2016 Delegate Manual (as of May 19, 2016).

Table of Contents

Greetings, Delegates!……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

Christopher D. Wagner……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

Mission, Vision, Values, and Diversity Statements………………………………………………………………………………………. 5

Vision 2020 Strategic Plan…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6

Delegates………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7

Delegate Information………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7

Checklist……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9

Delegate Schedule………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10

Delegate Representation Role and Process………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12

Delegate Representation Process…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14

Conference Business Processes…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15

Bylaws on Conference Matters…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15

Regional Caucuses………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16

Information and Agenda…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 16

Proposed Regional Caucus Standing Rules………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 17

General Forum……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 18

Information and Agenda…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18

Proposed General Forum Standing Rules……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18

Motions and Priority Process…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19

Council of Representatives………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20

Information………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20

Council of Representatives Agenda…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21

Proposed Council of Representatives Standing Rules……………………………………………………………………………………. 23

Voting Procedures………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 25

Seating Plan…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 26

2014 Conference Information…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 28

2014 – 2016 Priorities……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28

2014 Resolutions………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 37

2014 Council of Representative Minutes…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 39

Proposed Priorities………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 59

Submitting a Proposed Priority………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 59

Motion Writing Guidelines……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 60

Conference Motions and Proposed Priorities……………………………………………………………………………………………… 61

Priority Proposals………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 63

2016 Proposed Priorities………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 63

Resolutions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 64

Bylaws…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 65

Writing Bylaws Amendment Proposals………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 73

Sample Proposals……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 74

Bylaws Amendment Proposal Form…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 75

2016 Bylaws Amendment Proposals…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 75

Elections………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 76

Policies and Procedures…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 76

Section I – Board Roles……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 77

Section II – Expectations for Board Members………………………………………………………………………………………….. 79

Section III – Candidate Information and Eligibility…………………………………………………………………………………… 82

Section IV – Campaign Expectations and Protocol…………………………………………………………………………………… 83

Section V – Election Procedures…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 85

Section VI – Candidacy Confirmation Letter……………………………………………………………………………………………. 86

Section VII – Candidacy Filing Form……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 87

2016 Board of Directors Candidates………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 87

Awards………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 88

Awards Nominations……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 88

Official Delegates and Alternate Delegates………………………………………………………………………………………………. 90

Greetings, Delegates!

Welcome to the 53^rd Biennial NAD Conference in Phoenix, Arizona! Continuing from the last conference, our conference theme is once again only in ASL! The message we want to emphasize is the importance of gathering, engaging, and inspiring. Awareness of ASL and our culture is at very high levels throughout society now, and we need to continue our work together that inspires us.

As I finish my term as your president of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), it has been my honor to serve you on the board for ten years – 4 years as president and 6 years as vice president. I cherish every moment of working with all of you across our vast and diverse country as we work diligently to change the world to be more accessible to us and inclusive of us.

You have an important role as a delegate at this conference, including determining our top priorities for the next two years and deciding who will represent us on the new NAD Board. This 2016 NAD Delegate Manual is your guide for you to use as a delegate to make those difficult but important decisions. You will find that we have made great progress through our 2014 conference priorities, with status updates in the delegate manual that will show what we have accomplished to date. But our work is far from over, and you can help us decide the best ways to achieve our goals in the next two years with the limited resources we have.

As always, technology has its advantages that we can use to improve our process at the Council of Representatives. As in years past, you will find a lot of important information shared with you via video prior to the conference. It is our goal to prepare you ahead of time so that you know what to expect at the conference. Moreover, we will use electronic voting systems to make our conference proceed more efficiently and effectively. Please contact your Regional Board Member if you have any questions regarding the Delegate Manual or the process involved.

We ask that you, as delegates, develop a plan of action for the next two years using the NAD Vision 2020 and past conference priorities as guidelines.

The NAD Board of Directors wishes to recognize that this 53^rd Biennial Conference would not be possible without our loyal corporate, educational, governmental, and organizational sponsors, as well as the invaluable support of the Arizona Association of the Deaf (AzAD) and the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACDHH). We also must express our deep appreciation and thanks to all of you as delegates for taking on this important task of representing Deaf America.

Best regards,

Christopher D. Wagner

President

Mission, Vision, Values, and Diversity Statements

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is to preserve, protect, and promote the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America.

VISION STATEMENT

The vision of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD is that the language, culture, and heritage of deaf and hard of hearing Americans will be acknowledged and respected in pursuit of life, liberty, and equality.

VALUES STATEMENT

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) embraces core, legal, and community values, as follows:

CORE VALUES

Language. We value the acquisition, usage, and preservation of American Sign Language.

Culture. We value the right of deaf and hard of hearing Americans to share similar beliefs, sense of belonging, and experiences as a signing community.

LEGAL VALUES

Civil Rights. We believe in equality, dignity, and justice for all deaf and hard of hearing Americans.

Human Rights. We believe that acquisition and use of American Sign Language is an essential human right.

Linguistic Rights. We believe that American Sign Language must be preserved, protected, and promoted.

COMMUNITY VALUES

Diversity. We value deaf and hard of hearing Americans with diverse perspectives, experiences, and abilities. We are committed to the elimination of audism, linguicism, racism, and other forms of discrimination.

People. We value advocates and allies as the builders of the American deaf community.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) embraces diversity and inclusiveness as one of its core values in achieving its mission. We are committed to:

encompassing a wide range of human abilities and perspectives that includes, but are not limited to language, culture, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, and socioeconomic status;
building and maintaining a totally inclusive environment where differences of opinions, beliefs, and values are sought, listened to, respected, and
expanding membership, participation, and leadership that reflect the diversity of the American deaf community; and
enhancing its policies and practices to adhere to the highest standards of diversity and inclusiveness, and to work closely with all affiliates to further this

Vision 2020 Strategic Plan

The Vision 2020 Strategic Plan, developed by the NAD Board of Directors, was introduced to delegates at the 50th Biennial NAD Conference in Philadelphia, PA. This document serves as a blueprint for action between now and the year 2020.

Guiding Principles

Language

We believe it is the right of every deaf and hard of hearing person to acquire and express themselves in American Sign Language and English.

Attitude

We must change society’s perception of people who use ASL to one that recognizes us as a unique community with our own language and culture.

Self-Determination

We believe that society must accept our organization as an integral part in any decision-making process that influences any deaf and hard of hearing person.

Management

We are committed to responsible resource allocations through optimal use of our people, time and money in pursuit of our mission, vision, and values.

Goal 1. By 2020, NAD will ensure ASL is a birthright of every deaf and hard of hearing person.

Objective 1. Ensure that ASL and English is part of every baby’s learning, regardless of hearing level.
Objective 2. Promote ASL in every educational program with deaf and hard of hearing children.
Objective 3. Protect every individual’s right to visual communication in the U.S.

Goal 2. By 2020, NAD’s structure will value and incorporate community views as the community’s leading advocacy organization.

Objective 2.1. Establish priority-setting mechanism focused on translating conference priorities into strategies that fit closely with the organizational
Objective 2. Implement diversity best practices at all levels.
Objective 3. Optimize position and policy statements’ effectiveness and impact.

Goal 3. By 2020, NAD will be a leading engine for social organization and mobilization.

Objective 1. Lead through coalitions with greater emphasis on NAD mission and core values.
Objective 2. Establish training and education programs.
Objective 3. Develop and centralize resources for federation of organizations.
Objective 4. Strengthen State Association affiliates.

Goal 4. By 2020, NAD will earn distinction as an efficient advocacy nonprofit organization.

Objective 1. Increase operational efficiency.
Objective 2. Optimize a sustainable resource base to achieve organizational goals.
Objective 3. Achieve staffing to meet community demands and every policy initiation.
Objective 4. Identify and pursue funding sources relevant to mission and vision to support existing and new programs and initiatives.
Objective 5. Instill policy governance model at the board level.

Delegates

Delegate Information

Who Are the Delegates?

Delegates to the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Biennial Conference are members of State Associations and Affiliated Non Profit Organizations (NPOs) who are attending and participating in the Council of Representatives, and confirmed through a credential validation process in advance of conference arrival. Potential delegates may be confirmed as a Delegate, and/or as an Alternative Delegate. Alternative Delegates are able to participate in the Council of Representatives when named Delegates are unable to attend and notice of the change is given to the Credential Committee at the NAD Biennial Conference.

How Many Delegates May Participate?

The NAD Bylaws specify Delegate representation as follows:

ARTICLE FIVE. Meetings

1. Biennial Meetings

The Association shall meet in biennial national conference during each even numbered year.

1. 5. Council of Representatives.

Delegates to the Council of Representatives shall conduct official business during the biennial national conference. The Council of Representative shall be composed of the following:

1. 5. i. State Association Representatives.

Proportionate Council of Representatives representation by State Association Affiliates shall be determined as follows:

20-199 members—up to two (2) delegates

200-399 members—up to three (3) delegates

400-599 members—up to four (4) delegates

600-799 members—up to five (5) delegates

At least 800 members—up to six (6) delegates

1. 5. ii. College Student Affiliate Representatives.

The Council of Representatives shall include one (1) delegate from each College Student Affiliate of the Association.

1. 5. iii. Non Profit Organizational Affiliate Representatives.
The Council of Representatives shall include one (1) delegate from each bona fide local, state, and national Non Profit Organizational Affiliate of the Association, which meets eligibility criteria set forth by the Board of Directors. Further, Non-Profit Organizational Affiliates which meet eligibility criteria set forth by the Board of Directors shall have proportionate representation in the same manner as provided for State Association Representatives.

1. 5. iv. Section Representatives.

The Council of Representatives shall include one (1) delegate from each Section of the Association.

1. 5. v. Order of Georges and Georgettes Representatives.

Twenty five (25) or more members of the Order of Georges and Georgettes (OGG) attending the biennial national conference may organize themselves for the purpose of electing delegates to the Council of Representatives. The number of delegates elected to attend the Council of Representatives shall be based on the number of all NAD members qualifying to be part of the Order of Georges and Georgettes, in essence all individuals (not only those present at the Conference) who have been members of the NAD for at least three years. On that basis, the number of OGG delegates shall be based on the same proportion as the number of delegates for State Associations and Non-Profit Organizational Affiliates.

1. 5. vi. Junior NAD Representatives.

The Council of Representatives shall include two (2) delegates from the Junior NAD.

How Are State Association and Non-Profits Required to be in Good Standing?

