AGA TOPICS Newsletter

From the National President

By: Samuel T. Mok, CGFM, CIA, CICA

September marked the second month for me as the National President of AGA. I must confess that I did not work very hard for AGA in August. Instead, I took the month off from work and went to China with my wife, where we attended the Olympic Opening Ceremony, toured several cities and spent a week with our son and his family in Shanghai. Although I had a great time in Asia, I was very glad to be back home when my plane landed at Dulles.

During the month of September, I chaired my first National Executive Committee meeting. The meeting went well, and we accomplished quite a bit. One of the most important issues on our agenda was a discussion regarding the nomination process for the AGA national officers. Specifically, a motion to amend the nominating process to exclude senior National Office staff from participation was introduced on behalf of several AGA members who had served in national officer positions in the past. This new proposal also states that staff members would not be allowed to solicit candidates.

This motion and its supporters are motivated by a sincere desire to avoid any appearance issue in the selection of AGA national leaders. The primary concern is that if senior National Office executives are allowed to participate in the nomination process, it would give them the opportunity to hire their own boss. Since these executives work directly with the National President, the fear is that they might receive preferential treatment from an elected leader that they were responsible for nominating.

There are many who do not agree with the proposed exclusion of senior national staff from the nomination process, because they feel that the recruitment of candidates is a right for all AGA members regardless of the status of their employment. Up to this point, there has been no known infringement upon the impartiality and autonomy of the nomination process, and therefore it might be unfair to deny a few AGA members a right that is granted to every other member of the organization. One of the benefits of allowing senior staff to participate in the process is the daily contact that they have with potential candidates for leadership positions within AGA.

It is the NEC's belief that our primary objective should be to ensure that the Nominating Committee operates independently, without any unfair influence from any external parties. Consequently, after careful consideration, the NEC decided unanimously to table the motion to amend the existing nomination process for national officers. It was determined that each committee member would reflect on the pros and cons of the issue before a decision on the motion is made.

Since the NEC has, for the time being, tabled the motion to amend the nomination process, I would like to take the opportunity to hear your opinions on the issue.

The question is: Should the AGA senior National Office staff be prohibited from recruiting or recommending candidates for consideration by the Nominating Committee?

As I have said, there is no precedent for excluding anyone from the nominating process, and there has been no known infringement upon the impartiality and autonomy of the nomination process.  A yes vote will result in a change of rules regarding this process, and the modification of the employment agreements for some AGA National Office employees. A no vote will preserve the status quo and current procedure. I would also like you to consider whether candidates should be allowed to solicit endorsement from AGA chapters or members. The current AGA practice is to discourage campaigning for office because it can be derisive and counterproductive to the organization as a whole. 

It is very important to me that I hear from each of you and understand your views on these issues. AGA is a membership organization, and as such the leadership must reflect the will of its members. Furthermore, you have a responsibility to speak up and to share your views with us and your locally elected leaders (chapter president, RVP, etc. You can share your thoughts and suggestions with me via e-mail
agapresident@gmail.com.

National Officer Nominations will close on October 31. If you know of a qualified candidate for any of the available positions, I encourage you to forward your nomination to the committee ASAP. Without a good
pool of candidates, we cannot ensure strong leadership for the organization in the future.

Sam