EB 2021-2 Virtual meeting

The Executive Board is responsible for implementing the decisions of the General Assembly and overseeing the operations of the association between AGMs. The Board is comprised of up to 32 members, including the Elected Officers along with the Presidents of the ICA forums, branches and sections.

As the Executive Board considered the constitutional reforms between 2019-2020, there had initially been recommendations to reduce the size of the Board to a maximum of 12 representatives. However the Board felt that in order to maintain representation and diversity of voices, it should not be reduced. In the end, it was decided that it would be good to examine EB operations to create a more efficient and effective governing body. A Working Group was established after the Adelaide 2019 EB meeting and the group delivered its final report at the meeting that took place in October 2021. 

The main recommendation that the membership should be aware of concerns the creation of two subcommittees: Finance and Membership, and Communication and Partnerships. The subcommittees are consultative bodies, they cannot make any binding decisions such decisions being the preserve of the Executive Board for subsequent validation by the General Assembly. The terms of reference and membership of each of the subcommittees still remain to be finalised but that will happen during the first quarter of 2022. 

Also discussed during the meeting in October was the succession planning for the Elected Officer positions, namely President, Vice President (Programmes) and Vice President (Finance). There had been a call earlier in the year for Vice President (Programmes) with one candidate presenting their nomination, Ms Meg Phillips, and her nomination by acclamation as Vice President (Programmes) was accepted by a majority of the EB to be taken forward for final confirmation by the General Assembly. A call for the Vice President (Finance) position received no nominations. As a result, a further call will be initiated in the new year and, finally, the nomination and process for President was discussed, with more detailed information provided below in the report on the General Assembly proceedings.

The next Executive Board meeting is slated for 23 and 24 May 2022. The focus of this meeting will be the implementation of the recommendations from the EB Working Group, along with a plan for enforcing the constitutional reforms.