrawn by the same procedure.

ARTICLE III VOTING RIGHTS

Section 1.

Voting rights are restricted to members as defined in Article II, Section 1, 2 and 4.

Section 2.

Proxies or absentee ballots are not allowed

ARTICLE IV REGISTRATION OR MEMBERSHIP FEES

Section 1.

The Board of Directors, as defined, will establish fees for all grades of membership, two-thirds of directors, present and concurring. These fees will be established at the beginning of each fiscal year. Membership fees will be due on the anniversary month of the date of the last payment received with a 30 day grace period.

Section 2.

Membership fees are waived for Honorary or Lifetime Members.

Section 3

The Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Finance Ways and Means and Conference committees, will set the registration fees for all conferences.

ARTICLE V OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1.

Officers

The Officers of the Association shall consist of President, President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and at-large three Vice Presidents elected from each of the State’s three regions as defined by TEMA districts. The counties in each of the regions are attached herein.

At the end of term or by death, removal, or resignation from the office of President, the President-elect shall become President.

Section 2.

The election of Officers shall take place every 2 years at the EMAT meeting. The terms of office starting with the election on October 28th, 2014 in Nashville shall be two years. The next election of officers shall take place in 2016 and every two years afterward.

Section 3.

No person shall be an Officer in the Association unless they meet qualifications set forth in Article II, Sections 1, 2 and 4. The Office of President and President-elect shall further be restricted to active public members who currently serves as Director or staff member of an emergency management organization. Furthermore, no person shall hold the office of President or President-elect without having actively served on the Board of Directors within the past two years.

Section 4.

Vice Presidents shall be elected one from each of the three regions. The office of Vice President shall be restricted to active public members who currently serve as a Director or staff member of an emergency management organization.

Section 5.

The Secretary and Treasurer are appointed positions and shall be current members as defined in Article II, Sections 1, 2 and 4.

Section 6.

Vacancies

The office of President shall be filled as defined in Article V, Section 1. Should the vacancy occur for the President-elect, Executive Committee shall elect one of the Vice Presidents to assume the office. Should a vacancy be any Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer the President shall appoint an eligible member, as defined, to fill the vacancy.

Section 7.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of the Association shall consist of all Officers, the Immediate Past President, and the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of all standing committees. Any current member, excluding honorary members, may serve on the Board of Directors in any non-restricted positions.

Section 8.

Any officer or member of Board of Directors is expected to be active participants in leading the association. Directors

must participate in board communications and attend seventy-five (75%) of scheduled meetings annually unless the absence is justified and acceptable to the President. See Article VI, Section 8 for means of correcting lack of participation

ARTICLE VI DUTIES

Section 1.

President

The President will preside at meetings, make appointments, sign records and see that the Association’s five-year strategic plan is implemented and followed. The President shall also lead in a manner that is positive and constructive and shall see that the Association runs in an efficient and orderly manner. Board appointments will be made for a two-year period with a maximum of 50% of voting members being changed during a 12-month period. There are no restrictions on consecutive appointments. The President can exercise some discretion should vacancies or other circumstances warrant for the effective operations of the board.

Section 2.

President-elect

The President-elect shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him by the President and will perform the duties of President in case of absence or disability of President. Disability shall be defined and approved by the Board of Directors. The President-elect or his designee may serve as a state representative to various national organizations. The designee must have the approval of the Board of Directors.

Section 3

Vice Presidents

Shall be elected from the state’s three regions. They will perform such duties as assigned.

Section 4

Secretary

Shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors and shall keep minutes of all meetings and proceedings by making proper recordings of the same. In addition, thereto, copies of minutes shall be distributed to the Directors for review and approval and subsequently made available to the membership.

Section 5

Treasurer

Shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors and shall receive and have in charge, all monies and securities of the Association and will disburse or otherwise deal all approved expenditures. Records of all transactions shall be kept in an accurate and timely manner. A financial report shall be given to the membership during the annual membership meeting. Upon leaving office, records shall be given to the incoming Treasurer and witnessed by no less than two other Board members. The statement of transfer will include a listing of assets, reconciled bank statements, a detailed list of all starting and ending check numbers from check stock, a year to date report of receipts and expenses, and all files, records and documents pertaining to the Association. All credit cards or debit cards shall be returned upon leaving office.

The Treasurer shall confer and assist the chairman of Finance Ways and Means committee in preparing an annual budget. A surety bond for this office is authorized and may be approved by the Board of Directors.

