It’s election season again! This year we’ll be voting in a new President-Elect, the Non-North American Vice President, and two new Councilors. Candidate statements will be posted soon on the website, with polls opening in early November. Please join me in thanking our outgoing officers for their hard work and dedication: Past President Hopi Hoekstra, Non-North American VP Tracey Chapman, and Councilors Daniel Matute and Trisha Wittkopp. A big thank you also to our Nominating Committee, Marc Johnson, Anne Charmantier, and Annie Schmitt for their work selecting the new candidates. 

The 2020 SSE Council Ballot will include a proposed amendment of the Constitution to create a new position of Treasurer. Members will be able to vote on this proposal during the 2020 SSE Council election in November 2019.

Unlike most professional societies, the SSE has Constitution that do not define a position of Treasurer. Instead, the Bylaws specify that the Executive Vice President (EVP) is “responsible for the administration, management and operation of the Society” (SSE Bylaws, Article 3).  

In 2017, SSE Council voted to significantly expand its activities and programs, at which point the duties of the EVP became unmanageable for one person.

SSE Council proposes the creation of a separate office of Treasurer to begin January 2020. This proposal requires amendments to the Constitution and approval by a majority of votes submitted by members via ballots (SSE Constitution, Article 7). The text of the proposed amendments can be found here [1].

In November 2019, SSE members will receive an email ballot requesting a vote on the establishment of a Treasurer for the Society along with their preferences for candidates of other elected offices.

The Treasurer, like the EVP and the Secretary, will normally serve a three-year term. However, in order to avoid coincident turnover in these positions, the term for the first treasurer will be two years (i.e., Jan 2020–Dec 2021); each subsequent term will last three years.  

Proposed responsibilities of the SSE Treasurer

The Treasurer shall manage financial records for the society. The term will be three years with the possibility of re-election to the position. Stipend will be set at $10K per year.

Duties will include the following: 

1. Coordinate with EVP in planning the annual budget and serve as a member of the SSE Finance Committee
2. Monitor and assess annual income and expenditures in relation to the budget
3. Coordinate payment of all invoices, grants, prizes, awards, stipends and reimbursements and keep all receipts related to reimbursements
4. Coordinate with investment advisor regarding the management of the investment accounts
5. Coordinate with tax accountants and the financial manager for filing of appropriate annual tax information
6. Present Treasurer's reports to Council at annual and mid-year council meetings

We welcome your questions and comments on this proposal. To make your voice heard, please leave a comment here [2]. SSE members must sign in to make a comment.