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WEST ALABAMA REGIONAL ALLIANCE

BY-LAWS

I. Mission Statement

The mission of the Alliance is to work together to improve the quality of life in West Alabama by supporting effective leadership, developing the region’s workforce, and promoting economic growth. Additionally, the Alliance will promote regional unity and collaboration, serve as an advocate for regional community and economic development, and provide opportunities to discuss regional issues and concerns.

The Alliance shall consist of Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry and Sumter counties in West Alabama.

II. Board of Directors

Section 1. Powers of the Board
The Board of Directors shall have the authority to conduct, manage, and control the affairs and business of the Alliance and to establish policies for the guidance of the officers and the management of its affairs.

Section 2. Members
The Board of Directors shall consist of four members from each county, apportioned as follows:
One representing a county historical society or local tourism committee; One representing a chamber of commerce, economic development board, planning agency, municipality, or governmental agency;
One representing an educational institution or school system; One representing the business sector or at-large.

Section 3. Terms
Each Director shall serve a two-year term with the term beginning October 1, 2003, except with the initial appointment of the Board, when two Directors from each county will be appointed for three-year terms. Thereafter, terms will be staggered, with one-half of the Directors appointed each year. Directors may serve two (2) terms and be eligible for reappointment after a minimum of one year from the expiration of their last term.

Section 4. Vacancies
If a vacancy occurs due to resignation or death, the Executive Committee may appoint a successor until such time as the Nominating Committee shall meet and nominate a replacement.

Section 5. Quorum
The majority of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Board.

Section 6. Meetings of the Board
The Alliance shall meet quarterly (January, April, July, October) at a time and place to be announced by the Chairman. The annual meeting of the Alliance will be held in October of each year. Special meetings may be called by the Chairman or a majority of the members of the Board of Directors by written request to the Chairman. The Chairman shall give written notice to each Director of the call for a special meeting not less than forty-eight hours prior to such special meeting.

Committees will report at each quarterly meeting and shall present for Board approval any activities and budgetary requests.

Section 7. The Agenda
The Chairman, in consultation with Committee Chairs, shall prepare the agenda for each meeting. The agenda shall be sent to Directors ten days prior to the quarterly meeting.

Section 8. Procedures
Unless otherwise provided to the contrary by a specific policy adopted by the Board, the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall be followed in conducting the business of the Board.

III. Fiscal Responsibilities

Section 1. Fiscal Agent
The University of West Alabama Regional Center for Community and Economic Development shall serve as fiscal agent for the Alliance, and the Center’s Director shall serve as Secretary/Treasurer of the Alliance to carry out the policies established by the Board and oversee the day-to-day operations of the Alliance.

Section 2. Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Alliance shall begin on October 1.

Section 3. Check Writing Authority
The signatures of the Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer are required on checks issued by the Alliance.

Section 4. Audit
All Alliance accounts and financial records shall be audited on an annual basis, unless otherwise provided by law, and copies of the audit report shall be presented to the Executive Committee.

IV. Officers

Section 1. Alliance Officers
The officers of the Alliance, elected by the Board upon recommendation of the Nominating Committee for two-year terms, shall consist of a Chairman, a Vice Chairman for Marketing, a Vice Chairman for Education, Vice Chairman for Tourism and a Vice Chairman for Economic Affairs. An officer may serve two consecutive terms but may not be re-elected to the respective office for a period of one year from the expiration of the last term served.

There shall also be a Secretary/Treasurer, who will be the Director of the University of West Alabama Regional Center for Community and Economic Development, or designee, and there shall be no limit on the length of service in this capacity. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be a non-voting member of the Board and Executive Committee.

Section 2. Duties of the Officers
The Chairman shall preside over all meetings of the Alliance, call special meetings, and perform all acts and duties usually required of an executive or presiding officer. Should the Chairman be unable to act, then the Board of Directors in a regular or a special called meeting shall appoint an acting Chairman from among its members to act for that meeting.

The Vice Chairman for Marketing shall chair the Marketing Committee and fulfill other duties assigned by the Chairman or the Board. The Vice Chairman for Education shall chair the Education Committee and fulfill other duties assigned by the Chairman or the Board. The Vice Chairman for Economic Affairs shall chair the Economic Development Committee and fulfill other duties assigned by the Chairman or the Board. The Vice Chairman for Tourism shall chair the Tourism and Recreation Committee and fulfill other duties assigned by the Chairman or the Board.

The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep a record of all meetings of the Board and distribute a copy of the minutes to each member; serve all notices required by law and these by-laws; make a full report of all matters of business pertaining to his or her office to the Board of Directors at its meetings; take general charge of all funds and records of those funds of the Alliance and make quarterly financial reports to the Board; and cosign any and all checks jointly with the Chairman of the Board.

V. Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees
The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chairman, the four Vice Chairmen, two at-large members appointed by the Chairman, and the Secretary/Treasurer who shall be a non-voting member of the Committee.

The Marketing Committee shall be chaired by the Vice Chairman for Marketing. The membership appointed by the Executive Committee shall consist of five members chosen from the Board of Directors representing the five counties in the Alliance, one being the Vice Chairman, and at least five individuals chosen at large. The charge of this committee is to create and maintain a West Alabama Regional Alliance website, a public relations/marketing program, and to implement a legislative liaison with Federal, State and regional offices.

The Education Committee shall be chaired by the Vice Chairman for Education. The membership appointed by the Executive Committee shall consist of five members chosen from the Board of Directors representing the five counties in the Alliance, one being the Vice Chairman, and at least five individuals chosen at large. The charge of this committee is to support efforts for workforce development in West Alabama, develop and implement a regional leadership program, and to work with higher education institutions to promote professional development programs for educational personnel in the region’s school systems.

The Economic Development Committee shall be chaired by the Vice Chairman for Economic Affairs. The membership appointed by the Executive Committee shall consist of five members chosen from the Board of Directors representing the five counties in the Alliance, one being the Vice Chairman, and at least five individuals chosen at large. The charge of this committee is to establish a program to attract retirees to the area, to support existing business and industry, to focus on recruitment new industry along the I-20/59 corridor and throughout the region, and to promote the development of the natural resources of the region.

The Tourism and Recreation Committee shall be chaired by the Vice Chairman for Tourism. The membership appointed by the Executive Committee shall consist of five members chosen from the Board of Directors representing the five counties of the Alliance, one being the Vice Chairman, and at least ten individuals chosen at large. The charge of the committee is to promote regional heritage and recreational tourism.

The Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Chairman at least twenty (20) days prior to any meeting at which the election of members or officers will take place. The Committee will consist of five (5) members, one representing each county, whose duty shall be to nominate persons to serve as Directors and officers.

Section 2. Advisory Boards and Special Committees
From time to time, and after approval by the Board or its Executive Committee, the Chairman may appoint advisory boards and/or ad hoc committees to consider and make recommendations on particular matterswithin the province of the Board of Directors.

VI. Affiliations

In order to further the goals of the organization, the Alliance shall enter into affiliations with such organizations as the Alabama Tombigbee Regional Planning Commission in Camden, AL; the West Alabama Planning and Development Council in Tuscaloosa, AL; the Commission on the Future of East Mississippi and West Alabama in Meridian, MS; and other relevant groups and entities as deemed desirable by the Board.

VII. Amendment of By-Laws

The Board shall have the power to make, amend, and repeal these by-laws at any regular or special meeting of the Board, by a vote of a majority of the full Board provided that the notice of any special meeting called for the purpose of amending, making, or repealing by-laws shall state the purpose of such meeting.

Adopted 11/8/03