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YPT Boston Board Election Information

Summary

Here is a great opportunity for you to get involved in determining the future of Young Professionals in Transportation-Boston!  YPT will soon be conducting elections to select the 2016-2017 YPT-Boston Chapter Board of Directors.  If you would like to run for a Board of Directors position or vote in the election, please continue reading below.

Directors typically offer a time commitment of up to 3-5 hours per week, though the level of commitment required for each position varies.  Please refer to the position descriptions for more information. Directors are expected to make every attempt possible to attend in person or be available to call into monthly Chapter Board of Directors meetings.

Note that elections for the National Board of Directors positions is a separate process.

Nomination Process

Nominations for one of the nine (9) Board of Director positions (described below) should be submitted by e-mail to YPT at yptboston@gmail.com by Friday, September 23, 2016, 6:00 PM EST.  Please submit your name, title, organization, contact information, the position(s) for which you are seeking nomination, and a candidate statement (1 page or less) addressing why you would like to serve on the YPT-Boston Chapter Board of Directors.  Please submit all of this information in a single MS Word file. Please email yptboston@gmail.com with any questions.

CANDIDATE AND VOTING ELIGIBILITY

In order to run for a YPT-Boston Chapter Board of Directors position or vote in the elections you must be or become a paid YPT Member by Friday, September 23, 2016 11:59 PM EST by following this link:  https://my.yptransportation.org/join.  If you think you are already a Member but are unsure, you can check your membership status by logging into https://my.yptransportation.org.

ELECTIONS PROCESS

• September 23, 2016: Submit your candidate statement via email by 6:00 PM.
• October 03, 2016: All eligible voters will receive the full slate of candidate statements via email (there will also be a National board ballot sent that day).
• October 17, 2016:  All eligible voters will receive an email with voting instructions.  Online voting for National and Chapter elections opens at 09:00 AM EST.
• October 28, 2015: Online voting for National and Chapter elections closes at 8:00 PM EST.

Pending any runoff elections, the results will be made available to the YPT membership in early November.  The new Board term for all winning candidates will begin on November 1, 2016.

LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

Elections will be held for the following YPT-Boston Board of Directors positions.  Terms of office are one year, from November 1 to October 31.  There is no limit to the number of consecutive terms a Board Member may serve.  Candidates may run for multiple positions.  If a candidate wins more than one position then that person may choose which position he/she would prefer to serve.

1. Chair:  The Chair shall be responsible for the following:

• Implement day-to-day policies and guidelines of the Board of Directors
• Preside over Board meetings
• Create and appoint members to Committees
• Act as chief executive officer of the organization
• Manage the Board and delegating responsibilities

In order to be eligible to run for Chapter Chair, a candidate must have served on the YPT Boston Board for at least one year. It is expected that the Chair will make every effort possible to attend all Board meetings.

2. Deputy Chair:  The Deputy Chair shall be responsible for the following:

• Help to coordinate activities involving multiple Officers and assist the Chair in his or her responsibilities
• In the absence of the Chair, the Deputy Chair shall act in the official capacity of the Chair and perform all duties of that office
• Maintain good relationships between the YPT Boston Board and the YPT International Board, and keep the YPT Boston Board apprised of discussions occurring at the international level. This includes participation in the monthly chapter calls with other chapters and International Board members.
• Coordinate with the International Board on the elections process, ensuring that appropriate timelines are met and needed documents are provided to the appropriate International contact
• The Deputy Chair will take on other responsibilities as directed by the Chair

3. Vice Chair for Administration:  The Vice Chair for Administration shall be responsible for the following:

• Keep full and accurate records of all business and proceedings at Board meetings
• Ensure that appropriate letters are sent thanking event speakers, leaders, etc. for their roles
• Draft and maintain procedural documentation related to the Chapter
• File the Annual Report with the International YPT organization and the Massachusetts Non-Profit review agency

It is expected that the Vice Chair for Administration will make every effort possible to attend all Board meetings. If a meeting will be missed, the Vice Chair is responsible for coordinating with other Board members to find a replacement to record minutes.