Section 6.

Executive Committee

Shall consist of the President, President-elect and the Vice Presidents. The President shall serve chair. The powers of this committee are to be limited to emergency matters. Day to day matters shall rest with the Board of Directors.

Section 7.

Board of Directors

Membership to the Board is defined in Article V, Section 7. The Directors shall see that the Association runs in an orderly and efficient manner. The Directors shall meet no less than twice a year. For the purpose of establishing a quorum, it shall be no less than 1/3 of Directors present either by physical presence or electronic means.

Section 8.

Removal of Officers or Directors

Upon just cause and proper examination, any Director or Officer can be removed by two thirds (2/3) majority of the Board of Directors. If removal involves the President, then the immediate past President shall preside during removal proceedings. Lack of sufficient participation as defined in Article 5, Section 8 will result in automatic removal from the Board of Directors. The President will appoint a new Director unless reinstatement is approved by two thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Board.

ARTICLE VII NOMINATION OF OFFICERS

Section 1.

Where the election of Officers is required and is in order, the positions of President-elect and a Vice President from each region shall be nominated from the floor of the membership meeting. President-elect must meet the requirements of Article V, Section 3. Vice Presidents must meet the requirements of Article V, Section 4. Upon a challenge of a nominee’s qualifications, the President shall rule on the challenge and his ruling shall be final.

ARTICLE VIII COMMITTEES

Section 1

The President shall appoint chairs and vice-chairs subject to the approval of the Executive Committee for the following standing committees:

Awards and Nominations (a past President will chair)
Conference
Education Sector Committee
Finance Ways and Means
Historical
Legislative
Membership and Outreach
Standards, Training & CEMP (Certified Emergency Management Program)
Strategic Planning, Constitution and bylaws: Board of Directors, chaired by the President

Section 2.

The President, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, may appoint special committees and such committees shall perform duties as may be defined. These committees serve at the will of the President or successor.

ARTICLE IX MEETINGS

Section 1

The Association shall meet annually at a time and place to be fixed by the Board of Directors. Special meetings may be called upon 2/3 majority of the Board of Directors as needed. Meetings can be conducted through electronic media when appropriate. Written notice of 30 days must be given to the membership of all meetings.

ARTICLE X FISCAL MATTERS

Section 1.

The fiscal year of the Association shall run July 1 through June 30.

Section 2.

The Board of Directors shall develop a purchasing and procurement policy which and should be followed when practical.

ARTICLE XI PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1.

Robert’s Rules of Order should be followed at all meetings

ARTICLE XII AMENDMENTS

Section 1

This constitution may be amended or changed at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of the membership present and qualified to cast a vote, provided that notice of such proposed changes be circulated by mail or electronic means to all members at least 15 days prior to said meeting.

Section 2.

In addition, the constitution and by-laws may be amended or changed at the meeting but only by unanimous consent of the members qualified to vote and present at the meeting.

ARTICLE XIII STRATEGIC PLAN

Section 1.

There shall be an active and current five year strategic plan for the Association. It shall be the responsibility of the Board of Directors to develop and update this plan. It shall be the ultimate responsibility of the President to implement this plan

ARTICLE XIV DISSOLUTION

Section 1.

In the event of dissolution or liquidation of the Association, all assets, and properties remaining after all debts, obligations, and expenses have been paid will be donated to an organization of tax-exempt status as determined by the final Board of Directors.

Appendix

1. THE BILL HYDER AWARD - Excellence in Senior Leadership

Description of Award:

This is the highest award for excellence in leadership to be presented by the Emergency Management Association of Tennessee. The award should be reserved for those individuals who have made significant contributions in leadership of emergency management activities, and who are credited with providing identifiable support for local and state government or industry disaster preparedness. Nominations for recipients will be accepted by the EMAT Awards and Nominations Committee throughout the year but not later than ninety days prior to the Annual Conference. Nominations are to be in writing outlining the justification. The EMAT President will present this award at the Annual Conference Banquet. The recipient or a family member must be present at the Banquet to receive the award. Recipients unable to attend the conference may request the award be presented during a ceremony with their senior supervisor or local government elected official.

