The organization described in this instrument is the Emergency Management Association of Ohio.

The organization shall consist of political subdivisions which are performing an emergency preparedness and planning mission at the local and county levels within the territorial limits of the State of Ohio, and individuals, and organizations within the State of Ohio that have an interest in promoting emergency preparedness.

The broad objective of the Emergency Management Association of Ohio is to cooperate with the State of Ohio and its Emergency Management Agency in maintaining civil defense and emergency management services as an effective element of the national program and, through research and information programs, to advance the professional standards of members engaged in emergency planning and management activities.

Within this broad objective, the Association has as its purposes:

Active membership in the Association shall be extended to political subdivisions that are performing an emergency management mission at the county and local level within the State of Ohio and have fully paid the Association’s "Active Membership" fees for the current calendar year (1 January to 31 December).

The rights and duties of membership shall be exercised for an active member only through a representative designated for this purpose by the appropriate authority of the political subdivision. The person designated as the representative of an active member shall be a director, administrator, coordinator or other official charged with the responsibility for carrying out the emergency management program within the jurisdiction of the active member.

Upon the recommendation of the representative of an active member, and upon full payment of the Association’s "Associate Membership" fees for the current calendar (1 January to 31 December) year, An Associate Membership shall be accorded to persons interested in furthering the emergency management program, but who are not eligible to be the representative of an active member. Associate members may request and may receive permission to speak at Association meetings but shall not be entitled to vote or to hold elective office.

Honorary membership shall be accorded to each immediate Past President. In addition, each year, by majority vote of the Executive Committee, honorary membership may be extended to two other persons for outstanding contributions to the emergency management program. The annual fees for the immediate Past President and honorary members shall be forgiven. Except for the immediate past president honorary members shall not be entitled to vote or hold elective office.

The right to vote may be exercised only when the active member or proxy is registered and physically present at the meeting and the required membership fees for the current fiscal year (1 January to 31 December) have been paid.

Every emergency management director, administrator, or coordinator who is an active member, (as defined in Article XVI,"DEFINITIONS" Section 1, (c)),in good standing, and is in attendance at a regular or special meeting of the Association shall be entitled to one (1) vote on any issue coming before the Association membership. In the absence of the Director, Administrator or Coordinator a bonafide representative of the "Active Member" may, with a recognized proxy (see section 3 below), vote as that agency’s representative.

Balloting or voting by personal proxy shall be permitted only when the Active Member’s authorized representative is not in attendance. The proxy shall be in the form of a written notice specifying the individual who has the authority to exercise the proxy, any limitations on which votes the proxy may or may not be used and the time period for which the proxy is to be recognized.

The person authorized to use the proxy must present the original (not a copy or a fax) proxy authorization to the Association Secretary prior to any meeting for which it is to be used. The person authorized to use the proxy must sign the membership attendance roster prior to exercising the proxy. At the opening of the business session the secretary shall read the proxy authorization to the membership and make it a part of the Association’s minutes.

A simple majority of votes cast by authorized voting members shall determine all elections, issues or questions properly brought before the Association membership, unless the election, issue or question is one upon which either by law, the Association's articles of incorporation, or these regulations requires a different procedure.

The membership fee for active members shall be paid annually prior to the Association’s Annual Meeting in an amount established by the membership in a Standing Resolution.

The membership fee for associate members shall be paid annually prior to the Association’s Annual Meeting in an amount established by the membership in a Standing Resolution.

SECTION 3. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP.

Honorary members shall not be required to pay a fee for their honorary membership.

SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF ELECTED OFFICERS.

The elected officers of the Association shall be:

No person may be elected to office, or continue to hold elective office, unless he/she is the designated representative of an Active Member as described in Article III, Section 1, of the constitution. The President, President-elect and Vice-President must be an emergency management agency director, administrator or coordinator with at least two (2) consecutive years in that position and who has been an "Active Member" of the Association for the preceding two (2) years. All other officers may be elected from the remaining Active Membership.

At the annual meetings of the Association, the officers shall be elected in the following manner:

At least 30 days prior to the annual meeting, the Nominating Committee shall submit to the Association Secretary a list of qualified candidates for the positions to be elected. The secretary will then disseminate the list to the membership. The nominating committee will report those names to the membership just prior to the election at the annual meeting.

All terms of office for the elected officers shall commence immediately following the Annual Meeting and shall continue for the length of time as specified in Article VI, Section 3 of this constitution, or until his/her successor is elected or appointed.

Whenever a vacancy shall occur in an elected office for a reason other than expiration of the term of the incumbent officer, the vacancy shall be filled in the following manner:

The President shall preside at meetings of the members and the Executive Committee, authorize expenditures within budget appropriations approved by the Executive Committee; appoint standing and ad hoc committees; assign the President-elect and Vice President to be ex-officio members of the above mentioned committees and other duties as appropriate and shall perform all other duties usually performed by the President of like organizations.

If both the President and the President-elect are absent or unable to perform their duties, the Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President. The Vice President will also work with the President and President-elect in developing and executing long range plans that will benefit the Association.

If all of the foregoing are absent the Executive Committee shall appoint a President pro-tempore.

The Treasurer shall have charge of all of the Association’s moneys and securities, and, according to policies and practices established by the Executive Committee, shall disburse, or direct disbursement of, Association funds. The Treasurer shall cause to have kept an accurate accounting of all moneys received and disbursed by the Association, and shall generally perform such duties as may be required by the Executive Committee.

