The Southern California Section is represented by an Executive Committee comprised of the Chair, the Chair-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, nine Members-at-Large, six Councilors and six Alternate Councilors. These are elected positions and we hold elections each Fall. The Chair position is a three-year term consisting of Chair-Elect, Chair and Past-Chair. The Chair-Elect and Secretary/Treasurer positions are elected each year. Three Members-at-Large and two Councilor positions are also elected each year to three-year terms.
Executive Committee Meetings are held virtually at 7:30 pm on the first Wednesday of each month, September through May.
The Chair-Elect is responsible for one year of general program activities beginning in August. The Chair’s duties begin on January 1 and involve overall management of the Section: Appointing committee chairs, conducting monthly board meetings during the academic year via teleconference, appearing at general program events, and writing a “Chair’s Message” for each issue of SCALACS, our section newsletter. Effective January 1 the following year, the person becomes Immediate Past Chair, and serves in an advisory capacity to the new Chair to ensure continuity. The duties of the Chair and Chair-Elect are delineated here.
The Secretary/Treasurer takes care of the accounting for the Section, gives a monthly report of the finances, sends meeting announcements and takes minutes at the Executive Committee meeting, and certifies election results to National ACS.
Members-at-Large attend most of our virtual monthly Executive Committee meetings. Most Members-at-Large participate on one of our standing committees – at first as a helper, and later as a leader. For an idea of what those committees do, point your web browser here. In the third year, the Member-at-Large is also a member of our Board of Directors, which is responsible for setting and approving the budget for the following year. Most importantly, the Member-at-Large brings diversity of experience and opinions to the discussion table, thereby ensuring that all perspectives are considered in section governance.
Councilors: The Section Councilors represent the Southern California Section at the National ACS Council meetings and report their activities back to the Executive Committee. The Alternate Councilors serve as backup in case a Councilor can’t attend the Council meeting. A significant portion of Council meeting travel and accommodations are paid for by the Section and National ACS. This can be a win-win situation for a person who is interested in being involved with activities and presentations at the National ACS meetings. Councilors and Alternate Councilors are also expected to attend most of our virtual monthly Executive Committee meetings.
Alternate Councilors: The two people not elected as Councilor each year become the Alternate Councilors for the Section. Since they may be asked to attend Council meetings if the Councilor doesn’t, they are urged to attend most virtual monthly business meetings to know what’s going on in the Section. They are also invited to participate in our other Section activities.
If you are interested in running for any of these positions, please email the Section Office at office-at-scalacs-dot-org.