State Associations and Non-Profits (NPOs) must pay in full as affiliates to the NAD prior to the Biennial conference to be considered in good standing. State Associations and NPOs that are in good standing may send delegate(s) to the Council of Representatives meeting during the Biennial Conference.

Required Qualifications of Delegates

Delegates must be members of the NAD in good standing prior to the NAD. The State Association President or NPO President / Executive Director must sign a Conference Delegate Credential form that is completed to include the names of the Delegate(s) and Alternate Delegate(s), and this form must be submitted to the Credential Committee. The Credential Committee will then acknowledge receipt of the credential form and after verifying good standing will approve the Delegate as qualified.

Alternate Delegates

Alternate Delegates must be listed on the Conference Delegate Credential form.

When are Credential Forms Due?

The State Association President and Membership Chair must submit the State Association Membership form to the Credential Committee by March 15, 2016 online. The State Association President or NPO President / Executive Director must submit the Delegate Credential form online by April 1, 2016. (NAD By-laws Article 5.01 Section 5.E.1)

Checklist

Items: Deadline: Submit to:

☐ Affiliate Membership Dues

State Association Dues ($200) January 31, 2016 NAD HQ

Non-Profit National ($200) Annual Cycle NAD HQ

Non-Profit State ($150) Annual Cycle NAD HQ

Non-Profit Local ($100) Annual Cycle NAD HQ

☐ State Association Membership Count March 15, 2016 Credential Chair

☐ Delegates and Alt Delegate Form April 1, 2016 Credential Chair

☐ Awards Nominations April 30, 2016 Awards Chair

☐ Proposed priorities Due May 22, 2016 Steering Committee

Proposed Priorities Posted Online: June 1, 2016

☐ Proposed Bylaws Due May 5, 2016 Bylaws Committee

Proposed Bylaws Posted Online: June 5, 2016

☐ Board Nominations Due June 5, 2016 Election Committee

Board Candidates Posted Online: Shortly after June 5 deadline

☐ Conduct Delegate Training July 1, 2016 Credential Chair

(Online videos)

☐ Reservation Hotel Room (Group Rate) TBD Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel

☐ 2016 NAD Registration A.S.A.P. NAD HQ

(Early Bird I Combo) with payments

☐ Flight Reservations A.S.A.P.

Delegate Schedule

Subject to Change

For the overall NAD Conference schedule, please refer to the NAD Conference schedule in Guidebook.

Monday, July 4, 2016

Recommended Arrival Date for Delegates & Alternates All Day

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Delegate Networking 8:00 am – 9:00 am

Council of Representatives – Session I 9:00 am – 11:30 am

Delegate Check-In 9:00 am – 9:15 am

Credential Committee Report

President Welcome Remarks 9:15 am – 9:30 am

Welcome and Introductions 9:30 am – 11:30 am

State of the NAD

Approval of 2014 COR Minutes

Approval of COR Standing Rules

Approval of Forum Standing Rules

Approval of Regional & Affiliate Caucus Standing Rules

Approval of COR Agenda

Announcement of Conference Minutes Review Team

Announcement of Steering Committee

SAAC Luncheon 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

(SA & Affiliate President/Representative Only, Registration required)

Council of Representatives – Session II 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm

Delegate Check-In 1:00 pm – 1:15 pm

Credential Committee Report

Strategic Team Reports 1:15 pm – 3:00 pm

Diversity

Education

Youth

Standing Committee Reports

Finance

Governance

Public Policy

Outreach

Steering Committee Report on Proposed Priorities 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm

Recess 4:15 pm

Regional & Affiliate Caucuses 4:30 – 5:30 pm

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

General Forum for NAD General Membership 9:00 am – 11:15 am

Council of Representatives – Session III 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Delegate Check-In 1:00 pm – 1:15 pm

Credential Committee Report

Bylaw Amendments Discussion and Vote 1:15 pm – 2:30 pm

Discussion on Priorities & Resolutions 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm

NAD Board Officer Candidate Presentations 3:45 pm – 4:15 pm

Regional and Affiliate Caucus 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Council of Representatives – Session IV 8:30 am – 12:00 pm

Delegate Check-In 8:30 am – 8:45 am

Credential Committee Report

Priorities & Resolutions Discussion and Vote 8:45 am – 11:15 am

Recess 11:15 am

Council of Representatives – Session V 1:30 pm

Delegate Check-In 1:30 pm – 1:45 pm

Credential Committee Report

Election Committee Report 1:45 pm – 2:30 pm

Election of Officers and Regional Representatives

Oath of Office for 2016-2018 NAD Board of Directors

Adjournment 2:30 pm

Regional & Affiliate Caucuses (Optional) 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Delegate Representation Role and Process

Roles and responsibilities for delegates and alternates at Biennial NAD Conferences are outlined herein, including conference-related expectations and requirements.

Delegate Responsibilities

Your duties as an official delegate or alternate to the Council of Representatives (COR) during the Biennial NAD Conferences are:

To take part in pre-conference Delegate Orientation online.
To actively participate in Forum
1. To consider official proposed priorities brought forth by individuals (screened by the Steering Committee and assigned to the General Forum).
2. To vote on the top twenty (20) proposed priorities at the General Forum.
To actively participate in COR business
1. To consider and vote on the proposed priorities brought forth by the General Forum to the top 5 priorities. The top 5 priorities voted upon by the COR then become the priorities to be carried out by the NAD Board of Directors during the new term.
2. To consider and vote on the proposed resolutions brought forth by individual members.

To consider and vote on the proposed bylaws. The approved bylaws take effect immediately after the close of the conference.

To elect the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
To elect Regional Board Members.

Official Parliamentarian/Parliamentary Procedure
1. The President appoints an official Parliamentarian to provide guidance on meeting procedure and points of order during the conference
2. Delegates having questions about the parliamentarian or parliamentary procedure shall communicate with the President, their designee or their Regional Board
3. During official COR business, the NAD Bylaws and the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, and any standing rules adopted by the COR are used as a meeting guide.

Official Conference Business Meetings

Business Meetings at biennial national conferences are made up of two (2) sections:

Forums
The General Forum is held during the Biennial NAD Conference.
While parliamentary procedure is not strictly adhered to during Forum sessions, such shall be followed in spirit, to ensure optimal participation, debate, and voting processes on proposed priorities under consideration.

Forum participants are limited to National NAD members (including officially recognized COR delegates and alternates) attending the conference.

Forum participants review and debate proposed priorities brought forth. They may also introduce and debate new motions from the floor prior to the established deadline. Participants in the General Forum prioritize and vote on the proposed priorities to be sent to the COR.
The resulting top proposed priorities are then sent to the COR for further review and action.
Council of Representatives
Official business is conducted at Council of Representatives (COR) meetings, during which time official minutes are recorded.
The following delegate categories have floor (debate) privileges and voting rights during COR meetings, providing that credentialing requirements are met:
1. Up to six (6) Representatives for each State Association Affiliate (based on membership)
2. Up to six (6) Order of George/Georgettes (OGG) Representatives;
3. Two (2) National Junior NAD Representatives;
4. One (1) Representative for each Non-profit Organizational Affiliate that meets eligibility criteria;
5. One (1) Representative for each College Affiliate; and
6. One (1) Representative for each Se

The following individuals have all floor privileges but do not have the right to vote during COR business sessions (Note: Chairpersons of committees may have voice only on matters pertaining to their committees during COR sessions, unless they are also Representatives.):
1. Board of Directors, and
2. Past

Delegate Representation Process

State Association Affiliate Representation

The number of State Association delegates is based on the total number of resident members of the State Association in good standing as of December 31 of the year prior to the biennial national conference, based on the NAD Bylaws formula below:

Members	Representatives
20 – 199	2
200 – 399	3
400 – 599	4
600 – 799	5
800 plus	6

State Association delegates and alternates are also required by the NAD Bylaws to be National (individual) NAD members in good standing for official approval by the Credentials Committee.

Order of George/Georgettes Representation

Order of Georges/Georgettes (OGG) status is conferred to active National NAD members who have maintained at least three (3) or more consecutive years of membe
Delegates and alternates shall be elected prior to the biennial national conference, in the same proportion as for State Association delegates, based on the number of OGG membe

National Junior NAD Representation

The Junior NAD chapter network is entitled to two (2) delegates, who are elected during biennial Junior NAD Conference
Junior NAD delegates may be accompanied by a chaperone as needed during the Council of

Organization Affiliate Representation

Active non-profit organizations which meet the following criteria shall be entitled to one (1) delegate each:
1. Classified as 501(c) entities by the Internal Revenue Service, and
2. Fifty-one percent (51%) of the organizational Board of Directors shall be composed of deaf and hard of hearing individuals, and
3. The organization’s executive director shall be deaf or hard of hearing, or Fifty-one percent (51%) of the organization’s employees shall be deaf or hard of hearing

College Student Affiliate Representation

Active Collegiate Student Affiliates shall be entitled to one (1) delegate

Section Representation

Active NAD Sections shall be entitled to (1) delegate

Conference Business Processes

The NAD Board of Directors shall determine the official schedule for the Forum and Council of Representatives, Delegate Orientation, Forum Personnel Orientation, as well as Regional and Affiliate
At least 30 days before the official Conference date, the NAD Headquarters shall prepare and distribute the Delegate Manual via the NAD website to all official delegates and representatives certified by the Credentials Committee.
Special seating arrangements shall be made for Council of Representatives delegates who shall actively participate in the deliberation on business matte
Forum and COR Standing Rules in this Delegate Manual, once approved, shall govern all business

Bylaws on Conference Matters

Biennial national conferences are held in even-numbered
Site selection for biennial national conferences is governed by the NAD Board of Directors, with NAD Headquarters carrying out requests for proposals from selected
1. Sites rotate among established geographical
2. The NAD Board shall obtain, in a timely manner, city suggestions from state associations and other affiliate organizations in the applicable
3. By a majority vote of the NAD Board of Directors, biennial national conferences may be postponed or reassigned to a new site.
The NAD President issues the official call to conference six (6) months in
The NAD Board of Directors establishes the official conference program, including format and
Biennial national conferences are managed entirely by the direction of NAD Headquarters, with accountability to the NAD Board of
1. All contracts, facilities and conference-related matters including fundraising, shall be the responsibility of NAD
2. The State Association, where the biennial national conference will be held, may appoint a local committee to work in cooperation with and provide assistance to the NAD Two or more bordering State Associations may cooperate in this regard.

Regional Caucuses

Information and Agenda

Official business at the 2016 NAD Conference is conducted in part by official delegates during daily Regional Caucuses, one for each of the four NAD regions. There will be a total of three Regional Caucus sessions, with the last session being optional.

