2023 Dama-I Board Election Process

Objective: Codify a formal process as described by the DAMA-I Bylaws and Handbook.

Values: DAMA International values transparency, collaboration, and availability of processes and data while ensuring the protection of personal information.

Table of Contents

Document Control

    Revision History

Context

Process Goals

    Positions

    Terms

    Nominations and Voting

    Role Responsibilities

Assumptions

    Chapter Nominating and Voting Eligibility

Election Committee

    Governing Guidance

    Committee Composition

Process

Attachment 1: Election Relevant Bylaws and Procedures

Attachment 2: DAMA-I Chapters as of 27 July 2023, 00:00UTC

Attachment 3: Examples of verification form

Document Control

Revision History

Context

This process is guided by the governing Bylaws Version 6.0 (dated 30 May 2020) which requires the publication of the nominations process for the Board at Section 3.7.2. All exerpts from Bylaws are italicized. Specific sections of these have been excerpted in Attachment 1: Additional Relevant Bylaws and Procedures of this document. "The Board" or "Board" refers to DAMA International Board of Directors unless otherwise stated.

Process Goals

In accordance with the values expressed above, the goals of the process are:

1. Transparency - a clearly written and easy-to-follow process will facilitate implementation and eliminate uncertainty about the annual elections. This is a primary mechanism for Chapters to influence DAMA International.

2. Collaboration - our Data Management community's health is strengthened by collaboration within and among various groups and collectives; our goal is to have as much participation in the process, believing this participation strengthens our community.

3. Availability of processes and data - supporting collaboration is the process of making elections process and data publicly available throughout the process while at the same time protecting the personal privacy of individuals.

Positions

Three positions are open this election cycle:

1. President/Chairman of the Board/CEO

2. Vice President Member Services

3. Vice President Online Services

Terms

Each of these individuals will serve a term of three years beginning 01 January 2024, and ending 31 December 2026.

Nominations and Voting

Nominations and voting for members of the Bard of Directors is by chapter and governed by Bylaws section 3.7.3 (See Attachment 1) Only chapters in "Active Status" listed in Attachment 2 are eligible to participate in this voting process. Chapters must meet all eligibility requirements by 01 August 2023, in order to participate in the nominations and voting process this year.

Role Responsibilities

Descriptions of the three positions open to election this year can be found in the Bylaws online here: https://www.dama.org/cpages/dama-international-bylaws 

DAMA-International’s Board currently is a “working board” which means that members of the Board both govern the organization and staff its operations with assistance from independent contractors.  New Board members will participate in growing the size and influence of the organization, oversee the hiring of a full-time professional executive director/CEO, and, eventually, help the Board transition to a strategic governing board that oversees a staff-led organization.

Assumptions

Chapter Nominating and Voting Eligibility

Only Chapters in good standing by 01 August 2023 (with signed affiliation agreements in place and financial commitments met) may nominate a person from their Chapter for election to the DAMA-I Board or vote on the nominees. The Election Committee will publish a list of Chapters eligible to nominate a candidate, and it will affirm whether the individual nominated meets the minimum eligibility requirements set out in Sections 3.6.1 and 3.6.2 of the Bylaws.

Eligible chapters as of the publication of this process on 27 July 2023 are listed in Attachment 2. Additional chapters may become eligible to nominate and vote if they fulfill all of the eligibility requirements by 01 August  2023.

The DAMA-International Board would particularly welcome nominations from Chapters of individuals who have not previously served on the DAMA-I Board and not only meet the minimum eligibility requirements set out in the Bylaws but would bring the following additional knowledge, skills, and experience to the Board and enhance its global reach:

1. Significant experience with other non-profit organizations or professional associations that can inform their service on the DAMA-I Board.

2. Strong financial acumen including an understanding of budgets and financial reporting.

3. Experience working with, and possession of, a personally owned, secured computer or tablet that can run modern tools for collaboration including Microsoft 365, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint and basic literacy in using those tools.

4.  An understanding of global security and privacy rules around acquisition, storage and management of personally identifiable information and a commitment to adhering to the DAMA-I Code of Ethics and privacy rules.

5. An understanding of the importance of securing the organization's resources, including protecting and enforcing its intellectual property rights globally (copyrights and trademarks).

