2010 COMMON Board of Directors Election

Slate Announced

The Nominating Committee has approved the Slate of Candidates for the 2010 Board of Directors election.  There are five candidates that will be running for three open positions, and you’ll hear more from them in the coming months. Electronic voting will begin on April 5, 2010 and end on May 5, 2010 at 5:00pm.  Members attending the 2010 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando, Florida will have an opportunity to vote on-site.  The winners will be announced at the Meeting of the Members (MoM) on Wednesday evening, May 5, 2010, at the Annual Meeting.  Below is the slate of candidates.

• Jeff Carey
• Pete Helgren
• Kevin Mort
• Jim Oberholtzer
• Ron Pilcher

Look for more details and information about the election in the near future. If you have any questions about the Slate or the election process, please contact Ralph Gervasi at ralph_gervasi@common.org.

The regular process to submit an application to become a candidate to run for the Board of Directors has now closed.  A slate of candidates for the 2010 elections has been approved by the Board and announced to the membership.  However, if you feel you would like to be added to the 2010 slate of candidates, you must submit an application and petition by December 14, 2009. You can download the application and petition here.

Board of Directors Position Description

Mission:

The structure and purpose of the Board of Directors is governed by the Bylaws of COMMON. The Board of Directors delegates the authority and responsibility for day-to-day activities to COMMON's Executive Director. The primary duty of the Board is to concentrate their activities on issues of strategic importance to the future well being of COMMON.

Reports To:

The COMMON Membership

Responsibilities:

• Sets policy and strategic direction for COMMON
• Has fiduciary responsibility for all COMMON Activities
• Provides direction to the Executive Director
• Approves the annual budget
• Maintains communication channels with IBM and all levels of the COMMON organization
• Participation in strategic planning sessions held by Users Groups, IBM and/or other organizations that require non-disclosure
• Acts in accordance with COMMON's Bylaws and Code of Ethics
• Represents COMMON to other users groups
• Votes on issues presented to the Board

Recommended Qualifications:

• Leadership
• Team player
• Experience with budgets and business planning
• Financial management and process management
• Change and quality management
• Participation in two (2) conferences over the last two (2) years.
• At least five (5) years experience in a system (software, hardware or applications) and/or management environment

Commitment:

• Must be able to commit time required to the term of office set by the election procedures.
• Must be able to attend the Annual Meeting, plus two (2) days before and one (1) day after each Annual Meeting to attend Board meetings.
• Must be able to attend to participate on monthly conference calls.
• Must be able to attend one (1) Strategic Planning/Board Meeting per year, totaling three (3) days.
• Must be able to attend special meetings called by the President.
• Must be available to participate in conference calls as designated by the President.

Benefits:

• A Director has the opportunity to meet with key personnel in IBM, Users Groups and other organizations.
• A Director has the opportunity to interface with key personnel throughout the COMMON organization and to discuss current technology.
• A Director develops policy and procedures that contribute to making COMMON a dynamic and highly effective organization, through interaction with COMMON's membership.
• A Director can experience personal growth through the interchange of ideas with IBM and peer groups, and can expand their knowledge of planning and managing a large organization.
• A Director has the opportunity to make a significant contribution to COMMON's future.

Reasons for Dismissal:

• Inability to attend the COMMON Annual Meeting.
• Unable to attend Board meetings and conference calls on a regular basis.
• Failure to attend a Strategic Planning meeting on a yearly basis.
• Unable or unwilling to act in a capacity designated by the Board of Directors.
• Failure to fulfill the responsibilities of the office.
• Failure to act in a way consistent with COMMON's Code of Ethics and Bylaws.