Essentially, all delegates and alternates who attend Regional Caucuses have the opportunity to discuss the day’s activities, prepare for the next day, as well as discuss issues of common interest and concern. During the second Caucus session, focus is on candidates for NAD Board Regional Member vacancies.

The agenda for Regional Caucuses (highlighted below) is established by the Board, working closely with the official conference Parliamentarian.

Subject to Change

Tuesday, July 5 – 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

State Association & Affiliate Highlights
Preparation for COR action on motions and bylaws amendments

Wednesday, July 6 – 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Continued preparation for COR action on motions and bylaw amendments
Presentation by Official Candidates for NAD Board Regional Representative Positions
Preparation for next day’s COR action on motions and bylaws amendments
Selection of State Association / Affiliate Committee (SAAC) Representatives

Thursday, July 7 – 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm (Optional)

Proposed Regional Caucus Standing Rules

These proposed standing rules shall govern Regional Caucuses held during the 2016 NAD Conference, which shall be ratified by official delegates present at the Delegate Work Session on the day prior to the official start of the conference.

Regional Caucuses shall be held daily during the conference week, starting on Tuesday, July 5, 2016 and ending on Thursday, July 7, 2016.
NAD Board Regional Members shall conduct Caucuses for their respective regions, in line with the NAD Board-established conference
Discussion and voting action in Regional Caucuses are limited to official delegates within each
Alternates are encouraged to attend Regional Caucuses and maintain close contact with their delegates throughout the conference wee
Interested persons may also observe delegates in action during Regional
NAD Board Regional Members shall ensure that delegates have thoroughly reviewed and are comfortable with Delegate Manual contents. In addition, they shall serve as mentors to delegates, and clarify questions or concerns that may be raise
NAD Board Regional Members shall keep delegates informed of any changes or new situations that
The Elections Chair or their designate shall present official candidates for NAD Board Regional Member positions. Each candidate is limited to two speeches – one by a person nominating the candidate and one by the candidate on their own behalf, each of which shall be no longer than three (3)
Elections for NAD Board Regional Member positions shall take place by closed ballot during the election on July 7th, except where there are uncontested

General Forum

Information and Agenda

The General Forum at the 2016 NAD Conference is initially conducted by individual members (including official representatives of affiliate organizations).

The General Forum agenda is established by the President.

Action on Proposed Priorities

The President will open the General Forum session.

Next, proposed priorities – posted online one month prior to the conference – will be reviewed with clarifications provided as needed. Members will then have the opportunity to vote electronically or by paper ballot on the top 20 motions to be sent to the Council of Representatives (COR) for further action.

During the next COR, delegates will then vote on the top 5 priorities to become priority areas of focus for the NAD Board of Directors during the 2016-2018 term of office.

The resultant top 5 priorities will be posted on public bulletin boards for review by delegates and conference attendees alike.

Review of Proposed Bylaws Amendments

Proposed bylaws amendments will be shared for informative purposes with members – these will be acted upon by COR delegates, who will vote on these either individually or as a whole.

Proposed General Forum Standing Rules

These proposed standing rules shall govern the General Forum during the 2016 NAD Conference, and these rules shall be ratified by individual and affiliate members present at the opening of the General Forum session on the first day of the conference.

Discussion and voting action during the General Forum session are limited to individual and affiliate NAD members in good standing.
Prior to the General Forum session, the President shall appoint a committee of five members to work with the Chair of the Steering Committee to review and finalize General Forum minutes within 30 days after the close of the conference.
During the General Forum session, discussion shall focus on two subjects: 1) final proposed priorities as posted by June 5, 2016 for General Forum member consideration and voting, and 2) proposed bylaws amendments to be acted upon by the Council of
Members shall not talk with the Secretary, the Chair of the Steering Committee or parliamentarian during the General Forum se If there are any questions or concerns, members shall communicate directly with their Regional Board Representative or the President who in turn shall talk with the Secretary, the Chair of the Steering Committee, or parliamentarian if necessary.
During the General Forum session, members shall vote electronically, by show of hands or via paper ballot for the top 20 priorities to be sent to the Council of Representatives for further a
There shall be no solicitation or distribution of literature during the General Forum session (with the exception of paper ballots for voting purposes).
Proposed Priorities and General Forum rankings for each shall be tallied and submitted to the Steering Committee immediately after the General Forum voting se
Printouts of the resultant top 20 priorities shall be posted on public bulletin boards for review by conference attendees.
The Council of Representatives shall take further action on the resultant top 20 proposed priorities, and vote to determine the top 5 priorities to become official priorities for the 2016-2016 term of
NAD members are encouraged to submit proposed priorities and proposed bylaws amendments to the NAD no later than 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on May 22, 2016.
Prior to arriving at the 2016 NAD Conference, NAD members are encouraged to review final proposed priorities and final proposed bylaws amendments, which will be posted online by June 5, 2016.
Prior to arriving at the 2016 NAD Conference, NAD members are also encouraged to review tips on parliamentary procedure, which will be posted online by June 1, 2016.
NAD Members should encourage prospective candidates for NAD Board officer or regional representative positions to submit all required information to the NAD by 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on June 3, 2016. Delegates will be able to review all Board candidates and their qualifications, which will be posted online by June 5, 2016.

Motions and Priority Process

The General Forum will take place on Wednesday, July 6. Members will deliberate on official proposed priorities brought forth for consideration. All priorities are to be submitted prior to the conference. During the forum voting session, members will vote on all proposed priorities.

The top 20 priorities from the General Forum will then go to the Council of Representatives (COR) for further action. COR delegates will then debate these 20 priorities, and vote on the top 5 priorities, which will then become official priorities of the NAD for the new term.

Council of Representatives

Information

Official business at the 2016 NAD Conference for the most part is conducted by official delegates to the Council of Representatives (COR), as stipulated in the NAD Bylaws.

Delegates are expected to attend all COR sessions.

The COR agenda (highlighted below) is established by the President.

Interested persons are welcome to observe COR delegates in action, with seating in the rear of the meeting room.

Reports on Accomplishments

The President will open the first COR session by providing highlights of two years of action and accomplishment by the NAD as a whole.

Reports will also be provided by the chairs of the three strategic teams (Diversity Strategic Team, Youth Strategic Team, and Educational Strategic Team) and the five standing committees (Development, Finance, Governance, Membership, and Public Policy).

Delegates will also have the opportunity to review Delegate Manual contents online in advance including progress updates on 2016 NAD Conference priorities and resolutions, as well as proposed bylaws amendments.

Action on Proposed Priorities

At the General Forum, individual and affiliate NAD members in good standing will review proposed priorities – posted online one month prior to the conference – and then vote electronically, by show of hands or by paper ballot on the top twenty (20) priorities to be sent to the COR for further action.

The Chair of the Steering Committee will present as well as hand out a ballot containing the top twenty (20) priorities. COR delegates will then vote on the top five (5) priorities for the NAD Board of Directors during the 2016-2018 term of office.

The top five (5) priorities as determined by vote of the delegates will be presented for all conference attendees to review.

Action on Proposed Bylaws Amendments

The chair of the Bylaws Committee shall present recommended bylaws amendments for consideration by COR delegates, who then vote on these either individually or as a whole.

Other Action

Delegates will also act on proposed resolutions, as well as elect new candidates for the NAD Board of Directors for the new term of office.

Council of Representatives Agenda

The President establishes the Council of Representatives agenda, working closely with the official Parliamentarian, the Steering Committee (headed by the Secretary), the Chief Executive Officer, and other Board members as may be deemed necessary.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Monday, July 4, 2016

Recommended Arrival Date for Delegates & Alternates All Day

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Delegate Networking 8:00 am – 9:00 am

Council of Representatives – Session I 9:00 am – 11:30 am

Delegate Check-In 9:00 am – 9:15 am

Credential Committee Report

President Welcome Remarks 9:15 am – 9:30 am

Welcome and Introductions 9:30 am – 11:30 am

State of the NAD

Approval of 2014 COR Minutes

Approval of COR Standing Rules

Approval of Forum Standing Rules

Approval of Regional & Affiliate Caucus Standing Rules

Approval of COR Agenda

Announcement of Conference Minutes Review Team

Announcement of Steering Committee

SAAC Luncheon 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

(SA & Affiliate President/Representative Only, Registration required)

Council of Representatives – Session II 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Delegate Check-In 1:00 pm – 1:15 pm

Credential Committee Report

Strategic Team Reports 1:15 pm – 3:00 pm

Diversity

Education

Youth

Standing Committee Reports

Finance

Governance

Public Policy

Outreach

Steering Committee Report on Proposed Priorities 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm

Recess 4:15 pm

Regional & Affiliate Caucuses 4:30 – 5:30 pm

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

General Forum for NAD General Membership 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Council of Representatives – Session III 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm

Delegate Check-In 1:00 pm – 1:15 pm

Credential Committee Report

Bylaw Amendments Discussion and Vote 1:15 pm – 2:30 pm

Discussion on Priorities & Resolutions 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm

NAD Board Officer Candidate Presentations 3:45 pm – 4:15 pm

Regional and Affiliate Caucus 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Council of Representatives – Session IV 8:30 am – 12:00 pm

Delegate Check-In 8:30 am – 8:45 am

Credential Committee Report

Priorities & Resolutions Discussion and Vote 8:45 am – 11:15 am

Recess 11:15 am

Council of Representatives – Session V 1:30 pm

Delegate Check-In 1:30 pm – 1:45 pm

Credential Committee Report

Election Committee Report 1:45 pm – 2:30 pm

Election of Officers and Regional Representatives

Oath of Office for 2016-2018 NAD Board of Directors

Adjournment 2:30 pm

Regional & Affiliate Caucuses (Optional) 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Proposed Council of Representatives Standing Rules

These proposed standing rules shall govern the Council of Representatives (COR) during the 2016 NAD Conference, which shall be ratified by official delegates present at the opening of the first Council of Representatives session.