4. Vice Chair for Finance:  The Vice Chair for Finance shall be responsible for the following:

• Manage the safekeeping YPT Boston funds, including managing a bank account and reporting of receipts, expenditures, and balances
• Provide the Board with a full financial report each month
• Develop an annual budget and coordinate with the Vice Chair for Sponsorship to ensure that expenses will not exceed income
• Work closely with the Vice Chair for Programs to ensure programming budgets do not exceed revenues
• Review contracts with vendors throughout the year
• Coordinate with YPT International regarding the collection of dues, tax filings and end of the year fiscal statements

5. Vice Chair for Communications:  The Vice Chair for Communications shall be responsible for the following:

• Coordinate activities and communications that promote the organization to the general public
• Coordinate activities that facilitate and encourage communication and fellowship among the members of YPT
• Carry out communications and outreach to other Boston related to their respective events
• Maintain the YPT Boston electronic media, including regularly scheduled emails, as well as updates to Facebook, Twitter, and the YPT Boston website
• Become familiar with using social media, CRM, and updating websites
• Oversee a Deputy Vice Chair for Communications, appointed through a separate process, and a standing committee

This position requires frequent and on-time delivery of various external communications. As such, it should be filled by someone with the ability to provide that level of commitment. The Board will seek a Deputy Vice Chair of Communications, through a separate process, to work with the Vice Chair and share some of this workload.

6. Vice Chair for Programs:  The Vice Chair for Programs shall be responsible for the following:

• Coordinate all YPT Boston events throughout the year. This includes, but is not limited to, networking events, lunch and learns, technical tours, and the annual distinguished speaker series event.
• Maintain a standing programs committee to assist in the planning and execution of events
• Oversee a Deputy Vice Chair for Programs, appointed through a separate process, to assist with the duties of planning and executing YPT Boston’s events
• Coordinate with the Vice Chair for Communications regarding electronic communications about events
• Use a CRM system to create event pages and track registration for upcoming events

This position does carry a more substantial time commitment than other Board positions. As such, it should be filled by someone with the ability to provide that level of commitment. The Board will seek a Deputy Vice Chair and there is currently a standing committee to work with the Vice Chair and share some of this workload.

7. Vice Chair for Membership:  The Vice Chair for Membership shall be responsible for the following:

• Maintain an active list of YPT Boston members and friends via the CRM database and coordinate with YPT International to ensure that all data are current and accurate
• Review membership dues transactions between YPT Boston and YPT International that result from new members
• Recruit YPT Members and Friends by attending events and actively promoting YPT Boston as an organization
• Work closely with the Vice Chair for Programs to coordinate and execute events that encourage and attract membership, especially events reserved for members only
• Develop strategies to continue to grow membership, like the YPT annual summer technical tour series and the YPT member survey

8. Vice Chair for Sponsorship:  The Vice Chair for Sponsorship shall be responsible for the following:

• Actively seek sponsorship opportunities and engage existing and potential sponsors to secure a steady revenue stream for the organization
• Coordinate with the Vice Chair for Finance to provide up-to-date information and expectations regarding sponsorships and revenue, and ensuring that sponsors receive receipts on all transactions
• Keep the sponsorship packet and all other sponsorship documents up-to-date

9. Vice Chair At-Large: The Vice Chair At-Large shall be responsible for the following:

• Provide general support for YPT activities, promotion and outreach of YPT events, and to regularly participate in all Board functions
• Assist YPT Boston Board members with special projects, or manage special projects as determined by the YPT Boston Board. This may include duties like chapter organization, programs assistance, coordinating with the Vice Chair for Membership on membership drives, and/or other projects.
• Serve as a liaison between YPT Boston and area colleges and universities to actively engage students and faculty in the transportation field

Please note that the various positions require differing levels of responsibility and commitment. It is critical to the success of the Board and organization that you can provide this level of commitment before nominating yourself for a specific position. This is a small board and it is important that members attend Board meetings. Meetings are currently held on the second Tuesday of each month from 6-7:30pm. A call-in number can be provided to Board members who are unable to attend a meeting in person due to extenuating circumstances. Feel free to reach out to any existing Board members with any questions you may have regarding positions.

If you would like to submit a nomination or if you have questions about the elections process, please do not hesitate to contact us at yptboston@gmail.com.

This is your opportunity to get involved in building an organization dedicated to the professional advancement and development of young professionals in the field of transportation.  We need your help and look forward to your participation in the elections and your contributions toward another great year ahead!