At each meeting of the Association the Treasurer shall make a report to the membership of all moneys received and disbursed by the Association. At the expiration of his/her term of office, he/she shall turn over to his/her successor, or to the Executive Committee, an audited accounting of his/her stewardship and all moneys and property of the Association. This accounting shall be distributed to the membership within thirty (30) days after such accounting is rendered.

The Treasurer shall be bonded for at least One Thousand dollars ($1,000) or a higher amount established by the Executive Committee.

At all meetings of the Association and at all meetings of the Executive Committee, the Secretary shall make, or cause to be made, a fair record of the proceedings, which shall be kept in separate record books and incorporated in the minutes of the meeting in which said report shall have been made.

The Immediate Past-President shall serve as an ad-hoc member of the Executive Committee, act in an advisory capacity to the Executive Committee, and may act as the State Representative to the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEMs). The Immediate Past President may preside at meetings of the Association when requested by the President President-elect or Vice-President.

The members-at-large communicate with the various sector (or quadrant) presidents, the membership and state personnel and act in an advisory capacity to the other elected officers of the Association.

The President, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, may appoint the following Officers of the Association:

The Legal Counsel shall advise the membership and the executive committee on all matters of a legal nature pertaining to the Association, and shall perform such other duties of a legal nature for the Association as may be directed by the President or the Executive Committee.

The Sergeant-at-arms shall provide for good order and discipline at all regular and special meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee, and is empowered to assess and collect fines from the members in the event of violations of same.

SECTION 4. CHAPLAIN.

The Chaplain shall perform those duties normally considered appropriate at all meetings of the Association.

The Executive Committee shall consist of the Association’s President, President-elect, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, the Association's representative to the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), and a representative from each emergency management sectors as described in the Association’s Standing Resolutions VII and VIII which shall constitute the board of trustees of the Association.

SECTION 2. REGULAR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS.

Immediately following the election of officers, the Executive Committee shall meet to determine

Association policy for the ensuing year.

The Executive Committee shall also meet to conduct regular business of the Association at such other times as the President may direct; provided, however, that the members of the Executive Committee shall be notified at least ten (10) days in advance of such meetings.

Upon the request of a majority of the elected officers of the Association, the President shall call a special meeting of the Executive Committee. At such special meeting, however, only such business as necessitated the meeting shall be conducted.

When it is impractical to convene the Executive Committee and circumstances demand that the President act for the Association, the President is authorized to do so, provided he obtains the approval of a majority of the Executive Committee.

SECTION 4. QUORUM OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

At regular meetings of the Executive Committee, a majority of the elected officers on the Committee shall constitute a quorum.

At special meetings, any number of Executive Committee members responding to the call shall constitute a quorum, if all Committee members have been duly notified.

Upon assuming office the president shall appoint and announce to the membership the members of the following standing committees who will serve for a period of one year:

A. Constitution and by-laws Committee

B. Membership Committee

C. Legislative Committee

D. Awards Committee

E. Finance Committee

F. Nominating Committee

G. Strategic Planning Committee

The president may from time-to-time appoint "ad hoc" committees for special purposes or assignments. Such committees shall cease to function when their specific task is completed or at the order of the president.

The president shall appoint committees to serve in the best interests of the Association and the emergency management program.

The State Representative is normally the Immediate Past-President who will act in a liaison capacity between the Region V, International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEMs) Vice-President and the members in Ohio. It will be the Immediate Past President’s duty to further the emergency management program and the interests of the Association in this respective area.

The Association shall conduct its Annual Meeting in the month of September, at a time and place as designated.

SECTION 2. REGULAR MEETINGS.

SECTION 3. SPECIAL MEETINGS.

By order of the President or by a majority vote of the Executive Committee, a special meeting of the Association may be convened for a specific purpose or purposes.

SECTION 4. QUORUM.

At all annual meetings, regular meetings or special meetings, the active members registered at the meeting shall constitute a quorum.

All Association meetings are open to the public, and shall conform to the Ohio sunshine law; Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Section 121.22 et. seq.

Roberts' Rules of Order shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure not specifically covered by the constitution of this Association.

No individual member or a group of members, representing the Association shall have the authority to endorse or recommend any product or service in the name of the Association.

Unless otherwise specifically set forth herein, words and phrases in this constitution shall have the following meaning:

If any provisions of this constitution, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid by a court of law, the remainder of this constitution, and the application of its provisions to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected thereby.

This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the active members at the annual meeting of the Association, or at a special meeting, provided that notice of such proposed amendment shall be circulated to all active members at least ten (10) days in advance of said meeting, and further, that such notice shall contain a copy of the amendment to be considered. Proposed amendments must be submitted by or through the Constitution and Bylaws Committee.

This constitution and any adopted changes will take effect the day following adjournment of the meeting at which it is adopted.

A State or Territorial Organization may be chartered as a Department of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEMs) provided they have a minimum of twenty (20) active members and adopt a Constitution in harmony with the IAEMs Constitution. Charters shall be issued by the President upon the approval of the Executive Committee. Charters may be revoked by the Executive Committee for failure to maintain minimum membership requirements.

HISTORY:

Adopted March 1987

Revised September 13, 1996

Revised September 12, 2000