For admission to the COR meeting room and to facilitate identification and seating, delegates and alternates shall wear designated badge ribbons issued during conference registra
Delegates shall report to the credentials table to sign in, pick up their voting flags, and be seated, at least 30 minutes prior to the opening of each COR session, in assigned sections which will be rotate
The Credentials Committee, at the start of the first COR session, shall report the number of official delegates and alternates registered and The Credentials Committee shall make a supplementary report, including updates and affirmations of quorum, at the beginning of each COR business session until adjournment.
A member registered as an alternate representative of any entity may, upon clearance by the Credentials Committee and in exchange for a delegate from the same entity becoming an alternate, be transferred to delegate status at any time during Affiliates may at any time transfer an alternate from their organization to serve in place of their designated delegate(s).
Prior to the first official COR session, the President shall announce a committee of five voting members, one from each of the four NAD sanctioned regions for State Association affiliates, and one from an organizational affiliate to work with the Chair of the Steering Committee to review and finalize COR minutes within 30 days after the close of the
Delegates shall not talk with the Secretary, the Chair of the Steering Committee, or the parliamentarian while the COR is in If there are any questions or concerns, delegates shall communicate directly with the Regional Board Representative or the President who in turn shall talk with the Secretary, the Chair of the Steering Committee, or parliamentarian if necessary.
Delegates shall have a computer, tablet, or mobile device for voting purposes. Delegates shall not utilize these devices to conduct business or communications that is not relevant to the Council of Representatives. If necessary, delegates shall leave the COR session to engage in such business or
Presentation of the top 20 proposed priorities from the General Forum shall be made by the President, Steering Committee Chair or their designate, in a manner deemed appropriate. Once all 20 proposal priorities have been reviewed, COR delegates shall then debate and vote on the top 5 priorities to become official for the 2016-2018 term of office.
The resultant top 5 priorities shall be made available online for review by delegates as well as conference attendee
The only new motions that may be introduced during COR sessions are those dealing with bylaws, finance, and resolutions. Note: Any new bylaws amendments shall be accepted for 2018
Motions or proposal priorities introduced during COR shall adhere to the appropriate format – including author, person seconding the motion, motion title, proposed motion, rationale, and fiscal
Generally, a maximum of six delegates may be recognized by the President to debate on each debatable item: three in support and three in opposition of any motion on the Each delegate is allowed a maximum of one minute for debate.
Delegates shall use a computer, tablet, or mobile device for the purpose of voting. However, yellow flags will be used to a point of order or Should there be difficulties with using such devices as a whole, delegates shall, under the discretion of the president make appropriate use of the voting flags provided. Green flags shall indicate an “aye” vote, and red flags shall indicate a “nay” vote.
Motions or proposed priorities not addressed or acted upon by the end of the conference shall
Delegates shall submit proposed priorities and proposed bylaw amendments to the NAD by 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on May 22, 2016.
Prior to arriving at the 2016 NAD Conference, delegates shall review final proposed priorities and final proposed bylaws amendments, which will be posted online by June 1, 2016.
Prior to arriving at the 2016 NAD Conference, delegates shall review tips on parliamentary procedure, which will be posted online by June 1, 2016.

Voting Procedures

An electronic voting system will be used for voting throughout the Council of Representatives. Delegates shall have access to their own wifi-capable computer, tablet, or a smartphone to conduct voting via electronic voting during COR. Flags will not be counted, unless the President directs everyone to use the flags.

Delegate’s Identification Card #

State Association

Organization

Region

Delegate’s

State Association

Or
Organization

Favor (AYE)

Oppose (NAY)

Point of Question

Point of Information

Seating Plan

The following seating plan below shall apply during all days of the Council of Representatives meeting. Actual layout is subject to change in accordance with conference space set up. All efforts will be made to keep seating plan uniform.

Seating rotation shall be as follows:

COR I COR II COR III COR IV

A-Ge Row 2 Row 3 Row 4 Row 5

GF-Mar Row 3 Row 4 Row 5 Row 6

Mas-New J Row 4 Row 5 Row 6 Row 2

New M-Sou C Row 5 Row 6 Row 2 Row 3

Sou D-Z Row 6 Row 2 Row 3 Row 4

Past Presidents, Steering Committee, Board members – Row 1 on all COR sessions

Elections Seating Plan

The seating layout will be different for the Election portion of the Council of Representatives. Elections will be held at the Grand Ballroom

There are four sections in the front area (above the red lines), and each section will host a region. Delegates representing Affiliates will seat with the region where their headquarters is based.

2014 Conference Information

2014 – 2016 Priorities

Delegates representing state association affiliates, eligible nonprofit organization affiliates and other groups voted on top priorities for 2014-2016 during the 52nd Biennial NAD Conference in Atlanta, GA. Most are tied to the Vision 2020 Strategic Plan; the NAD Board of Directors is responsible for follow up action.

Status Updates will be posted on a later date

2014-GA-PUB-021

Priority Title: Preservation and Advocacy of Relay Services (PARS)

Priority: The NAD must undertake the following steps for the purpose of preserving Relay services:
1) Strenuously object to the FCC’s destruction of the IP Relay marketplace and the FCC’s ongoing attacks against VRS including producing a white paper by December 31, 2014 arguing that the Commission’s TRS orders last year all threaten to curtail innovation and that the FCC is ignoring the pursuit of functional equivalence. (Produce White Paper)
2) Take every possible step to obstruct and prevent FCC’s attempts to enact the Neutral Platform, including taking legal action. The NAD should identify the Neutral Platform for what it really is–a Government takeover of the competitive marketplace and thus the NAD should, from now on, re-label the neutral platform as the “Government Controlled Platform (GCP).” In the meantime, the NAD should continue to support and push for the reference platform, which will go a long way to addressing the various interoperability issues that bedevil the VRS industry. (Stop GCP)
3) Argue that the continuing cuts in Reimbursement Rates for IP Relay and VRS serves only to further undermine the ADA’s functional equivalence mandate by harming the industry’s ability to innovate by creating new technology and features and its ability to provide quality CA service. The NAD must demand that the FCC bring rates back up to ensure quality and technology including undertaking legal action if necessary (Restore Rates)
4) Take every possible step including, but not limited to legal action to demand that the FCC approve:
a) skills-based routing,
b) the approval of hearing signers to receive videophone numbers
c) and the expense of CDIs in VRS settings as an exogenous cost beyond the normal reimbursement rates. (Quality and Access)
5) Demand that the Congress and the FCC celebrate VRS as the biggest accomplishment of ADA and by doing so, call for Congressional attention on the FCC’s attack on the civil rights of Deaf and hard of hearing Americans as outlined above. The NAD should do so by asking for Congressional hearings and mobilizing grassroots activism by having members contact Congress and the FCC on all of the above issues. (Congressional Action)

Rationale: The IP-Relay industry has been winnowed down to only two providers both who have said that the FCC’s actions on rates are unsustainable. If the FCC does not take corrective action, both of the remaining providers will likely depart the industry. The NAD has reported in various filings and meetings that they have received an increasing number of complaints from consumers regarding the quality of VRS interpreters and the lack of new and innovative features and technology from those industries. This is largely a result of the FCC’s cuts in rates without analyzing its impact on quality and functional equivalence. FCC cuts in rates while increasing speed of answer requirements is a reflection of their lack of understanding that innovation and quality is directly related to funding size. The NAD must demand that the FCC increase rates in order to enable providers to meet speed of answer requirements and further demand that the FCC establish quality objectives before setting rates. In face of those alarming threats to the civil rights of Deaf and hard of hearing Americans, the NAD has tried to work cooperatively with the FCC in an effort to get them to back off from their destructive methods. Such an approach has not caused the FCC to change course and the NAD must now take a strong and adversarial approach including legal action in order to protect the civil rights of Deaf and hard of hearing Americans. The FCC’s attack on the quality of interpreters through its cuts in the reimbursement rates only increases the importance that CDIs be utilized in VRS settings. The FCC must have a funding mechanism for CDIs separate from the reimbursement rates in order to incentivize providers to hire and utilize CDIs.

Vision 2020: Objective 2.3

Board Assignment: Assigned to NAD CEO and NAD Policy Counsel.

Headquarters Status: Completed Position Statement (White Paper) before due date of December 31, 2014 with approval by Board vote on 12/20/2014 and posted to website. In collaboration with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network (DHHCAN), we have had numerous meetings with FCC and Congress on various VRS issues, and further meetings are planned and ongoing.

2014-GA-PUB-033

Priority Title: FEMA Communication to Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Priority: Mandate that FEMA develop policies to assure that all Deaf and Hard of Hearing citizens know exactly everything that is being communicated during all emergency broadcasts and briefings. FEMA will assure that there is a certified live interpreter and closed captions that mirror what is spoken.

Rationale: Communication effective and communication access.

Vision 2020: Objective 3.2

Board Assignment: Assigned priority to Public Policy Committee, chaired by Alexis Kashar, with provisional creation of Emergency Management Expert Group chaired by Neil McDevitt.

Headquarters Status: Several meetings were held with FEMA to discuss issues, barriers, and goals. McDevitt appointed several leading deaf experts on FEMA to be on the Expert Group, and drafted position statement which will be reviewed by the Board and posted prior to the Conference.

Merged Mental Health Priority

2014-GA-PUB-049

Priority Title: Preservation of Mental Health Services that Meet the Needs of Deaf People

Priority

Increasing Educational Opportunities to become Mental Health Counselors and create a Position Statement on the Impact of Managed Care on the future of Mental Health Services to the Deaf. The Mental Health section under the Public Policy committee will be tasked with two goals:

Develop a position statement on Managed Care in Mental Health, which recommends specific minimum guarantees and guidelines in what support (access-based) Managed Care Entities will give Deaf people in need of Mental Health or Behavioral Health services.
To establish a dialogue with higher education institutions along with federal entities for the purpose of expanding existing educational programs for developing Mental Health counselors with the intent of increasing the number of Deaf individuals becoming mental health counselors. Also include a discussion on possible funding streams for such programs, both existing and new, including stipends.

Rationale: Changes in health care insurance mandated by the Affordable Care Act have had the unintended consequence of undermining state operated “safety net” mental health programs. No population is harmed more than this than people who are deaf and use American Sign Language. Fewer and fewer states are funding specialized services for deaf people who have Mental Health needs. Increasingly, state are turning to commercial managed care organizations (MCOs) in attempts to reduce costs and that directly results in reduced services for all people. It also results in the loss of specialized services in ASL. Even the provision of interpreters, as mandated by numerous federal and state laws, has been reduced by guidelines established by individual MCOs. At this time, advocates need further information and guidance to be able to discuss current and possible impacts, and proposed solutions. A Position Statement on Managed Care in Mental Health will convey that information to the communities impacted by the changes mandated by the Affordable Care Act.

Mental Health Services in general has been suffering cutbacks thus impacting the quality of services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The real issue is the shortage of qualified mental health specialists fluent in ASL (American Sign Language). Many States get around this shortage by hiring “qualified” ASL interpreters, which is not always effective.

