A Message From Your FCSLA Board of Directors

Bylaw Change Takes FCSLA into New Era

By now, you probably know that the proposed changes to our bylaws will alter the way we select our national president, our national secretary, national treasurer and editor. Under the proposed change, our national president/CEO would be selected and hired by our national board of directors. Once hired, with the approval of the Board, the president would hire other individuals to fill the positions of national secretary/COO, national treasurer/CFO and editor. Both moves mean that the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association will be following the lead set by many comparable groups that already use this process to find the most qualified individuals possible to fill these critical management positions.

The move emphasizes the role of our delegates to the convention. The delegates will continue to have the responsibility of selecting the individuals who will serve on the FCSLA Board. The newly appointed President will then report to the Board selected by delegates.

Under this proposal, our Board will have 15 members, 14 of whom will be elected by delegates to the convention. This group will include the board chaplain. The FCSLA president will serve as the 15th member, but will not be a voting member of the board until he or she has served for one year. All elected board members will serve four-year terms and can be re-elected for additional terms. They will report to the members of the FCSLA, just as the new president will report to the board. No other management officers of FCSLA will be members of the board, but they likely will be called on frequently to report to the board on various matters.

With this plan, as expressed by Cynthia Maleski, current board member "…we will be enabling those elected board leaders to select an individual with the experience and expertise to manage our organization in an increasingly complex world."

If you have questions about the bylaw change, you are welcome to contact President Mary Ann Johanek directly at (216) 468-1011, or by email at maryann@fcsla.com. We ask you to watch our new video, which explains the need for the governance change and how the proposed change will identify duties and responsibilities of board members. Please continue to check back to our Web site for more information about the governance bylaw change.