In the fall of 2023, the NAMSS Board of Directors formed the Succession Planning Task Force, which was charged with reviewing current practices around recruiting and vetting new volunteer leaders, providing leadership development training and opportunities, and ensuring a consistent pipeline of future volunteer leaders. The Task Force was led by Julie Hatley, BS, CPMSM, CPCS, FMSP. Following review of association best practices and understanding the unique needs of NAMSS, the Task Force made multiple recommendations, all of which were approved by the Board of Directors and implemented for our 2024 Call for Board Nominations.
The task force also recommended, and the NAMSS Board approved, of NAMSS moving to a selection process for the Secretary-Treasurer position. This is based on association best practices, but also because the Secretary-Treasurer eventually becomes NAMSS President. The task force felt it important that the Board be able to identify needed competencies, connections, and knowledge areas and appoint the right person with the right skills.
We also have several proposed updates to other various items, based on our attorney’s recommendations to bring the NAMSS bylaws in line with California non-profit requirements. NAMSS is incorporated in California, so we must follow their laws.
Per our bylaws, all bylaws changes must be proposed to the membership and must be approved by a 2/3 majority of votes. The vote will open in mid-January 2025.
To help you understand these changes, each update is listed below with an explanation. The NAMSS officers also hosted a Town Hall webinar in November 2024 to walk through these changes. Access to that webinar recording is available here for NAMSS members.
The current NAMSS bylaws can be found on our website.
Article 7: Board of Directors
These updates are based on our attorney’s recommendation and California requirements. These are not a change to our current processes.
The changes in this section clarify that officers are included in the Board composition and include language updates to clarify term limits. We have some new language here to explain that if there is a vacancy in a Board position, anyone appointed to fill that vacancy would still be allowed to be elected to another term. This is a rare circumstance, but a change we’re recommending for clarity and so processes are well defined.
This section includes more language updates to match California requirements. This is not a change in practice – these requirements have been in place and will remain in place.
This new language provides parameters for a board member to resign from the Board. This was the attorney's recommendation to ensure that we have a process in place.
The additional language clarifies the process for replacing an open position on the Board. This is not a change to process, but we’re adding additional language for clarity, and language which states that anyone who is appointed to fill a vacancy would not then be disallowed from running for a full term on the board.
Article 8, Officers
The additional language lists the eligibility requirements for serving as a NAMSS officer. There is a change to process here, in which we’re now recommending that we require an officer to have previously served on the NAMSS Board of Directors as a Director-at-Large. The role of an officer is large and important, and the Board feels officers must have previously served in a Director at Large role to fully understand the scope of that position but also to fully understand the Board’s culture and the goals and objectives of the organization.
This is partly based on association best practices, and several organizations in the healthcare industry also appoint or select their board officers, including the Medical Group Management Association(MGMA), American Health Law Association (AHLA), Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources (ASHHRA), the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
The Secretary-Treasurer eventually becomes NAMSS President. The task force felt it important that the future President of NAMSS not be selected based on who is most well-known, but that the Board be able to appoint the right person with the right strengths and skills based on NAMSS needs. By appointing a Secretary-Treasurer, the Board can also ensure we have the diversity we need on the Executive Committee – both diversity in terms of demographic details, but also breadth and depth of experience, work settings, and strengths. For instance, the Board may decide, based on future goals, that we need an officer with a great deal of quality experience or knowledge. Or, given the breadth of issues NAMSS manages, they may decide that a well-rounded Executive Committee is necessary, with officers who are skilled in different things like relationship building, strategic thinking, or executing. By appointing individuals, we can prioritize candidates with the necessary qualifications and experience, ensuring that the right people with the right skills hold leadership positions and that the Executive Committee is well-balanced and diverse. A selection process also ensures that the secretary-treasurer’s vision aligns closely with the strategic goals of the association, fostering continuity and progress in initiatives.
This recommended change is not a response to any particular event, and certainly not a reflection of the quality of our current officers, but a recommendation made by the task force to help NAMSS advance into the future. The healthcare field is changing rapidly, NAMSS is changing rapidly, and the NAMSS board has a unique view and knowledge of what is needed in officer positions.
In addition, we have seen dwindling participation in our elections. In 2024, only 11% of our membership voted. Please note that we will still hold an election for our Directors at Large, so the folks YOU elect to the Board will decide the future president of the organization.
These language edits are for clarity and are not a significant change to the process.
This is new language to provide clarity into the process if an officer were to resign. This is an effort to ensure our bylaws are in the best possible shape while we’re making updates.
This is not a change to process, but the original bylaws language unintentionally accelerated president turnover, which is not desired.
Article 10. Committees
We are not eliminating these committees, but removing specific committees from the bylaws allows the Board to change and establish committees and makes us nimbler and better able to respond to change. The committees remaining in the bylaws language are core to our business processes.
Article 14. Conflict of Interest
This change is for clarity's sake and does not involve a change in our processes.
If you have questions about any of these recommendations, please reach out to NAMSS: info@namss.org or (202) 367-1196.