Whereas the Delegates to the 2012 NAD Conference passed a Language Deprivation mandate proposed by four past NAD presidents and three past NAD executives, among others, requiring the NAD to set up a Headquarters Ad-Hoc Committee to look into developing model state and federal legislation to prevent language deprivation.

Whereas this mandate required the formation of a headquarters Ad-Hoc committee reporting to the CEO comprised of individuals with expertise in various relevant areas including legal, educational and socio- and neuro-linguistic development to look into the possibility of making liable actions that causes harm to Deaf children as a result of the deprivation of American Sign Language and develop model state and federal legislation for such liability.

Whereas this mandate required the committee to look into developing model state and federal legislation that would require medical and audiology personnel to refer deaf infants/children and their families to American Sign Language instruction and education prior to undertaking any medical procedure that may presume to provide hearing.

Whereas this mandate required that the committee develop a strategy for the adoption of these legislation including identifying the states that may be most favorable as early adopters of those legislation.

Whereas this mandate requires a full report including the first draft of a model legislation.

Let it be further resolved that the 2012 Mandate be passed once again as a 2014 Mandate with the same procedures, requirements and a deadline of the report and model legislation by May 1, 2015.”

“Past attempts through the educational system to ensure that Deaf children are not isolated and linguistically deprived have experienced extremely limited success. Alternative approaches needs to be fully explored.

This motion is timely because the United Nations developed and adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“CRPD”) to advance equality further throughout the world. The CRPD makes repeated specific references to the deaf community and sign language in its text.

The rationale and justification for the 2012 proposal comes from the abstract of Language acquisition for deaf children: Reducing the harms of zero tolerance to the use of alternative approaches; Harm Reduction Journal 2012, 9:16 which specifically states:

“Children acquire language without instruction as long as they are regularly and meaningfully engaged with an accessible human language. Today, 80% of children born deaf in the developed world are implanted with cochlear devices that allow some of them access to sound in their early years, which helps them to develop speech. However, through early childhood, brain plasticity changes and children who have not acquired a first language in the early years might never be completely fluent in any language. If they miss this critical period for exposure to a natural language, their subsequent development of the cognitive activities that rely on a solid first language might be underdeveloped, such as literacy, memory organization, and number manipulation. An alternative to speech-exclusive approaches to language acquisition exists in the use of sign languages such as American Sign Language (ASL), where acquiring a sign language is subject to the same time constraints of spoken language development. Unfortunately, so far, these alternatives are caught up in an “either – or” dilemma, leading to a highly polarized conflict about which system families should choose for their children, with little tolerance for alternatives by either side of the debate and widespread misinformation about the evidence and implications for or against either approach. The success rate with cochlear implants is highly variable. This issue is still debated, and as far as we know, there are no reliable predictors for success with implants. Yet families are often advised not to expose their child to sign language. Here absolute positions based on ideology create pressures for parents that might jeopardize the real developmental needs of deaf children. What we do know is that cochlear implants do not offer accessible language to many deaf children. By the time it is clear that the deaf child is not acquiring spoken language with cochlear devices, it might already be past the critical period, and the child runs the risk of becoming linguistically deprived. Linguistic deprivation constitutes multiple personal harms as well as harms to society (in terms of costs to our medical systems and in loss of potential productive societal participation).”

Because Headquarters have the legal staff and interns along with necessary key relationships with those having needed expertise, the committee should report to the CEO.

Vision 2020: Objectives 1.3, 2.3, and 3.2

Board Assignment: Assigned priority to Public Policy Committee, chaired by Alexis Kashar, and specifically to its Mental Health Expert Group, chaired by Steve Hamerdinger.

Headquarters Status: Hamerdinger appointed several leading experts from deaf mental health field and health coverage policy field to discuss how to address these issues. The Mental Health Expert Group developed a position statement that is being reviewed by the Board and will be posted prior to the Conference.

Merged Education Priority

2014-GA-PUB-050

Priority Title: Defining and Supporting the Education Strategy Team’s Focus for 2014-2016

Priority

We move that the Education Strategy Team (EST) develop a strategy for keeping Deaf schools from closing, and focus on outreach to mainstreamed programs with emphasis on socio-emotional needs and language access; employment and participation of Deaf people at all levels of education; collaboration with national organizations on diversity issues in education; updating the model Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights with ASL-English Bilingualism; collaborating with Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) to provide support to state efforts to promote kindergarten-ready legislation; supporting the development of parent advocacy groups under State Association; and establishing a clearinghouse for information on successful Deaf schools. The EST will collaborate with other NAD Committees and external organizations as recommended and as appropriate.

Rationale:

Deaf and hard of children need more access to Deaf role models and these adults also need to be involved with administration and policy to impact system-wide changes.
Increasing the number of Deaf role models for Deaf students will impact the growth of teachers and administrators who are Deaf
This would promote growth nation-wide in teacher preparation programs and effect change in philosophy, recruitment, and accessibility.
Diversity has been an issue over the years. Part of NAD’s Vision 2020 is to address this.
The current Bill of Rights does not include ASL or bilingualism. CRPD states both natural visual language and national language are human rights.
The U.S. Department of Education is investing in early start programs to ensure that more young children enter Kindergarten ready to learn. Deaf and hard of hearing children often remain language-deprived without appropriate early bilingual intervention. NAD can collaborate with the national campaign to promote language equality by emphasizing benchmarks, outcomes and accountability for Deaf children to ensure they are kindergarten-ready.
The 2012 – 2014 Mandate #3, (Language Deprivation) has not been completely satisfied and this would ensure that NAD focuses on these issues state-wide and nation-wide.

Whereas this mandate requires a full report including the first draft of a model legislation.

Let it be further resolved that the 2012 Mandate be passed once again as a 2014 Mandate with the same procedures, requirements and a deadline of the report and model legislation by May 1, 2015.”

Because Headquarters have the legal staff and interns along with necessary key relationships with those having needed expertise, the committee should report to the CEO.

Vision 2020: Objectives 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, and 3.4

Board Assignment: Assigned priority to NAD CEO and NAD Education Policy Counsel, as well as the Education Strategy Team.

Headquarters Status: NAD is addressing all aspects of priority as follows: a) Outreach to mainstreamed programs: Increased our presentations at mainstream schools (MD, NY, FL, WA) and provided advocacy to deaf education teachers at both deaf schools and in mainstreamed settings, with plans to continue this work indefinitely; b) Collaboration with national organizations on diversity issues in education: We are working with CEASD and NBDA, NCHDHH, and RAD to collect research, resources and data on diversity issues; c) Updating the model Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights with ASL-English Bilingualism: The EST developed a new model Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights, which was approved by the NAD Board, and the bill is available to state associations and affiliates upon request. The bill is not posted online to avoid its abuse by groups opposed to bilingual education. Further, the NAD has formally made available its NAD Education Policy Counsel and NAD State Legislative Coordinator to all state associations and affiliates to develop the appropriate state bill including the model Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights, the language deprivation bill, and the LEAD-K bill; d) Collaborating with Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) to provide support to state efforts to promote kindergarten-ready legislation: the NAD is engaged in ongoing collaboration with LEAD-K and providing support to states wishing to pass a LEAD-K bill; e) Supporting the development of parent advocacy groups under State Association: the NAD is engaging in ongoing collaboration with parent advocacy groups, with outreach and recruitment efforts of parents to become Parent Advocates helping us already in several states; f) Establishing a clearinghouse for information on successful Deaf schools: the NAD is engaged in ongoing collection of information and preparation of web page for such clearinghouse; g) Language Deprivation – the NAD has a language deprivation bill available through the NAD State Legislative Coordinator to assist states in proposing state laws.

Merged Youth Priority

2014-GA-PUB-051

Priority Title: Outreach to Deaf Youth including Mainstream School Students

Priority

We move that NAD focuses on providing direct outreach to mainstream school programs by providing educational advocacy training to professionals and students with a focus on socio-emotional needs and language access, and creating a state association model for a Deaf Youth Day that focuses on what state associations can do for deaf and hard of hearing youth.

Rationale: The majority of deaf and hard of hearing youth is in mainstream school settings and they are in need of both resources in social emotional and language access. In addition to Headquarters and the Board’s direct support to the mainstream school, state associations’ involvement is critical by hosting the Youth Day events. This program should incorporate models that are currently being used by state associations, such as the one used by PSAD.

Whereas this mandate requires a full report including the first draft of a model legislation.

Let it be further resolved that the 2012 Mandate be passed once again as a 2014 Mandate with the same procedures, requirements and a deadline of the report and model legislation by May 1, 2015.”

Because Headquarters have the legal staff and interns along with necessary key relationships with those having needed expertise, the committee should report to the CEO.

Vision 2020: Objectives 3.2 and 4.2

Board Assignment: Assigned to the NAD Youth Strategy Team, chaired by Martin Price and Lissette Molina-Wood.

Headquarters Status: Based on the recommendation of the Youth Strategy Team, the NAD Board approved the creation of a National Deaf Youth Day on March 6th every year to replicate the success at the state level of a Deaf Youth Day established by the Pennsylvania Society for Advancement of the Deaf (PSAD). Further, the NAD has received increased participation in its Jr. NAD and YLC programs of deaf youth from mainstreamed programs, and will continue to find ways to increase such participation.

2014 Resolutions

Delegates representing state association affiliates, eligible nonprofit organization affiliates and other groups voted on resolutions during the 52^nd Biennial NAD Conference in Atlanta, GA.

2014-GA-RES-001

Resolution Title: Censure and Continuation of Language Deprivation Bill

Rationale: Whereas the Delegates to the 2012 NAD Conference passed a mandate proposed by four past NAD presidents and three past NAD executives, among others, requiring the NAD to set up a Headquarters Ad-Hoc Committee to look into developing model state and federal legislation to prevent language deprivation.

Whereas this mandate required that the committee develop a strategy for the adoption of these legislation including identifying which states may be most favorable as early adopters of those legislation.

Whereas this mandate requires a full report including the first draft of a model legislation to be completed by December 1, 2013.

Whereas it appears that, as of May 1, 2016, no such Headquarters Ad-Hoc Committee was ever formed and whereas no full report including the draft of a model legislation has ever been written nor released,

Let it be resolved that the Delegates use this opportunity to Censure the NAD Board and the NAD Leadership for their deliberate ignorance of the specific steps, process and deadlines adopted at the 2012 Conference,

Let it be further resolved that the 2012 Mandate be passed once again as a 2016 Mandate with the same procedures, requirements and a deadline of the report and model legislation by May 1, 2015.” “Past attempts through the educational system to ensure that Deaf children are not isolated and linguistically deprived have experienced extremely limited success. Alternative approaches needs to be fully explored.