6. Time to devote to the work of the Board and the flexibility in use of time required to participate effectively in a global organization. The time commitment Board service requires varies with the position responsibilities but averages at least fifteen hours a month.

7. CDMP certification or equivalent knowledge of data management gained from academic training or work experience.

8. Membership in a Chapter outside the U.S. and Canada.

People interested in serving on the Board should submit to their Chapter and to the Elections Committee a one-page statement of their interest in and reasons for serving on the Board that includes information about how their selection as a Board member will assist the Board in meeting its goal of becoming broadly representative and inclusive. Chapters should use the form that will be provided by the Election Committee to submit nominations in order to ensure that the Election Committee has the information it needs to verify the eligibility of the nominee as required by the Bylaws.

Nominee Eligibility and Limitations

To be eligible for nomination by a Chapter, the by-laws (at Section 3.6.1) specify the following MINIMUM eligibility requirements:

1. Nominees must be a member of DAMA-I (either as a Central Member OR a Chapter member); 

2. Nominees must have served one full term as a current or former Director of DAMA-I, a Chapter board member, OR as a board member of another not-for-profit organization or professional association.

3. Nominees for President must have served at least one full term in another position on the DAMA-I Board. 

The Bylaws also set these specific LIMITS on nominations (at Section 3.6.1 and 3.6.2):

1. The DAMA-I Board has term limits. No Director can serve more than two consecutive terms in one position. A Director at the end of a second consecutive term in any position is not eligible for reelection to a third term in that position but can be nominated for another position.

2. No nominee can accept nomination for more than one open position in any election.

3. No Director can hold more than one position on the Board concurrently.

4. No more than two (2) Directors from the same Chapter may serve on the Board concurrently;

5. No more than two (2) Directors employed by the same company may serve on the Board concurrently.

6. Any Director who accepts the nomination for a different position serves in that position until the end of the calendar year.

See Attachment 1, Sections 3.6.1 and 3.6.2.

Vote Tabulation

1. Forms will be created to capture nominations and votes

2. The form results will be considered the master list of all nominations and votes.

3. Votes entered will be validated by the Election Committee to ensure that:

   1. Each chapter has cast only one vote per role;

   2. The individual submitting a nomination or casting the chapter vote is authorized by their chapter;

   3. The results will be presented to the Board with the supporting data.

The results will be determined as set out in Section 3. 7.4 of the Bylaws.  Normally, the nominee with the most chapter votes is elected, unless there is a tie, or the election would result in two members of the same chapter being elected.

Election Committee

Governing Guidance

3.9.4 Election Committee 

The Election Committee will manage the annual election process, including soliciting nominees, verifying nomination and nominee acceptance, and verifying election results. The Past President chairs this committee. The President's Council is represented on this committee.

Committee Composition

The election committee consists of two positions specified in the Bylaws: 

1. Past President (Chair), 

2. Presidents Council Representative(s), 

And additional volunteers appointed and designated by the Board of Directors.

Process

1. Assemble the Election Committee

   1. Chair: Andrew Andrews has been appointed by the Board of Directors to serve in lieu of the Past President who is unavailable to execute this duty.

   2. Board Director: Cathy Nolan

   3. Board Director: Frank Kadwell

   4. Central Member: Ryan Owens

   5. Presidents’ Council Representative: James Wang

   6. Presidents’ Council Representative - Eugene Desyatnik

   7. Presidents’ Council Representative – Ron Legere

2. Announce the Election Committee.

3. Publish the Election Calendar on the website.

4. Publish eligible chapters and notify chapters of need to ensure eligibility by 01 August 2023. 

5. Publicize and solicit nominations.

6. Verify that the nominator has authority to nominate on behalf of the Chapter by action of the Chapter Board.

7. Verify the nominee eligibility (including eligibility of Chapter and chapter official to nominate) and consent to serve as they arrive, staff will support as required.

8. Collect bios and statements for validated nominees for participation of election.

9. Publicize ballot and the Candidates Forum.

10. Participate in Presidents' Council meetings where candidates can discuss their background and platform with Chapters.

11. Manage the voting process – all Election Committee members will have access to the voting configuration and data during the vote.

12. Eligible Chapters will have at least 30 days (about 4 and a half weeks) to consult with their respective chapter leadership and members to fully consider their vote.

