This week, the ILCA Board of Directors presented a ballot asking ILCA voting members to vote for the following:
- Board of Directors elections;
- 2015 Bylaws changes; and
- JHL Article of the year.
All IBCLC ILCA members, in good standing, should have received an email from ILCA on 9 April 2015 containing a link to the ballot. If you did not receive an email and you should have, please contact the ILCA Office at info@ilca.org (or) 1+ 919-861-5577 (or) 888-452-2478. Our ILCA staff is eager to make sure you get a ballot, so your vote can be counted.
To ensure a timely and secure election, all voting will take place through an online survey.
Prior to casting a vote, all voting ILCA members are encouraged to thoughtfully consider all information provided below. This will enable you to make an informed decision.
Vote carefully: Once your vote is cast, it cannot be changed, repeated or cancelled.
The balloting commences 9 April 2015 and concludes 9 May 2015, at which time all electronic votes will be tallied by the ILCA staff.
Board of Director Elections
On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are pleased to present the 2015 ballot for election of Directors.
This slate of candidates for the Director of Membership & Affiliate Services position was presented to the ILCA Board of Directors by the ILCA Nominating Committee. After thorough review and analysis, the slate was approved as submitted.
The Director must now be elected by a majority of ILCA voting members. (Note: ILCA Bylaw 3.4 confers voting privileges to those dues-paying ILCA members who are also IBCLC certificants.)
Please take time to review the profiles of each nominee (click here) prior to casting your vote.
The ILCA Board extends a special thanks to the Nominations Committee for their efforts on behalf of the entire membership.
2015 Bylaws Changes
The ILCA Board of Directors supports the proposed changes.
The specific changes are summarized below or can be viewed in this revised bylaws document, (click here) edited with “tracked changes,” letting you compare the old version with the new.
Changes include revisions to the ILCA board makeup, size and term limits.
- ILCA Board Members To Be Selected By Membership Vote
Change: In the proposed bylaws, all reference to Tier 1 Partner Affiliates Board Members has been removed.
Rationale: This wording was initially added to the Bylaws to accommodate the planned restructuring of the ILCA Board of Directors incorporating Tier 1 Affiliates. This restructuring was contingent upon the adoption of new affiliate agreements, which incorporated “bundled” or common membership among ILCA and the affiliate. The joint decision by ILCA and the former Partner affiliates to abandon this strategy and to “unbundle” membership voids the previous rationale.
The bylaws as currently written state that each Partner Affiliate (defined as separate organizations with an independent Board of Directors and governance, 100% of whose members are required jointly to be members of both ILCA and the Partner) will appoint or elect one board member.
As the condition of bundled membership has been removed, this structure no longer reflects the reality of ILCA leadership. The ILCA board proposes that all positions be filled by an election of its members.
The proposed changes do not prevent board members of other organizations from entering board elections. Candidates for election are encouraged to share their qualifications to serve, which may include their active involvement in IBCLC and breastfeeding advocacy around the globe.
These changes allow ILCA to more accurately reflect both the current reality of its structure and the needs of members worldwide.
- Reduction in board size
Change: The board will have no less than three and no more than nine members.
Rationale: A smaller board is proposed for two reasons.
The provision allowing for more board members was added last year to accommodate the addition of Tier 1 Partner Affiliates. This provision is no longer applicable.
A smaller board also makes organizational sense, as smaller boards tend to have lower costs while increasing levels of participation and generating higher quality decision-making.
- Presidential Term Limit Clarification
Change: Provisions have been added to clarify that the second term of a member selected for the position of President may be extended up to two additional years to fulfill the term of President.
Rationale: Without this provision, many experienced Board Members (those selected for a second term) would be ineligible due to term limits. This is formal recognition of the current practice.
Best JHL Article of the Year (2014)
As in years past, you are also invited to cast one vote for the Best Article appearing in the 2014 issues of the Journal of Human Lactation. Click here for a complete list of articles published in a 2014 issue of the Journal of Human Lactation.
Please learn all you can and join the conversation!
Can I discuss this with my colleagues before I vote?
Please do! The ILCA Lactation Matters blog, and other social media venues, encourage dialogue about ILCA’s governance! Use the comments section below to ask questions or make comments.
The Balloting Process
The balloting concludes 9 May 2015, at which time all electronic votes will be tallied by the ILCA office.
“The proposed changes do not prevent board members of other organizations from entering board elections.”
Why would ILCA want, or need, members from other organizations having input and making huge decisions that affect IBCLCs worldwide? There are plenty of qualified IBCLCs that are active members of their local and national organizations that can provide their expertise on the ILCA BOD.