Because Headquarters have the legal staff and interns along with necessary key relationships with those having needed expertise, the committee should report to the CEO.

It is wholly unacceptable that no such headquarters committee was formed with the requested diversity outlined in the motion and it is further wholly unacceptable that no model legislation has been released to the public. Hence a censure is appropriate.”

Fiscal Impact: Minimal. The ad hoc committee will be mostly made up of volunteers. NAD staff expertise on the committee would be most helpful and staff’s time will have the biggest fiscal impact. The committee may also benefit from the research expertise of one of the law student interns that the NAD often has. The CEO may lend NAD staff and interns to the committee as he sees fit.

Author: Meredith Dodt, David Letkiewicz, and Allison Weiner on behalf of MDAD

Seconded by: Charm Smith on behalf of MDAD

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board acknowledges that the timeline was not met, but is pleased to report that the priority was achieved.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters reports that the NAD has met this priority, pursuant to the 2012 mandate. While the timeline set by the 2012 mandate was not met, no mandate or priority should impose a deadline as all mandates and priorities are expected to be completed within the two year span between conferences if possible. Past experience has shown that some mandates and priorities take longer than expected or can never be achieved. However, this mandate was completed within the two-year period.

2014 Council of Representative Minutes

F I N A L

COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES MEETING

52^nd Biennial NAD Conference

National Association of the Deaf

July 1-5, 2014

Atlanta, GA

Monday, June 30, 2014: Session I and II

President Chris Wagner called the Council of Representatives (CR) business meeting to order at 1:14 PM. President Wagner provided welcoming remarks to all the participants.

Steve Lovi, Region I Representative and Credentials Chair, reported that there were 94 delegates out of 151 present:

Region I: 21

Region II: 16

Region III: 24

Region IV: 12

Affiliates: 21

President Wagner introduced the current Board of Directors and publicly expressed his appreciation to the Board for their diligent work for the past two years.

Barbara Jean (BJ) Wood introduced the Nancy J. Bloch Leadership and Advocacy Scholarship recipient, Alexander Van Hook, who is currently a student at Rochester Institute of Technology and the new President of the NTID Student Congress and encouraged members to support the scholarship.

President Wagner introduced Richard McCowin, Region II Representative and Diversity Strategy Team Chair, who along with Vice President Melissa Draganac-Hawk, and Secretary Kirsten Poston provided diversity training to delegates.

President Wagner is pleased to report that the Board had received more than 65 hours of diversity / privilege training over the past two years.

President Wagner then reviewed standing rules and prior minutes with delegates, which resulted in the following motions:

Motion: Ronald Sutcliffe (Maryland) moved to accept the Council of Representatives (CR) 2012 Conference Minutes as presented. CARRIED

Motion: Jennifer Pfau (Colorado) moved to approve the 2014 Council of Representatives (CR) General Forum Standing Rules. CARRIED

Motion: Alyce Reynolds (California) moved to adopt 2014 Regional Caucus Standing Rules as presented. CARRIED

Motion: Sean Gerlis (New York) moved to amend the motion to strike rule number three from the Regional Caucus Standing Rules. CARRIED

Motion: Jacob Leffler (Maryland) moved to accept the 2014 Council of Representatives Standing Rules as presented. CARRIED

Motion: Nancy Rarus (Virginia) move to reconsider Regional Caucus Standing Rules. FAILED

Motion: Jennifer Pfau (Colorado) move to approve the 2014 Council of Representatives Agenda as submitted. CARRIED

The following individuals were appointed to the Council of Representatives (CR) Minutes Review Team: Angelica Lopez (Region I), Jania Tester (Region II), Jared Patton (Region III), JR Goff (Region IV) and Jacob Leffler (Affiliates). CARRIED

The following individuals were appointed to the 2014-2016 Steering Committee: Michelle Cline (New Jersey – Region I), Linda Mahmood (Ohio – Region II), Lynn Null (Oklahoma – Region III), Alan Wilding (Idaho – Region IV) and Alfred “Sonny” Sonnestrahl (Maryland – Affiliates) CARRIED

Andrew Lange, Conference Parliamentarian, reviewed the parliamentary procedures with delegates.

President Wagner called for a recess at 4:13 pm.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014: Session III and IV

President Wagner opened the Council of Representatives at 8:41 am by welcoming delegates and members to the Conference.

President Wagner recognized NAD Past Presidents Bobbie Beth Scoggins, Roz Rosen, Ben Soukup, Andy Lange and Alan Hurwitz. He also recognized Gertie Galloway, Libby Pollard and Kent Kennedy who were not in presence. Registry of Interpreters (RID) Vice President Melvin Walker and Executive Director Shane Feldman were recognized.

President Wagner presented his State of the NAD report, covering all the activities in the past two years, and provided an overview of the progress made of the 2012-2014 Priorities, including but not limited to:

Employment Task Force – led by Sam Sepah, Chair. The task force focused on the implementation of the National Employment Resource Center to be available online in the near future.

National Leadership Training Program – The NAD has provided a letter of support to California State University, Northridge in their application to implement the NLTP.

Mental Health Services Toolkit- The NAD Board approved the model legislation and toolkit for State Associations and Affiliates.

Legislative Training- The NAD implemented a pilot project in December 2012 with Iowa Association of the Deaf, through the services of Kim Bianco-Majeri to provide Legislative training to the NAD board of directors and several state associations. Total of 7 states received training. The NAD Board of Directors voted to move the State Legislative Training Program to the Headquarters.

State Association Coordinator Position – The NAD delegated the State Association Coordinator responsibilities to the newly created Director of Communications position. Lizzie Sorkin was hired to assume the responsibilities, as Director of Communications and Jazzie Jones will serve in the role as Communication Specialist.

Housing – The NAD continues to work closely with the Housing Urban Development (HUD) and Deaf Seniors of America to address housing needs for Deaf and hard of hearing senior citizens.

Language Deprivation – The NAD established an ad hoc committee to address informed decision-making and language deprivation. Committee members consisted of Dr. Tom Humphries, Dr. Sean Virning, and Dr. Melissa Herzig.

Accountability Task Force – The task force, led by Sean Gerlis, developed guidelines for performance measurements of priorities and tasks.

Spanish Website – The NAD, with the support of NCHDHH, completed its Spanish version on specific areas of the NAD website and

The NAD is currently working on a new communications strategy to increase communication with members and to protect its assets.

President Wagner reported the following accomplishments:

Provided more than 65 hours of privilege training to NAD board and staff
Established educational strategy tem to address deaf education concerns
Revamped partnership with Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) to enhance NAD-RID National Interpreter Certification testing system
Strengthened partnership with Deaf Seniors of America
Promoted and continuing to promote the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD)
Collaborated with CEASD
NAD won the first ever Internet case against Netflix.
NAD fought to remove restrictions to allow deaf drivers to get their Commercial Drivers License (CDL)
Prevailed in a jury trial for a medical school student who depended on CART services

President Wagner observed a moment of silence to honor those who have departed us, including Past President and former Executive Director Mervin Garretson, Appointed Board Member Nathie Marbury and Region II Board Representative Michael Berger.

President Wagner thanked Melissa Draganac-Hawk for ensuring the board and staff completed the required privilege training.

President Wagner thanked the members of the Educational Strategy Team under the leadership of Tawny Holmes.

President Wagner recognized the board and staff for their contributions to the NAD.

Reports from board Strategic Teams were provided: Diversity Strategic Team by Richard McCowin, Region II Representative and Chair; Education Strategy Team by Tawny Holmes, NAD Staff Attorney and Chair; and Youth Strategic Team by Joshua Beckman, Appointed Board Member and Chair.

Reports from board Standing Committees were provided: Finance by Philippe Montalette, Treasurer and Chair; Governance by Steve Lovi, Region I Representative and Chair; and Public Policy by Howard Rosenblum, Chief Executive Officer for Alexis Kashar, Chair.

Reports from Task Forces were provided: Accountability by Sean Gerlis, Chair and Employment by Sam Sepah, Chair.

President Wagner informed the delegates that the above-mentioned reports will be posted on the NAD website.

President Wagner called for a five-minute break.

Margie English, Region I Representative and Co-Chair of the 2014 Steering Committee provided the committee reports on proposed priorities.

General Forum followed in regards to proposed priorities.

Lunch recess took place at 12:04 PM.

President Wagner called the General Forum to order at 1:30 PM.

President Wagner introduced Dawn Whitcher, President of Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). Ms. Whitcher provided welcome remarks from RID.

Margie English, Region I Representative and Steering Committee Co-Chair led the General Forum discussion on proposed priorities. President Wagner on behalf of the NAD Board and Chief Executive Officer Howard Rosenblum on behalf of the NAD Headquarters provided their responses to each proposed priority.

Sheri Farniha (California) moved to recess the General Forum at 4:00 PM and reconvene at 9:00 PM to complete the review of proposed priorities. CARRIED.

Meeting went to recess at 4:00 PM.

President Wagner called the General Forum to order at 9:00 PM.

Discussion followed in regards to proposed priorities.

President Wagner called for a recess at 12:05 AM.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014: Session V

President Wagner called the meeting to order at 8:48 AM.

Steve Lovi, Credentials Chair, reported that there were 108 delegates in attendance and they were:

Region I: 19

Region II: 26

Region III: 22

Region IV: 14

Affiliates: 27

President Wagner expressed his appreciation to the delegates for their cooperation during a late night discussion on priorities. Results of the top twenty priorities will be shared with the delegates at 2:45 in the afternoon.

Joshua Beckman, Appointed Board Member and Bylaws Chair, reported that there were fifteen (15) proposed amendments to the bylaws.

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #1

Article and Section: Throughout the document

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: his/her

Proposed Amendment: removal of his/her throughout the document

Rationale: Remove the use of any gender pronouns to ensure the bylaws reflect all individuals

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee supports this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors supports this motion.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters supports this motion.

Fiscal Impact: none

CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #2

Article and Section: 6.01

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: The standing committees of the Association shall be the Development, Finance, Governance, Membership, and Public Policy Committees. The President shall appoint the chair of each standing committee, other than the Finance Committee.

Proposed Amendment: The standing committees of the Association shall be the Finance, Governance, Outreach and Public Policy Committees. The President shall appoint the chair of each standing committee, other than the Finance Committee.

