A little over 25 years ago, in 1983, a group of procurement professionals from local governmental agencies banded together to form the Copper Chapter of NIGP. From these early days 25 years ago, when stacks of paper requisitions took up most of our desk space and Al Gore had not yet invented the internet…..who have we become as Copper Chapter?
We have grown to a size of approximately 80 members.
We have come together as 19 different member agencies- counties, cities, towns, school districts, colleges, universities and fire districts- celebrating our commonalities as public procurement professionals despite our differing jurisdictional compositions.
Several of these agencies have been recognized through national awards such as the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement through the National Purchasing Institute and the Outstanding Agency Accreditation Achievement Award through NIGP.
We are clerks, managers, agents, contract officers, directors, deputy directors, contract administrators, buyers, property managers, division chiefs, battalion chiefs, supply supervisors, purchasing card administrators working with materials, services, design, construction, warehousing- our titles are as diverse as the agencies we come from, yet like metals melding together make an even stronger alloy, we come together to form a strong bond together in the Copper Chapter.
Last year, we hosted our first annual reverse vendor trade show- allowing us to have an $8000 budget this year for scholarships for our members
Through the hard work of our nominations committee, we conducted our first awards process for buyer and manager of the year.
In both 2008 and 2009 our local Buyer of the Year recipients have gone on as finalists in the national buyer of the year competition.
One of our members won the Ethics Essay contest national competition
We were Small Chapter of the Year in 1999, 2006, and 2008, and are a finalist in 2009
We are an active, continually growing chapter that invites all procurement professionals in governmental agencies in Southern Arizona to join our group to access both networking and professional development opportunities.
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I‑ MEMBERSHIP
1.
Regular membership: Regular membership in the Chapter shall be open to: a) All public
agency procurement and materials management personnel including Federal, State,
County, municipal and township activities, public school systems, colleges,
universities, hospitals, commissions, authorities, and any other political
subdivision of the State. b) A person with full time employment in a position
having a direct influence on the public procurement process such as department
heads and educators.
2.
Honorary Membership: Honorary membership may be conferred by a simple majority of the voting
membership upon individuals who have made distinguished contributions to the
purchasing profession or this Chapter. Honorary members shall not be entitled
to vote or hold office and shall be exempt from payment of fees and dues.
3.
Retired Membership: Retired membership may be conferred by a simple majority of the voting
membership upon members of this Chapter upon their retirement from the pursuit
of their livelihood through active employment, and upon written request for
such membership. Retired members shall
not be entitled to vote or hold office and shall be exempt from payment of fees
and dues.
4.
Admission: An applicant becomes a member upon acceptance of the application and
payment of membership fee.
5.
NIGP Code of Ethics: The National NIGP Code of Ethics should govern the conduct of every
member and is a condition of membership.
6.
Application: Application for
Membership shall be submitted upon the application form supplied by the Chapter
or that purpose, and shall be accompanied by such fees and dues as may be
required, as determined from time to time by the Board of Directors. Such application shall be approved
by the Chairman of the Membership Committee who shall be charged with
certification of eligibility in accordance with the Constitution and By‑Laws.
a)
All
new members shall be announced to the chapter at the next meeting.
b)
Transfers:
Membership in this Chapter is vested in the individual and is transferable only
to a member's successor in the case of regular members. Such application for
transfer is subject to the approval by the Membership Committee and the Board
of Directors.
In cases
where a member has changed employers, and the former employer paid the member’s
dues, the former employer may request a transfer of membership to the
successor.
Transfers
shall occur with no additional cost, as membership materials are expected to
transfer also. Replacement of membership
materials may occur upon payment of a nominal fee as set by the Board.
ARTICLE II – BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, AND
ADMINISTRATION
1.
Board of
Directors: The governing body of
this Chapter will be an executive board consisting of the Past President, the
President, the Education Vice President, the Membership Vice President,
Secretary, and Treasurer, and shall be known as the Board of Directors. The
members of the Board shall attend all Board of Director's meetings. In addition, each Board member shall be
responsible for oversight of at least one committee.
2.
President: The President shall exercise a general supervision
over the affairs of the chapter, preside over all meetings of the chapter, and
perform all duties incident to the office of President. The President shall
delegate duties to other officers and committee chairs, but shall hold ultimate
responsibility for ensuring completion of all assigned duties.
3.
Education
Vice President: The Vice President
shall coordinate the activities of the Education and Seminar committees and
also perform such duties as assigned by the President. In addition, this Vice President shall act as
President in the President’s absence.
4.
Membership
Vice President: This Vice President
shall coordinate the activities of the Membership committee and also perform
such duties as are assigned to him or her by the President.
5.
