The Trustees have agreed, after seeking advice from the Society’s Advisory Council and external legal counsel, to the Society’s Rules concerning the election of Trustees and Council Members, to be updated. The aim is to ensure the Society continues to attract the highest quality candidates for Trustee and Council positions, and that the process meets the highest standards of equality of opportunity and transparency.
The Trustees have agreed to introduce an Appointments’ Committee as an integral aspect of the annual election process. The role of the Committee will be to enact the provisions of the Nutrition Society’s revised Rules: Rule 3.
The committee will be required to:
1. Review all applications, received from Society Members, to serve as a Trustee or Council Member.
2. Assess the applications against the selection criteria for the respective roles (selection criteria is established by the Trustee Board).
3. Interview, if required, the applicant to gain further insight into their suitability (interviews may take place through face-to-face or electronic methods).
4. Decide if the applicant is suitable to be presented to the Society’s Membership for election. A majority vote is required by Committee Members for an applicant to be presented.
5. Provide constructive feedback to unsuccessful candidates.
The secondary role of the Committee will be to act as an advisory body to potential applicants and the Trustee Board, outside of the immediate annual election cycle. Society Members interested in future roles will be encouraged to discuss their potential suitability, in advance, with the Committee. The Committee will provide constructive feedback to potential candidates. In addition, the Committee will assist the Trustee Board in their deliberations and decisions over ‘trustee nominations’ for the three Officer roles (President, Honorary Secretary, Treasurer). The Committee will be comprised of the Past-President, one serving Trustee and one serving Council Member.
This revised process eliminates the existing requirement for candidates to seek 6 members’ nominations to support them. It will ensure an equality of opportunity approach, be transparent in terms of how the Trustee nomination is reached, ensure the most qualified candidates are nominated, and lead to effective succession planning.
The 2023 election opens today (May 10th) and Society members will receive an email notifying them of the vacancies available for Trustee and Council positions. Applications can be made online, through the Society’s election portal. Should members have any questions about this revised election process please do not hesitate to contact me.
Mark Hollingsworth
CEO