Members Asked to Ratify Amended Bylaws
January 26, 2021
Next Month, in addition to choosing the next President-elect and two Directors, the i-SIGMA Ballot will ask eligible voters to ratify amended bylaws.
The amendments, which have already been approved by the Board of Directors, fall into three categories: housekeeping, streamlining, and board structure.
Housekeeping: When NAID and PRISM International merged, the bylaws defined the structure and role of the Interim Board that would bridge to the elected Board of Directors. Since the i-SIGMA Board has now been elected, the extensive language surrounding the function of the Interim Board is no longer necessary and therefore has been removed.
Streamlining: The existing i-SIGMA bylaws create a divisional structure that divides member-companies into two constituencies; data destruction (NAID) and records management (PRISM International). This results in separate dues structures, with some member-companies paying dues twice, and underrepresents the addition of service providers who do not clearly fall into one or the other. Additionally, maintaining this division structure adds bureaucratic red tape that creates unnecessary expense. Removal of the divisional structure will not affect the continuing availability of NAID AAA Certification or PRISM Privacy+ Certification, and, in fact, will allow all i-SIGMA members to access those programs.
Board Structure: The proposed Board-approved bylaws include language instructing the Nominating Committee to produce slates of candidates for election to the Board of Directors that fairly and proportionally represents and responds to changes within the nature of i-SIGMA membership. This is designed to replace a highly prescriptive Board structure found to be impractical to maintain from year-to-year, while at the same time failing to account for the evolution of the types of service and geographic representation of the association.
The amended bylaws were unanimously approved by the first elected Board of Directors, and must be ratified by a majority of a quorum of eligible members.
Ballots will be emailed to eligible Member-company representatives on 1 February 2021 and must be completed by 1 March 2021. The results of the election will be announced to all members by email notification on 11 March.
Existing Bylaws (ratified by the membership 14 February 2020)
(Update: As of 2 March 2021 the Bylaws have been ratified and this page now displays the current revised Bylaws)
Bylaws for Ratification (approved by the i-SIGMA Board of Directors 11 November 2020; needing member ratification)