Secretary: The Secretary shall maintain a written record of
the proceedings of all meetings of the chapter and perform the usual duties of
Secretary. The written records shall be distributed to the membership no later
than the next chapter meeting. The
Secretary shall also prepare and distribute meeting notices no later than one
week prior to scheduled meetings.
6.
Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for the funds of
the chapter and shall render a true and complete report relative to the affairs
of the office at each meeting. The Treasurer shall: collect meeting fees at
each meeting; solicit and collect annual membership dues; collect fees for
chapter merchandise (mugs, t-shirts, etc.); and shall collect seminar fees and
any other chapter revenue. The Treasurer
shall pay chapter bills in a prompt manner. A detailed recording of each transaction, revenue or expenditure shall
be kept.
7.
Past
President: The Past President shall
serve in an advisory capacity only and shall have no direct duties or
responsibilities related to the functioning of the Board of Directors. The Past President is not a voting member of
the Board of Directors.
8.
Responsibilities: The Board of Directors shall manage the affairs of
the Chapter, and shall have authority to take such actions as will best serve
the interests of the Chapter and its members.
9.
Removal from
Office: Any Officer or member of the
Board of Directors may be recommended for removal from office by a three-fourths
vote of the Board members. Such Officer or Director shall have at least thirty
days notice and full opportunity to defend himself, in person before the
membership, before final vote is taken by the membership. Removal from office requires a two-thirds
vote of the regular membership.
In the event of a tie vote by the Board of
Directors, the following actions may be taken:
a.
The item may
be reconsidered at a later Board meeting; or
b.
A member of
the Board may bring the item up at a Chapter business meeting for discussion
and vote.
10.
Officers shall be required to remain a member of the
Chapter in good standing throughout the term of their office.
ARTICLE III ‑ ELECTION OF OFFICERS
1.
Officers shall
be elected bi-annually at the annual business meeting in November from a slate
of candidates presented by the nominating committee and any eligible members
nominated from the floor at least one month in advance. A majority of those
voting will be required for a candidate to win election.
2.
No member of
this Chapter shall be considered for any office unless he or she has been a
member in good standing for at least one year immediately preceding the
election.
ARTICLE IV TERM OF OFFICE
1.
The term of
office of all officers shall commence on the January 1st following election.
2. The term of
office of all officers shall be two years.
ARTICLE V ‑ VACANCIES
1.
A vacancy in any
office shall be filled for the unexpired term by a special election at a
regular meeting following the occurrence of the vacancy. Election shall be in
accordance with Article I of the Bylaws, except that incumbent officers may
temporarily (?) assume the duties of a vacant office on the Board of Directors,
considering the following hierarchy: Education Vice President, Membership Vice
President, Secretary and Treasurer.
ARTICLE VI ‑ DUES
1.
The annual dues
shall be paid in advance, dating from January first each year. Dues shall be set annually by the Board of
Directors.
2.
DELINQUENT DUES
AND MEMBERSHIP IN GOOD STANDING: Any member whose dues, or other funds owed to
the chapter, are delinquent for more than sixty days shall automatically cease
to be a member in good standing. The
member may be reinstated upon payment of funds owed, provided the member
otherwise satisfies the membership eligibility requirements in Article I.
ARTICLE VII ‑ FUNDS
1.
A bank account
for the chapter shall be maintained with five signatures registered, to include
the President, Education Vice President, Membership Vice President, Secretary
and Treasurer, any two of which shall be required on all checks.
2.
The account
shall be balanced with each bank statement. All revenue must be deposited into
the bank account and all expenses paid by check, with the exception of small
petty cash purchases, which require the submittal of receipts.
3.
An annual audit
may be conducted on the bank account and findings presented to the Chapter
membership. The Board of Directors shall
name the auditor and said auditor may be from the general membership.
ARTICLE
VIII ‑ MEETINGS
The annual business meeting of
this Chapter for the election of officers, and the transaction of such other
business as may come before it shall be held at the regular meeting in
November.
Regular monthly meetings shall
be held on the 4th Tuesday of each month, except those that may be changed or
dispensed with at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
The Secretary shall notify all
members of the time and location of all meetings.
The President shall determine
the time, date and location of Board of Directors’ meetings. Members of the Board are to be informed by
the Secretary.
Special Board or Committee
meetings may be called orally or in writing at the discretion of the President
or upon the written request of five members. Notices shall refer to the time
and place, purpose and be given reasonably in advance of said meetings.
Each member will be asked to
make a reservation for each meeting. Members shall be financially responsible for any reservations made for
meals, unless cancellation is accomplished at least one working day prior to
the meeting date.
ARTICLE
IX ‑ PROGRAMS
1.
