The affairs of the Society will be governed by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee of the Society will be composed of 13 voting members: the President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President and 8 Councilors who collectively represent the following disciplines: anthropology, bioactive factors in milk, epidemiology, immunology, lactation physiology, mammary gland biology, nutrition, pediatrics, and obstetrics/gynecology. At least two voting members should be from outside the United States. In addition to the 13 voting members, the President of the Trainee Interest Group (TIG) will participate on the Executive Committee as a nonvoting ex officio member. The President of the Society, or in his/her absence the President-Elect, will convene a face-to-face meeting of the Executive Committee at least once each year prior to the Society’s annual business meeting. In addition, Executive Committee conference calls will be held at least quarterly as determined by the President of the Society. A quorum of the committee will be a simple majority of 7 voting members. Actions based on conference calls may be adopted if all voting members of the Executive Committee on the conference call approve of the action(s).
- Functions of the Executive Committee
- Membership. The Executive Committee will approve nominations for full, associate, trainee, and emeritus membership status.
- Biennial International Scientific Meeting of the Society. The Executive Committee will have general responsibility for the international scientific meeting including selection of the site, theme, and program. The International Scientific Meeting should occur approximately every 2 years or as determined by the Executive Committee.
- Annual Business Meeting of the General Membership: The Executive Committee will organize at least one general business meeting of the membership annually. These meetings will be held at the International Scientific Meeting and/or at other locations as determined by the Executive Committee.
- Communication. The Executive Committee will have general responsibility for making sure pertinent information is provided to the membership.
- Ad Hoc Committees. The Executive Committee will appoint ad hoc committees to deal with special issues. Ad hoc committee chairs will report directly to the Executive Committee. The President of the Society, if not already a member of an ad hoc committee, may communicate with the ad hoc committee to monitor progress.
- Special Awards. The Executive Committee will select recipients for the Macy-Gyorgy Award and the Ehrlich-Koldovsky Early Career Award.
- Visioning. The Executive Committee will recommend to the membership any activities or changes in the structure of the organization that are appropriate for meeting its objectives.
- Election of Councilors to the Executive Committee. Councilors will be elected by an annual ballot of the full members from a slate of nominees selected by the Nominating Committee. At least two individuals will be nominated for each open councilor position. The ballot will be made available to the full members by January 15. Election results will be announced by February 15. The two or three candidates (depending on the election cycle) receiving the highest number of votes will take office on April 1 and serve until March 31 for a total of three years. If for any reason a councilor vacates the position during his/her term, the nominee with the next highest number of votes (third or fourth runner up) in the most recent election ballot will be invited to serve the remainder of the term. If this person is not available, the Executive Committee will appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the term.
- Officers. The officers of the Society will consist of a President, a President-Elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The President will serve for two years and cannot be re-elected. The President-Elect will serve for two years, after which he/she will become President. The Secretary and the Treasurer will serve for three years and can be re-elected for an unlimited number of terms. When a new Treasurer or Secretary is elected, the past officer may participate as a nonvoting ex officio member of the Executive Committee for one additional year if deemed desirable by the Executive Committee.
- Selection of Officers. The Nominating Committee will select at least two candidates for President-Elect. If the Secretary or the Treasurer is running for re-election, a write in ballot may be utilized in place of a second-named candidate if none is identified. The ballot will be made available to the full members by January 15. Election results will be announced by February 15. The candidates receiving the highest number of votes will take office on April 1 and serve until March 31. If a serving councilor is elected to be an officer, the councilor nominee with the next highest number of votes (third of fourth runner up) in the most recent election ballot will be invited to serve the remainder of the term. If this person is not available, the Executive Committee will appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the term. If for any reason an officer is unable to complete his/her term, a replacement officer will be appointed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee to complete the term.
- Duties of the President. The President is responsible for ensuring that the society’s governance is consistent with the most recently approved bylaws and writing/updating the Operations Manual when necessary. The President, or in his/her absence the President-Elect, will also preside at annual meetings of the general membership and Executive Committee; organize quarterly conference calls of the Executive Committee; chair the Awards Committee; and oversee the preparation, distribution, and summarization of ballots for votes for changes in the bylaws.
- Duties of the President-Elect. The President-Elect will assist the President in his duties as needed; chair the Nominating Committee; coordinate the ballot for elections to the Executive Committee and TIG Governing Committee, oversee its distribution to the membership, serve as election teller, inform successful and unsuccessful nominees of the election results, and announce the election results to the general membership. The President-Elect will also chair or co-chair the organizing committee of the next international scientific meeting that would typically occur during his/her presidency.
- Duties of the Past President. The immediate Past-President will remain as a member of the Executive Committee to provide continuity and assistance as needed to the officers.
- Duties of the Treasurer. The Treasurer will oversee annual dues collections; prepare and propose an annual budget for approval by the Executive Committee; and manage the Society’s funds. This includes securing insurance policies for international meetings and liability coverage for the Executive Committee if asked to do so by the President. The Treasurer will present financial reports at the annual Executive Committee and general business meetings of the Society and give updates to the Executive Committee as needed throughout the fiscal year. The Treasurer will be responsible for filing the required annual financial report to the US Internal Revenue Service; this responsibility requires the Treasurer to be a US citizen.
- Duties of the Secretary. The Secretary will chair the Membership Committee and receive the initial applications for membership; maintain an updated membership list; and keep and distribute the minutes of annual business meetings and Executive Committee meetings. The Secretary will be responsible for oversight of communications to the general membership of the Society; this includes oversight for the maintenance and updating of the website. The Secretary will also be responsible for maintaining a repository of past documents pertinent to the Society’s operation and activities.