I wish I could be of help. Carlos worked on the bylaws and the election process was not something that was focused upon. It was adopted from other successful orgs, I believe.There wasn't really much purpose in reinventing the wheel when it came to elections. I just read over the bylaws and they are general and do not address this question. I would tend to agree with Guy. But, in light of the possibility of not getting 15+ people applying for officer and BOD-at large seats, maybe a provision should be looked at.
One thing I am confused over is the role of the president without an E.D in place. The Bylaws are a bit more specific for that officer's role. He/she does not vote, they merely break ties. They do not campaign or lobby other board members to sway a decision or direction of the org. That leaves a hole for day-today operations. Who will be making the business decisions? The president oversees the conduct and professionalism of the organization, not make org decisions, if I am reading this correctly. Its not feasible to have a board meeting for every single daily operation decision. The org will once again spin in circles without an E.D.
Ron, this is direct to you: I know you have some visions for the organization, for example training programs. I think you would be handcuffed in the role of president. For all intents and purposes, the presidential seat is a figurehead role versus what many are thinking it is. The current BOD, and this is just my opinion, should consider negotiating the ED position BEFORE the election. Put out a list of qualifications needed, and let some people like Ron present their case. Believe it or not, I support Ron as an ED candidate because I think he is a business person, he has resources, and he has time to deal with the operations issues of a business. I believe he can immediately put together a business plan with definitive deadlines and have the oversight of the BOD to make sure it coincides with the mission of the UAMCC.
I am not an expert on any of this stuff so take what I write with a grain of salt. I do understand business and structure fairly well. My crystal ball shows a fiasco in the making even with nine on the BOD. No direction.. helter skelter.. run for the hills. I'm not merely speculating, it has already happened with the recent BOD. I've seen what can happen when you skip minor details. I'm fairly certain the train will continue running exactly where its facing right now regardless of anything I write. I can appreciate that, none of us are CEO's of national companies. I'm just here to yell out a warning.. The bridge is out. Check the brakes to make sure the train can slow down or stop.