Rationale: Over the past several years, the membership and development committees focused on outreach in the community. At this point, given the need to reduce the large number of Board committees and improve efficiency, the Board determined it more practical to merge the membership and development committees into a single standing committee to be titled the Outreach Committee. This new Outreach Committee will focus on ensuring the most effective ways to disseminate information and publicity about the NAD to the community, and thereby increase awareness about the work of the NAD.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee supports this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors supports this motion.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters supports this motion.

Fiscal Impact: none

CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #3

Article and Section: 6.03

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: 6.03

Proposed Amendment: 6.03. Committee Responsibilities

Rationale: The current section did not have a title; therefore a title is added for clarification.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee supports this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors supports this motion.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters supports this motion.

Fiscal Impact: none

CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #4

Article and Section: 3.01(d)

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: Professional Organizations. The Association, within its corporate structure and criteria, shall allow for the formation of Professional Organizations consistent with the overall aims of the Association.

Proposed Amendment: Deletion of paragraph

Rationale: Currently there is no clear definition of professional organizations within the association. There are no professional organizations existing at this time. Instead, we currently have organizational affiliates in the Bylaws.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee supports this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors supports this motion.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters supports this motion.

Fiscal Impact: none

CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #5

Article and Section: 5.01(e)(4)

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: Professional Organizational Representatives. The Council of Representatives shall include one (1) delegate from each Professional Organization of the Association.

Proposed Amendment: Deletion of this paragraph

Rationale: In correlation with the proposal on 3.01(d), if that is deleted, then this needs to be deleted for consistency. There are no professional organizations existing at this time. Instead, we currently have organizational affiliates in the Bylaws.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee supports this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors supports this motion.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters supports this motion.

Fiscal Impact: none

CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #6

Article and Section: 3.01(f)(4)

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: Professional Organizations. The governing body for Professional Organizations shall determine required membership fees.

Proposed Amendment: Deletion of this paragraph

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee supports this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors supports this motion.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters supports this motion.

Fiscal Impact: none

CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #7

Article and Section: 5.01(e)(6)

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: Order of Georges and Georgettes Representatives. Twenty five (25) or more members of the Order of Georges and Georgettes attending the biennial national conference may organize themselves for the purpose of electing one (1) or more delegates to the Council of Representatives in the same proportion as State Association Affiliates.

Proposed Amendment: Twenty five (25) or more members of the Order of Georges and Georgettes (OGG) attending the biennial national conference may organize themselves for the purpose of electing delegates to the Council of Representatives. The number of delegates elected to attend the Council of Representatives shall be based on the number of all NAD members qualifying to be part of the Order of Georges and Georgettes, in essence all individuals (not only those present at the Conference) who have been members of the NAD for at least three years. On that basis, the number of OGG delegates shall be based on the same proportion as the number of delegates for State Associations and Non-Profit Organizational Affiliates.

Rationale: The Order of Georges and Georgettes is considered to include all individuals who have been members of the NAD for at least three years, and the number of such members should be adequately represented in the same proportion as State Association and Nonprofit Organization Affiliates.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee supports this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors supports this motion.

Headquarters Input: No recommendation.

Fiscal Impact: none

CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #8

Article and Section: 3.02(a)(3)

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: Honorary Members. Honorary membership status shall be conferred by biennial national conference resolution or by the Board of Directors to individuals in recognition of distinguished service to the Association. Honorary members are not eligible to vote or hold office.

Proposed Amendment: Honorary Members. Honorary membership status shall be conferred by biennial national conference resolution or by the Board of Directors to individuals in recognition of distinguished service to the Association. Honorary members are not eligible to vote, unless such individuals are also NAD members in good standing who is chosen as a delegate at the biennial conference. Honorary members are not eligible to hold office, unless such individuals are NAD members in good standing.

Rationale: Under the current provision, an individual who is conferred Honorary Membership is barred from voting as a delegate at the COR or from holding office on the NAD Board. Their receipt of honorary membership should not prevent them if they wish to continue to be involved with the NAD as a delegate or as a Board member.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee supports this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors supports this motion.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters supports this motion.

Fiscal Impact: none

CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #9

Article and Section: 4.02

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Association shall be elected by ballot at the biennial national conference. No person shall be eligible to hold office who has not been a member of both the Association and his/her State Association Affiliate for two years immediately preceding the election.

Proposed Amendment: The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Association shall be elected by ballot at the biennial national conference. No person shall be eligible to hold office who has not been, for two years immediately preceding the election, a member of the Association as well as a member of a State Association Affiliate and/or member-based Non-Profit Organizational Affiliate.

Rationale: Consistency with article/section 4.05 candidacy requirements.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee supports this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors supports this motion.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters supports this motion.

Fiscal Impact: none

CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #10

Article and Section: 4.03

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: Regional Board Members shall be elected by ballot by delegates of their respective regions at the biennial national conference. No person shall be eligible to hold office who has not been a member of both the Association and his/her State Association for the two years immediately preceding the election. The United States shall be divided into four (4) geographical regions, and each region shall be represented by two (2) Regional Board Members, one of which is elected two (2) years apart from the other:

Proposed Amendment: Regional Board Members shall be elected by ballot by delegates of their respective regions at the biennial national conference. No person shall be eligible to hold office who has not been, for the two years immediately preceding the election, a member of the Association as well as a member of a State Association and/or member-based Non-Profit Organizational Affiliate. The United States shall be divided into four (4) geographical regions, and each region shall be represented by two (2) Regional Board Members, one of which is elected two (2) years apart from the other:

Rationale: Consistency with article/section 4.05 candidacy requirements.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee supports this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors supports this motion.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters supports this motion.

Fiscal Impact: none

CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #11

Article and Section: 4.04

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: The Board of Directors may select up to two (2) Appointed Board members for special expertise. Consideration shall be given to ensuring diversity balance for the Board as whole.

Proposed Amendment: The Board of Directors may select up to two (2) Appointed Board members for special expertise. Consideration shall be given to ensuring diversity balance for the Board as whole. Appointed Board members must be a member of the Association during the term of service.

Rationale: There is no requirement that states they must be a NAD member for the duration of their term as a Board member.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee supports this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors supports this motion.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters supports this motion.

Fiscal Impact: none

CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #12

Author: Steven Gagnon on behalf of DHHIG

Article and Section: § 4.14

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: § 4.14 Conflict of Interest. No member with a personal or financial interest of a material nature in the affairs of the Association shall be eligible to serve on the Board of Directors of the Association.

Proposed Amendment: § 4.14 Conflict of Interest. All persons either elected or appointed to an office (including but not limited to any Board or Committee members), prior to acceptance and during tenure of that position, shall consider each item of business, where they have a vote or decision authority, to determine if a real or perceived conflict exists with the interests of the Organization. A conflict of interest is defined as any situation in which a member’s decisions or votes could substantially and directly affect the member’s professional, personal, financial or business interests. In the event that a person nominated for or holding an office finds themselves in such a position, the member shall promptly disclose the conflict of interest to the Board of Directors and recuse themselves at any Board or committee meeting from any deliberations or vote on the matter-giving rise to the conflict of interest. A copy of the disclosure statement shall be reviewed by the Governance Committee.

Rationale: The original statement is misleading and leaves a lot of people interpreting the wording in the sentence. Technically, it clearly states that if any of the board members have any kind of conflict of interest- they are not ALLOWED to serve period. and the word “Affairs” is very broad as it includes all organization activities such as financials, accounting, sponsorship, etc etc… There is no but or any exceptions in that section…. it clearly states- any COI- you are out. The amended COI will provide the board flexibility to recuse themselves on each item of business rather than making it a blanket and forcing people out.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee supports this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors believes the original language prevents any Board members from having any personal business with the NAD itself. All Board members must complete and sign a COI disclosure statement at Board meetings. However, the NAD Board of Directors supports this motion for clarification purposes.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters agrees with the Board of Directors and supports this motion for clarification purposes.

Fiscal Impact: none

CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #13

Author: Charm L. Smith on behalf of MDAD

Article and Section: 4.05

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: There shall be no nominations from the floor.

Proposed Amendment: There shall be no nominations from the floor except in cases where there are not more than one (1) candidate running for the Elected Officers at the time of deadline in which nominations from the floor shall then be accepted.

Rationale: In recent elections, there were several elections for officers that did not have more than 1 candidate running in spite of several possible nominations on the floor which would improve the quality of elected officers. Contested officer elections create stronger organizations therefore it is necessary to consider alternatives where nominations on the floor shall be accepted only in cases where there’s not more than one candidate running for one of the Elected Officer positions.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee recommends this motion be referred to the NAD Governance Committee

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors recommends this motion be referred to the NAD Governance Committee

Headquarters Input: No recommendation

Fiscal Impact: none

MOTION FOR AMENDMENT: Ben Hollingsworth (Alabama) moved to change “elected officers” to “elected offices” CARRIED

REVISED MOTION: CARRIED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #14

Author: Charm L. Smith on behalf of MDAD

Article and Section: 3.01 (C)(1)

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: (1) Non-Profit Affiliates. Three (3) subcategories of Non-Profit Affiliate membership shall be available to bona fide national, state, and local non-profit entities with a mission or interest in furthering the welfare of deaf and hard of hearing people.

Proposed Amendment: (1) Non-Profit Affiliates. Three (3) subcategories of Non-Profit Affiliate membership shall be available to bona fide national and state non-profit entities with a mission or interest in furthering the welfare of deaf and hard of hearing people. Local non-profit entities shall be allowed providing its mission is completely different than the state association that the local entities exist within or where there’s no active state association in which a local entity has replaced the function of a state association.

Rationale: This will solidify the role state associations have in serving the individuals in their respective states. By allowing local organizations to affiliate themselves directly to NAD, it creates a scenario where state associations can be devalued and bypassed thus leading to decline in number of state associations.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee does not support this motion.

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors does not support this motion.

Headquarters Input: The NAD Headquarters expresses concern with respect to who has the responsibility and obligation to assess the difference in missions between the local entity seeking to become an affiliate and the state association, and does not support this motion.

Fiscal Impact: Denial of affiliations to local entities may reduce revenues to the NAD and thereby cause an increase in state association and organizational affiliate dues.

