From the WVONL Bylaws

ARTICLE VI:  OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The WVONL shall have an elected Officers and Board of Directors which have the authority to govern the chapter at the direction of its membership. The Officers, hereafter will be referred to as “Officers” and the remaining Board as “Board of Directors.” The Officers and Board of Directors comprise the complete “Board.”

The Board is charged with:

• Reviewing and having up to date information about the state of the chapter and its membership size
• Establishing and supporting major policies and programs that support the chapter’s mission and vision
• Ensuring the future of the chapter by identifying and nurturing future leaders
• Strategic long-range planning for the chapter
• Absolute fiduciary entrustment and responsible for protecting the interest of members and society. Including fulfilling the legal requirements, ensuring its own effectiveness by selecting officers and establishing board policies, reviewing the audit, and seeing that required bank and tax returns are filed promptly when needed
• Provide liability insurance for Officers and Board of Directors for protection and to be American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) affiliation compliant.
• The Board of Directors shall have staggered terms of office. Staggering terms of three years in duration provide continuity and experience so that succession planning, and mentoring can occur.

Section 6.1. ELIGIBILITY

6.1.1 Any voting member in good standing shall be eligible to hold a position as an officer or as a board member.

6.1.2 The President and President-Elect shall be nurses in leadership practice and active members of AONL upon installation.

Section 6.2. COMPOSITION

6.2.1 The officers of the WVONL shall be President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Treasurer-Elect (if applicable) and shall be elected by the membership of the WVONL and comprise the working officers team.

6.2.2 There shall be a Board of Directors consisting of the officers and seven Directors, one of whom will be the Immediate Past President.

6.2.3 At the discretion of the elected Board and Officers, members can be appointed to the Board to represent special interests and diversification, up to four (4) appointed positions to align with AONL. They will be non-voting members. The appointments will be for one (1) year open to reappointment to meet the goals of the organization.

Section 6.3 ELECTION AND TERM

6.3.1 Terms

6.3.1.1 Officers shall be installed at the Fall Conference and shall assume their duties on January 1st of the following year. They shall serve for a term of two years.

6.3.1.2 Elected Directors shall be installed at the Annual meeting in the Fall and serve for a term of three years. Their term begins on January 1st of the following year.

6.3.1.3 There shall be six (6) elected directors serving terms of 3 years.  Directors shall be elected from each of the six (6) districts of WVONL  (see appendix for map of districts).  When possible, two (2) directors will be elected each year so that the terms of office are staggered and will ensure continuity of the Board. 

6.3.1.4 No officer or director may serve more than ten (10) consecutive elected years in any one office or combination of offices.

6.3.2 Elections. The election of officers and board members shall be conducted electronically.  The completed ballot, together with the resume outlining the background and experience of each candidate, will be available on the Chapter’s website for review.  .   Elections will take place in September/October of each year with the results of the election announced at the annual business meeting by the President to the members. In case of a tie vote, the Board shall determine the choice.

6.4.2 President-Elect

The president-elect shall, in the absence of the president, perform all duties

and assume all responsibilities of the president. The President-elect shall:

·         Serve as Chairperson of the Program Committee

·         Responsible for the annual conference, including speakers, continuing education credits, conference site, and ensuring it is cost effective and budget neutral

·         Monitor and encourage the committee chairs to complete duties

·         If needed, take over a chair responsibility to ensure the tasks are completed, or mentor the chair to get the work completed

·         Ensure the strategic plan is actualized

·         Prepare for succession to the President.

·         Prepare and orient the new President-elect

6.4.3. Secretary

The secretary shall prepare the minutes of all meetings of the WVONL, including Officers, Board, and membership meetings, which shall be available to the members for inspection. In the event the secretary is unable to attend a business or board meeting, a member of the Board will be appointed secretary pro tempore for the purpose of recording minutes of that meeting. The secretary shall maintain all documents as it relates to the historical information of the organization. The Secretary shall complete the following duties:

·         Coordinates with chapter treasurer and membership chair for membership updates

·         Prepare minutes of all meetings and maintain them in a permanent format.

