EWGA National is rolling out a new board structure and it’s coming to our Atlanta chapter! Our national leadership introduced the new model to achieve several goals, including:
- Offer more opportunities for members to become involved as chapter leaders;
- Decrease the time commitment required of chapter leaders;
- Streamline board meetings for officers and eliminate required attendance of committee chairs; and
- Improve efficiency through a more vertical organizational structure.
Many chapters around the country transitioned last year in preparation for the current board year and, based on direct feedback, the new model has been a huge success. As a result, the new structure will be implemented for all of the remaining chapters, including our Atlanta chapter.
I know what you are thinking. We just had our first monthly event, so why are we talking about next year already? Well, the board runs on a very different schedule than our golf calendar. The board year begins on October 1, which allows the board several months to complete all the planning by February for the upcoming golf season. Then we just kick back and enjoy the golf season!
Details
Our current board includes four elected officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer) and nine committee chairs that all report directly to the President. The new board will include six elected officers, including the President and five Vice Presidents, with committee chairs reporting directly to the VP level. The five VP positions are:
- Member Services VP – Oversee member retention and matriculation of new members
- Member Recruitment VP – Oversee recruitment efforts for new chapter members
- Events & Activities VP – Oversee golf events, social events, and handicaps
- Finance & Records VP – Oversee financial and reporting requirements
- Operations VP – Oversee sponsorship, communications, and chapter elections
The opportunity to be a VP does not have any requirements and is a great opportunity for any current member. It should be noted that in this first election, two VPs will be elected to one-year terms and three VPs will be elected to two-year terms in order to stagger the commitments. For all subsequent elections, all VPs will be elected to two-year terms. Also, the President is elected to a one-year term and must have served on a chapter board for a minimum of one year to be eligible.
Additional information about the specific roles will be distributed at a later date but feel free to contact Jennifer Widener at
president@ewgatlanta.com or 404-695-9932 at any time with questions or comments.
What Happens Now?
As noted above, the board process begins in early summer to accommodate the required timeline. Some key dates to know are:
- Nominating Committee members will be elected by the Board no later than June 1st
- Call for Nominations shall be sent to all current members no later than June 15th
- Officer voting by the Membership shall be completed no later than September 15th
- Appointments of Standing Committee Chairs shall be completed no later than September 30th
- Board transition shall be completed no later than October 31st
How Can I Get Involved?
We strongly encourage every member to consider becoming a chapter leader and welcome all those interested in volunteering their time and talents to the Atlanta chapter. Just a few of the benefits include:
- Utilize your leadership skills and great ideas to improve our chapter
- Build long-lasting friendships with your fellow board members
- Board position is always a great addition to your resume
- Chapter-sponsored board golf outing and dinner for all incoming and outgoing board members
If you are interested in becoming a chapter leader and/or volunteering for the Nominations Committee, please contact Janet Vandenbark, Leadership Chair, at
leadership@ewgatlanta.com.