Prerequisites for Nomination:

(a) The Nominee must be presently serving in a position of Director, Deputy Director, or Assistant Director of Emergency Management with local or state government, or as senior manager of Emergency Preparedness/Disaster Recovery in industry, in the State of Tennessee. Nominations of retired Directors/Managers are acceptable if the period of exceptional leadership occurred while the individual was active and filling a Director/Manger position.

(b) Must be an active member of EMAT

(c) Award will recognize sustained leadership performance over a period or may identify a specific event in which the nominee participated.

(d) Must have ten years active service in the Emergency Management career field. Service with professional volunteer or paid emergency response organizations supporting emergency management activities may be considered for a maximum of five years of the ten‐year requirement.

(e) Must be proactive in support of local, state, and federal emergency management policies.

(f) Should be an active participant in EMAT activities to include serving as an officer of the Association, participating as a member of an appointed committee or special project assignment.

(g) The immediate supervisor or senior elected official of the nominee should be consulted, for their reviewing action, prior to final section.

(h) Award may be presented to family members of deceased directors or mangers for exceptional leadership providing all other prerequisites are met.

2. THE EMAT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - Excellence in Job Performance

Description Award:

This is the highest award for excellence in job performance to be presented by the Emergency Management Association of Tennessee. The award should be reserved for those individuals who have made significant contributions in improving emergency management administrative or response activities, and are credited with providing identifiable support for local and state government or industry disaster preparedness. Nominations for recipients will be accepted by EMAT Awards and Nominations Committee throughout the year but no later than ninety days prior to the Annual Conference. Nominations are to be in writing outlining the justification. The EMAT President will present this award at the Annual Conference Banquet. The recipient, or a family member, must be present at the banquet to receive the award. Recipients unable to attend the banquet may request the award be presented during a ceremony with their supervisor or local government elected official.

Prerequisites for Nomination:

(a) The nominee must be presently serving in a staff position with local or state government or as a member of Emergency Preparedness/Disaster Recovery in industry, in the state of Tennessee.

(b) Must be an active member of EMAT.

(c) Award will recognize sustained job performance over a period or may identify a specific event in which the nominee participated.

(d) Must have a minimum of one‐year active service in the Emergency Management career field. Service with professional volunteer or paid emergency response organizations supporting emergency management activities may considered for a maximum of six months or the one‐year requirement.

(e) Must be proactive in support of local, state, and federal emergency management policies.

(f) The immediate supervisor of the nominee should be consulted, for their reviewing action, prior to the final selection.

(g) Award may be presented to family members of deceased staff members for exceptional job performance providing all other prerequisites are met.

3. MEDIA AWARDS - Excellence in Print, Broadcast, or Social Media

Description of Awards:

This award highlights the contributions by Public Information Officers, newspapers, radio, or television stations that have done a truly outstanding job in assisting local emergency management activities. There will be a minimum of two awards which will cover one of the four categories listed above. Nominations for recipients will be accepted by the EMAT Awards Nominations Committee throughout the year, but not later than ninety days prior to the Annual Conference. Nominations are to be in writing outlining the justification. The EMAT President will present these awards at the Annual Conference Banquet. Recipients unable to attend may request the local EMA Director in their jurisdiction present the award later.

Prerequisites for Nomination:

(a) Recipient should be a news agency, radio station, or television station in Tennessee or a Public Information Officer operating in an emergency management related role.

(b) The award is for coverage occurring within the past year.

(c) Recipient should have provided more than just the usual coverage of emergency management events, whether through feature stories or “EXTRA” coverage.

(d) Recipient should be consistently cooperative in agreeing to disseminate important information for the local emergency management agency to the public.

4. EMAT BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY RECOGNITION AWARD - Excellence in Community

Description of Award:

This award is reserved for companies/organizations, or individuals employed by companies/organizations, who have made significant contributions toward improving or supporting emergency management activities and are credited with providing identifiable support for local and state government or industry disaster preparedness. This award can be given to local private sector companies, municipalities, or sections of government that have worked with their local emergency management agency in any facet supporting their community. Nominations for recipients will be accepted by the EMAT Awards Committee throughout the year, but not later than ninety days prior to the Annual Conference each year. Nominations are to be in writing outlining the justification. The EMAT President will present this award at the Annual Conference Banquet. Recipients unable to attend may request the local EMA Director in their jurisdiction present the award later.

Prerequisites for Nomination:

(a) Must be proactive in support of local, state, and federal emergency management policies.

(b) Award will recognize sustained leadership over a period or may identify a specific event in which the nominee participated.

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