The Nominations Committee must provide names of at least two nominees for the office of President-Elect and elected member of the Nominations Committee annually, and Secretary (1994, 1997, 2000 ...), Representative on the Governing Board (1994, 1997, 2000 ...), and Executive Committee Member-at-Large (1992, 1995, 1999 ...), and Treasurer (1993, 1996, 1999 ...).
The committee is comprised of 4 members, of which two are elected and two appointed, and each serves a two year term. One of the four members is appointed Chair for a one year term by the President.
The committee shall prepare a list of candidates for presentation to the membership by mail ballot prior to the Annual Meeting. The acquiescence of each candidate shall be secured before presentation.
The responsibilities of the Committee members are as follows:
A. Chair
1. Shall inform the Committee members of their duties, by distribution of these guidelines, and see to it that the duties of the Committee are conducted on a timely schedule to guarantee selection of nominees for the various Branch offices in time for presentation to the membership for vote prior to the Annual Meeting. A suggested time schedule for carrying out duties is shown in the calendar schedule later in these guidelines.
2. Shall request Committee members to recommend to the Chair one or more names of potential candidates for each vacant office, noting the offices to be filled that year (note B.1). The Chair may also submit name(s). It is generally recommended that the Chair canvass the Branch for qualified individuals for all available positions in a spirit to keep the nominations process open. Contact should be made with educational as well as state and federal facilities. Respondents to the Chair's search should have permission of the individual whose name is submitted.
3. Shall list the names of potential candidates for each office and then submit these lists to each Committee member for ranking by preference. The Chair will provide biographical information on each candidate to assist the committee members in ranking the candidates. Such information should be 1/2 to 1 page long and should contain: name of candidate, current position, education, research interest, ESA service, and other information as appropriate. The Chair notifies members of ranking and total ratings. The confidentiality of each member's ranking shall be maintained by the Chair. The two candidates for each office who receive the highest preference ranking (lowest number) are placed on the ballot, pending approval as noted below.
4. Shall contact each selected candidate and again obtain their acquiescence to serve as well as appropriate biographical data. If they still agree to serve, determine from the Membership Director of the ESA that they are in good standing in the Society. If a nominee declines, the candidate with the next highest preference is contacted.
5. Shall write a letter to all other candidates explaining results of the Committee's action and thanking them for their willingness to be considered for nomination.
6. Shall prepare a ballot of candidates for submission to the Eastern Branch members for voting. Also prepare 1/2 to 1 page of biographical information on each candidate. Election to the Governing Board is handled with a separate ballot. The biographical information including a black and white photograph, for the candidates for governing board representatives, is due in ESA headquarters by May 31. Secretary for details.
7. Shall notify the President and Secretary of the Eastern Branch of the ESA of the candidates listed on the ballot.
8. Shall send sample ballots and biographical sketches for each candidate listed on the ballot to the Secretary for printing and mailing to the Branch membership.
9. Shall be responsible for directing the counting of ballots and reporting of results of the election. The report shall be given at the final business meeting of the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Branch (but the results may be announced earlier at the discretion of the President) and published in the ESA Bulletin. The President appoints a ballot-counting ad hoc committee. As recommended by Executive Committee, this ballot-counting has been the same as the National Committee.
B. Committee Members
1. Shall provide the Chair, upon request, with one or more names of potential candidates for each office to be filled that year. The members may wish to contact former officers and colleagues for suggestions of potential candidates. Each potential candidate should be contacted to determine his/her willingness to be considered for nomination, and if elected, to serve. If possible, determine if the person is being considered for another ESA position which would limit the ability to serve. At this time, potential candidates should be informed of the Committee's selection procedure, and that acceptance at this point does not necessarily mean nomination. Ask each potential candidate recruited to provide a 1/2 to 1 page biographical sketch as listed in A3, above.
2. Shall, upon receiving list of candidates from the Chair, rank them for each office according to preference using as a guide the system shown in the ranking form, appended to these guidelines.
3. Shall, upon request of the Chair, assist in preparing resumes of candidates. The resumes should be brief and may be obtained from the candidate or developed by the Committee members. Note: It has been customary that the member of the Nominations Committee who recommended a successful candidate prepare the resume for that person. This may be a useful guide if it does not place an unequal burden among members.
Ballot Counting: Ballot counters are appointed by the President with the numeration overseen by the Chair. The President, at his discretion, may appoint the committee members to count the ballots. The Chair oversees the event. The President may cast a vote to break a tie.
To carry out the responsibilities of the committee, the following calendar schedule is suggested as a guide:
Six months before Annual Meeting (September 1):
* Committee members submit list of names of candidates for available positions to Chair.
* The individuals are to have given consent to consideration.
Five and one-half months before Annual Meeting (September 15):
* Chair sends lists of candidates to committee members for ranking.
* Rankings should be returned to the Chair by September 30.
Four and one-half months before Annual Meeting (October 15):
* Chair notifies committee members of results of rankings and request resumes of top 2 candidates for each position.
* Selected candidates are contacted to reaffirm their willingness to serve.
* The Membership Director of ESA is contacted to determine that the nominees are in good standing in the Society.
Four months before Annual Meeting (October 31):
* Other candidates are contacted in writing to inform them of the selection results.
* Resumes of candidates to be received the Chair.
Three and one-half months before Annual Meeting (November 15):
* Chair prepares ballot and resumes for submittal to the Eastern Branch Secretary.
* Deadline for sending ballots and resumes to Secretary.
Two months before Annual Meeting (January):
* Ballots included with mailing of Annual Meeting program to membership.
* The ballots are returned to ESA Headquarters and hand-carried to the Branch meeting by the Executive Director.
* Ballot counters are appointed by the President.
* Prepare call for nominations form to be handed out at annual meeting at registration with a box to receive completed forms. The final report to the membership.
* Counting of the ballots is overseen by the Committee Chair who makes the final report to the membership.
* Double-check balloting procedure with the Secretary.
Format for Ranking of Candidates
The following format can be used a guide by the Committee Chair in preparing the list of candidates for ranking by Committee Members. A similar format is used for each office to be filled. Ranking is based on the number of candidates listed for the specific office (in this example, 6), with the most preferred receiving the highest ranking of 1, and so on down to the least preferred receiving a ranking of 6.
The vacant offices in the Eastern Branch of the Entomological Society of America for 19__ (list offices). The nominees for the office of ____________________ are as follows:
[Name of Office] Rank Nominee Employed by Nominated by Please rank the candidates in your order of preference for the vacancy by assigning the most preferred candidate the rank of 1, the next preferred 2, the next 3, and so on to the least preferred, 6. Assign a rank to each and all candidates.
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Last modified on June 14, 2006