Member Support Committee - We Need Your Help!

One area of focus for VLGMA this year is to strengthen our efforts with regard to member support.  Our VLGMA Bylaws provide for a Member Support Committee; however, this committee has not been active in several years.  With a need in our organization for several new Active Support Coordinators, and also a need for several new Senior Advisors to replace those who have taken emeritus status, it is time for us to “recharge” this committee!

Article V, Section 1 of the VLGMA Bylaws defines the Member Support Committee as consisting of no fewer than nine members, with one-third of the membership eligible for appointment each year.  VLGMA’s Second Vice-President is charged with serving as the Board’s liaison to the committee, and Active Support Coordinators and Senior Advisors are to serve as ex-officio members.

I have two recommendations related to this Committee –

1)     We currently have five Active Support Coordinators, and need five more to represent PDC #2 (Cumberland Plateau), PDC #5 (Roanoke Valley-Allegheny), PDC #12 (West Piedmont), PDC #15 (Plan RVA), and PDC #18 (Middle Peninsula).  I would recommend that the five existing coordinators, along with the five new coordinators, be VOTING members of the Membership Support Committee instead of ex-officio.  This would allow the Committee to begin to act on several issues right away, and could assist in identifying CAOs or DAOs to serve as Support Coordinators when a vacancy occurs.

2)     The Membership Support Committee would also nominate potential Senior Advisors for consideration by the VLGMA Executive Committee, who in turn would nominate them to ICMA.

I will propose these changes more formally during an upcoming VLGMA Executive Committee meeting.  However, I would like for us to move forward with reconstituting this committee in the weeks ahead.

If you are a member from PDC Districts 2, 5, 12, 15, or 18, and are willing to step up as an Active Support Coordinator, please reach out to Charles Hartgrove at the Virginia Institute of Government (email address charles.hartgrove@virginia.edu) or me (email address meadowsfc@montgomerycountyva.gov)  The role takes very little time, involves only two meetings a year (at our winter and summer conferences), and keeps you connected with colleagues in your region!

As we look to “recharge, refresh, and reconnect” this year, let’s get this committee active again, so that we can ensure we are doing our best to support and lift up our members!