13. Close the voting process and submit the Election Report of the results to the Board, including:

    1. Total votes cast

    2. Individual chapter votes

    3. Blank votes (did not vote or voted blank)

    4. Abstain/Present votes 

Votes will be recorded in the Board meeting minutes and posted on the website. 

Attachment 1: Relevant Bylaws and Procedures

The following is from the current DAMA-I Bylaws and will be used to govern the elections process. 

3.6 Term 

Terms of service shall be 3 calendar years, starting as of January 1 of each year. 

3.6.1 Eligibility 

1. Membership: Nominees must currently be a Central Member OR a member of a Chapter. 

2. Experience: Nominees must have experience for at least one full term as a current or former Director of DAMA-I, a Chapter board member, OR on the board of another non-profit or not-for-profit professional association. 

3. Term Limits: A Director at the end of a second consecutive term in one position is not eligible for a third term in the same position but is eligible for nomination for any other position. The Past President and Presidents Council Chair roles are exempted from term limits. 

4. Additional requirement for President: Nominees for President must have served at least one full term in another Director position on the Board. 

3.6.2 Limitations 

1. No Nominee may accept nomination for more than open one position in any election. 

2. No Director may serve more than two consecutive terms in one position.  

3. No Director may hold more than one position on the Board concurrently.  

4. No more than two Directors from the same Chapter may serve on the Board concurrently; the position of Past President and Presidents Council Chair are exempt from this rule. 

5. No more than two Directors employed by the same Company may serve on the Board concurrently; the position of Past President and Presidents Council Chair are exempt from this rule. 

6. Any Director who accepts nomination for a different Director position completes the calendar year for their current position. If the position being vacated is in a different election cycle, the position is added to the current election ballot as open for the remainder of the normal term. 

3.6.3 Membership  

All Directors are granted Central Membership during their term. 

3.7 Joining and Leaving the Board 

DAMA-I will hold annual elections managed by the Election Committee and publish an election calendar and balloting procedures. 

3.7.1 Director Election Cycle 

Beginning in 2020, elections for all Directors will be staggered, as follows:  

3.7.2 Nomination Process 

The Elections Committee will publish on June 1 the annual Election Calendar indicating the dates for all election milestones for the upcoming election.  

Nominations will be solicited from Chapters. The Elections Committee will certify the nomination from the submitter and verify the nominee's acceptance and eligibility.  

If there is only one nominee for any position, no voting for that position is required. The nominee will automatically join the Board the following January 1. 

3.7.3 Voting 

Directors are elected by votes cast by active Chapters as per Section 8.3. Each Chapter may submit one vote for each Director position. Voting may be recorded through an executed electronically transmitted record.  

3.7.4 Election Results 

The nominee with the most votes is elected, with the following exceptions: 

1. A tie: the winner will be determined by a Board vote as per Section 3.8.3. 

2. More than two voting Directors will be from the same Chapter:  

1. Incumbent Directors do not leave their positions.  

2. In order of listing in section 3.7.1, with any off-cycle positions appended, positions are filled that do not add a third Director from the same Chapter. 

3. Once a position in the list is reached where a third Director from the same chapter receives the most votes, the nominee with the next highest vote total is elected.  

If nominations for a position are received from the active Chapters, the Board will seek volunteers to appoint to the open positions as in Section 3.7.5. 

3.7.5 Appointments 

A vacancy in any position shall be appointed by the President and ratified by a vote of the Board. Appointment terms last for a minimum 12 months, and maximum 23 months or until the next available election cycle for that position. 

3.7.6 Resignation 

A Director may resign at any time by delivering written notice to the Board. Any such resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, or immediately if the time is not specified. The acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. 

3.7.7 Removal 

Any elected or appointed Director may be removed by a vote of the Board for 

1. Non-performance of the duties of their office; 

2. Confirmed violation of the COE; or 

3. Actions that endanger DAMA-I, including violation of these Bylaws. 

8.3 Requirements for Active Status 

1. An Affiliation Agreement is in effect. 

2. The Chapter is current on Affiliation Fee payments

Attachment 2: DAMA-I Chapters as of 31 July 2023, 23:59 UTC

Attachment 3: Examples of verification form

Nominator

Verify that the nominator has authority to nominate on behalf of the Chapter by action of the Chapter Board.

Nominee

Verify the nominee's eligibility and consent to serve using Microsoft Forms.