The Chapter will
annually sponsor programs that support the Chapter’s objectives, as defined in
the Articles of Incorporation.
2.
The programs of
the Chapter shall include, but need not be limited to:
·
A program to
strengthen the relationships between the vendors and government agencies.
·
An educational
program to further the development of
Southern Arizona
public purchasing personnel.
·
An educational
program to assist members in meeting certification/re-certification
requirements.
ARTICLE
X ‑ CHAPTER REPRESENTATION
1. The President shall represent the Chapter at events designated by the membership such as boards, commissions, conventions, etc. Providing adequate funds are available in the Chapter account, the Chapter will provide financial support including full registration fee and reimbursement for travel (air fare or mileage if traveling by vehicle, whichever is less), hotel and meals for the President to attend the NIGP Forum for the first year of his or her two-year term, and may be sent the second year of the two year term if the budget and fund-raising allow, given the priorities as identified by the membership on an at-least biannual basis. Should the President be unable to represent the Chapter at a designated event, another Board member or the state/national liaison may be sent as a delegate. The following is the order of priority: Education Vice President, Membership Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and State/National liaison.
2. Providing adequate funds are available in the Chapter account, the Chapter will provide financial support of its regular members at educational conferences, forums and for certification/re-certification costs. The Board of Directors shall review and consider award recommendations of the Scholarship/Fundraising Committee, and shall determine the priority of the requests based on the Scholarship Policies and Procedures and in accordance with the priorities set by the membership. The Scholarship/Fundraising Committee shall supply the Board with all of the material used to make their recommendations, including but not limited to, the applications, supporting documentation and evaluators’ notes and comments.,
Up to $600.00 can be provided to any regular member in good standing to attend national, regional or local NIGP educational conferences. This $600.00 cap may be increased for any given event, provided the Board of Directors approves and the general membership ratifies this increase
Reimbursement for meals and hotel shall not exceed current federally approved rates. Whenever possible, agencies should be encouraged to provide financial support for their own members.
3. State and National Liaison: This position has been established to communicate information for/to other chapters within Arizona and from/to the National level. The intent is to foster cooperative partnerships, to increase communication among regional chapters, and to strengthen intra-state and national ties. This position reports directly to the Board and is appointed by the Board during the bi-annual elections, at the time of a vacancy, or at the time of the position’s inception.
4. Nothing in this article shall be intended to discourage individual members from participating in regional or national events sponsored by NIGP or to prevent the Chapter from providing financial support when deemed reasonable and appropriate by the membership.
ARTICLE
XI ‑ COMMITEES
The Chapter shall operate with the assistance of Committees. Committee member terms shall commence on the 1st day of January of each year. The term shall be for one year. The Nomination Committee shall consist of not less than three members. The President shall appoint all members, including the Chair. All other committees will be filled on a volunteer basis, with a goal of a Chair and at least one additional member. It is the responsibility of the Chair to establish the number of members that is deemed appropriate for the committee based on current activities. Committee members shall follow the guidelines as set forth in the Committee Descriptions and report to the Board of Directors. The President may appoint additional committees as required.
1. The Nomination Committee shall receive and evaluate recommendations from the members regarding individuals suggested for candidacy.
2. The Education Committee shall be responsible for arranging the educational speakers and other events for monthly meetings.
3. The Membership Committee shall track membership, provide membership materials, shall provide membership information to potential members, and shall coordinate annual membership drives.
4. The Seminar Committee shall be responsible for coordinating all activities related to formal seminars.
5. The Special Events Committee shall coordinate all social and charitable events.
6. The Food Committee shall determine the menu for each meeting and shall coordinate all Chapter meals.
7. The Scholarship/Fundraising Committee shall coordinate the review of scholarship applicants and organize the fundraisers to provide funding.
8. The National Liaison Committee shall provide regular communication and feedback to and from NIGP board and committees. This Committee shall be formed whenever there is national representation from within Copper Chapter members.
9. The By-Law Committee shall be responsible for notating suggested revisions and preparing for the membership, subsequent to Board review.
10. The Communications Committee shall be responsible for preparing and maintaining a method to communicate with the member.
ARTICLE
XII ‑ PROCEDURES
1. Quorum: A quorum shall be required to conduct business of the chapter.
• A quorum at the Board meeting shall consist of a majority of members of the Board.
• A quorum at any business meeting of the membership shall consist of 25% of the regular members of the Chapter.
• A majority of the regular membership must be either present or vote by email to transact financial matters or change the by-laws.
2. Robert's Rules of Order shall govern all meetings of this association when a point of order is called for.
3. The order of business shall be at the presiding Officer's discretion.
4. Questions of procedure shall be disposed of under Robert's Rules of Order when not in conflict with the By Laws.
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