·         Prepare and distribute minutes of meeting in advance of the next meeting

·         Supply the president with a list of any items of business carried over from the prior meeting, in advance of the president’s preparation of the agenda

·         Keep the official copies of all legal documents, including by-laws, chapter policy manual, and Board Orientation information

·         Prepare and keep copies of all official correspondence as directed by the President

·         Collect copies of programs, reports, and other items of future historical interest in proper files

·         Maintain chapter activities information in an electronic format

·         Prepare your successor for taking over at the end of the term of office

6.4.4 Treasurer

The chapter treasurer has the primary responsibility for the management and control of all money. The job requires close coordination with the president in dispersing funds. The treasurer shall collect and maintain an accurate accounting of funds and shall perform such other duties as may be necessary to coordinate and advance the WVONL’s goals and objectives. The treasurer is responsible for maintaining the WVONL bank account, certificate of deposits (CDs), and exempt status. For all disbursements, an invoice is required. The treasurer shall document the reason for the disbursement so that an audit trail is maintained.

The treasurer shall perform the following duties:

·         Collect and maintain an accurate accounting of funds

·         Reconcile the bank account monthly and send a financial report to the Board on a quarterly basis (March, June, September, and December).

·         Prepare a written report for all general business meetings sharing the results with the members

·         Maintain WVONL’s tax-exempt status

·         Maintain WVONL’s insurance coverage by paying the annual coverage fee

·         Coordinates with chapter Secretary and membership chair for membership updates

·         Submit a list of paying member to the Board.

·         Provide the bank with the required resolutions and signature cards for the chapter accounts.

·         There should be two signatures required on the bank account for internal control, that of the President and/or President-Elect, and Treasurer and/or Treasurer-Elect

·         The President/President-Elect and Treasurer/Treasurer-Elect will agree that they will not disburse funds without the approval of the other

·         Pay bills promptly. When an invoice is received, both the Treasurer and a member of the Executive Board should review it for accuracy. The president then authorizes payment by a signature or email. Bills must be paid by credit card, check, or electronic transaction to have a record of all transactions

·         All receipts/transaction records must be itemized.

·         Receive all monies from chapter members at meetings.  All checks should be made payable to the chapter and deposited at once. No cash will be accepted.

·         Collaborate closely with the officers and committee members to monitor expenditures to plan for expenses by month and year and to control and adjust expenditures to have a satisfactory year-end financial result.

·         Collaborate with CPA for audit of the books in conjunction with filing of taxes.

·         The Treasurer will file for tax exempt status as required by the IRS

·         Train the Treasurer-Elect to take over your responsibilities at the end of your term

·         Develop and maintain a check off list in case of an emergency when the Treasurer/Treasurer-Elect cannot perform his or her duties

6.4.5 Treasurer Elect’s Initial Year

·         The initial year will coincide with the current treasure’s final year to maintain

                financial stability.

·         The treasurer elect’s responsibilities will be shared for the purpose of effective transition to the role.

6.4.6 Board of Directors

The Board of Directors shall meet in person or virtually not less than three times a year, upon receipt of formal notice from the President or Secretary. The President, with the approval of the Board, may call additional meetings.

The Board of Directors shall have authority to make policy decisions for the

WVONL between meetings. The duties of the Board of Directors are:

·         Establish rules and procedures for the Board of Directors and the WVONL

·         Approve reports, resolutions, or actions of officers by the Board of Directors and present at the annual meeting

·         Establish annual objectives and implementation plans consistent with the WVONL strategic plan/priorities, goals, and by-laws

·         Approve budget and expenditures

·         Actively recruit new members and be involved in membership retention

·         Welcome new members and get them involved in the committees

·         When appropriate, dissent in any proposed action of the Board and see to it that such dissent is recorded in the minutes

·         Know the WV State Practice Act and how it applies to chapters and professional groups

·         Keep items discussed in meetings confidential until they are permitted to be properly disclosed

·         A Director must resign from the Board if they seek to engage in direct conflict of interest with the chapter programs, seminars, or join a competing Organization.

·         Confirm that the financial and legal policies reflect sound fiscal integrity and responsibility

·         Confirm that sufficient funding resources are developed to meet the mission and plans

·         Review material provided in advance of board meetings

·         Stay informed about trends in the healthcare field, both local, state, and national

If you chose to have your name on the Fall WVONL Ballot, please submit your information to Tina Powers tina.powers@vandaliahealth.org  by August 31,2026.