MOTION TO AMEND: Jay Innes (Delaware) move to change the word “completely” to “sufficiently” FAILED

MOTION TO REFER: Lisa Furr (Arizona) move to the NAD Board for further study FAILED

MOTION TO AMEND: Elke Weinbrenner (Illinois) move to change ”sufficiently” to “meet criteria” FAILED

MOTION TO TABLE: Chad Ludwig (Oregon) move to table the motion FAILED

MOTION FOR REFER: Ben Hollingsworth (Alabama) move to refer this proposal to the Bylaws Committee FAILED

MOTION TO RECESS: Sheri Farinha (California) move to take 15 minute recess FAILED

MOTION TO SUSPEND: Sean Gerlis (New York) move to suspend the standing rules FAILED

BYLAW AMENDMENT MOTION FAILED

Bylaws Amendment Proposal #15

Author: Charm L. Smith on behalf of MDAD

Article and Section: 4

Section Exactly as Worded in 2012 Bylaws: NONE

Proposed Amendment: Any member of the Board of Directors shall not serve on another national organization or state association during NAD Board term.

Rationale: Less monopoly, gives others an opportunity to get involved with SA, conflict of interest/roles.

Bylaws Committee Input: The NAD Bylaws Committee recommend this motion be referred to the NAD Governance Committee

Board of Directors Input: The NAD Board of Directors recommend this motion be referred to the NAD Governance Committee

Headquarters Input: No recommendation

Fiscal Impact: none

FAILED

Motion: Bobbie Beth Scoggins (Texas) moved to adopt and ratify the entire bylaws discussed and carried today. CARRIED

President Wagner, on behalf of the NAD Board and Bylaws Committee expressed his appreciation for the hard work the delegates have done to complete this process.

President Wagner called for a recess at 11:30 AM.

President Wagner called the meeting to order at 1:30 PM with several announcements including the Community Forum and Drag Bingo to be held that evening.

President Wagner welcomed the Elections Committee, Larry Evans, Region III Representative and Chair, Jenny Buechner, Region II Representative and Co-Chair, and Bobbie Beth Scoggins, Past President to explain the process and introduce the candidates. President Wagner noted that Past President Scoggins has excused herself as a delegate during the elections.

Larry Evans explained the election process, including the recruitment activities. Credentialing process and the candidate requirements. He explained that due to Region IV vacancy, the deadline was extended to June 30^th (first day of Council of Representatives).

Yes Serious (Washington) move to suspend the Bylaws specifically related to the requirements of Regional Representatives two-year NAD and State Association membership.

President Wagner called for the credential report prior to any voting.

Steve Lovi, Credentials Chair, reported that there were 117 delegates in attendance and they were:

Region I: 23

Region II: 22

Region III: 24

Region IV: 19

Affiliates: 29

President Wagner delegated the floor to Past President Scoggins due to a potential conflict of interest as a candidate.

MOTION TO SUSPEND BYLAWS: FAILED

The officer candidates for office are:

Christopher Wagner (Florida) for President 2014-2016

Melissa Draganac-Hawk (Pennsylvania) for Vice President 2014-2016

Kirsten Poston (Maryland) and Joshua Beckman (New Jersey) for Secretary 2014-2016

Philippe Montalette (Utah) for Treasurer 2014-2016

Each officer candidate made presentations to the delegates. Regional Representative candidates will make their presentations at the Regional Caucus at 4:45 PM. The candidates are:

Michelle Cline (New Jersey) for Region I 2014-2018

Richard McCowin (Nebraska) for Region II 2014-2018

Gerald “Jerry” Nelson (Florida) for Region III 2014-2018

Gregg Brooks (California) for Region IV 2014-2018

President Wagner called for a 15-minute recess.

Discussion followed in regards to the top 20 priorities to be voted for the top 5 priorities the next day.

Motion: Alyce Reynolds (California) moved to change the standing rules from three minutes each to one minute each. CARRIED

Motion: Charleen Sculley (Indiana) move to select four secretaries – one from each region to keep record of daily minutes during the conference to assist the NAD secretary.

Motion to Amend: Jacob Leffler (Maryland) move to add Affiliates to the motion. CARRIED

FINAL MOTION: Carried.

Motion: Sean Gerlis (New York) move the Steering Committee to remove the tally numbers from the ballot. CARRIED

Due to time and space availability, President Wagner requested for the delegates to convene discussion through the Regional Caucus on the top 20 priorities. President Wagner called for a recess at 4:15 PM.

Thursday, July 3: Session VI

President Wagner called the meeting to order at 8:45 AM. He expressed sincere appreciation to all the delegates for their participation in the process over the past few days, noting that this is the last day of the Council of Representatives.

Steve Lovi, Credentials Chair, reported that there were 106 delegates and they were as follows:

Region I: 17

Region II: 23

Region III: 22

Region IV: 15

Affiliates: 29

President Wagner introduced Tawny Holmes who was very active in implementing conference student pages through Junior NAD as part of a pilot project. Credit goes to Bridget Borne Firl for coming up with the idea. Holmes then introduced the student pages. They are Wendy Brehm, Gideon Firl, Vada Casorta, Franklin Stewart, Jomar Figueroa, Gabriel Veit, and Ammanuel Perrodin-Njoku.

Tawny Holmes recognized Florida Association of the Deaf for supporting the effort to send Jr. NAD members and for providing shirts. Special recognition went to Martin Price, Jr. NAD Advisor for Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.

President Wagner requested for the Council of Representatives to consider the top five priorities. Margie English, Region I Representative and Steering Committee Co-Chair explained the merged motions and the process to select the final five priorities.

Motion: Patty Hughes (California) move to change the order of the Council of Representatives agenda to allow the elections to proceed in the morning and the vote for priorities in the afternoon. CARRIED

Motion: Paul Robertson (Tennessee) move to recess for five minutes. CARRIED

The meeting went into recess at 9:05 AM.

President Wagner called the meeting to order at 9:17 AM.

Motion: Lisa Furr (Arizona) move to suspend the Council of Representatives agenda to move to Regional Caucuses to discuss the priorities. FAILED

Larry Evans, Region III Representative and Elections Chair, provided the report from the Elections Reform Committee, which Jack Cooper (Kansas) chaired, along with Joshua Beckman (New Jersey), Michelle Cline (New Jersey), Erin Esposito (New York), Bryan Leeper (Utah) and Ron Sutcliffe (Maryland). Michael Berger and Steve Lovi served as Board Liaisons. The Committee reviewed the recommendations from 2012 Conference. Larry Evans thanked the committee for their hard work and then explained the process for electing officers and Regional Representatives.

Past President Bobbie Beth Scoggins began the election, starting with the Office of the President.

Jay Innes (Delaware) moved for Chris Wagner (Florida) as President by acclamation. CARRIED

Ann Cooper (Kansas) moved for Melissa Draganac-Hawk (Pennsylvania) as Vice President by acclamation. CARRIED

Ballots were issued to delegates for the election of Secretary. Joshua Beckman (New Jersey) was elected as Secretary.

Dan Hoffman (Utah) moved for Philippe Montalette (Utah) as Treasurer by acclamation. CARRIED

Sean Gerlis (New York) moved for Michelle Cline (New Jersey) as Region I Representative by acclamation. CARRIED

Charleen Sculley (Indiana) moved for Richard McCowin (Nebraska) as Region II Representative by acclamation. CARRIED

Seth Snow (Florida) moved for Gerald “Jerry” Nelson (Florida) as Region III Representative by acclamation. CARRIED

Chad Ludwig (Oregon) moved for no contest for Region IV. CARRIED

The oath of office will be conducted at the July 4^th event. President Wagner thanked the Elections Committee for their work.

Motion: Mark Koterwski (South Dakota) move to recess for five minutes. CARRIED

President Wagner called the meeting to order at 10:47 AM.

Dawn Whitcher, RID President shared with the delegates RID’s support in collaboration of mutual values related to interpreting issues.

Motion: Lissette Molina Wood (Florida) move that 2014-GA-PUB-049 – Mental Health Services; 2014-GA-PUB-051 – Youth; and 2014-GA-PUB-050 – Education be the three of top five priorities. CARRIED

Motion to Amend: Nancy Hlibok Amann move that 2014-GA-PUB-046 – Continuation of Language Deprivation be incorporated in the three top priorities (049, 051, 050). CARRIED

Motion: Alfred “Sonny” Sonnestrahl move that 2014-GA-PUB-048 – Video Remote Interpreting be referred to the NAD-RID Task Force. CARRIED

Motion: Jeffrey Yockery (Pennsylvania) move for 2014-GA-PUB-053 – Interpreting (VRI Toolkit, VRI Licensure, K-12 Interpreter Licensure) be referred to the NAD-RID Task Force, with the expectation of the Board to provide a report. CARRIED

Motion: Kelby Brick (Maryland) move that we accept 2014-GA-PUB-021 – Preservation and Advocacy of Relay Services (PARS) as the fourth priority. CARRIED

Motion: Dana Hughes (Tennessee) move to strike out Paragraph two from the motion 2014-GA-PUB-021 – Preservation and Advocacy of Relay Services (PARS) FAILED

Motion: Sean Gerlis (New York) move that we accept 2014-GA-PUB-022 – Lead the Establishment of a State-Run Commission of Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services Task Force for a one-stop Advocacy Center in every state. FAILED

Motion: Jacob Leffler (Maryland) move to suspend the Standing Rules and allow for two additional priorities to a total of seven final priorities. FAILED

Motion: Jennifer Pfau (Colorado) move that we accept 2014-GA-GOV-047 – NAD Communications: Implement Defined Communication Objectives. FAILED

Motion: Crystal Kelly Schwartz (Illinois) move that the delegates no accept any more motions on the floor until they have had the opportunity to review the remaining motions. CARRIED

Motion: Roz Rosen (California) move that the delegates vote by paper ballot for the final priority. CARRIED

Action on Resolutions was discussed as follows:

Title: Board Appointed Affiliate Representative
Code: 2014-GA-RES-001
Whereas, the NAD Board of Directors shall appoint a board member who will serve as an affiliate representative for NAD’s Affiliate Organizations.

CARRIED

Title: An Open Letter to NAD
Code: 2014-GA-RES-002
Whereas, NAD shall establish a standing committee for the purpose of setting house rules for business meetings during biennial conferences.

CARRIED

Title: Bring Leadership Training Program Back to California State University, Northridge (CSUN)
Code: 2014-GA-RES-003
Whereas, there is a dire need for leadership in educational and community programs in the USA;

Whereas, CSUN is working on reviving NLTOP in 2015;

Resolved, that the NAD supports and commends CSUN.

CARRIED

Title: Recognition of Outgoing NAD Board Members
Code: 2014-GA-RES-004
Whereas, several members of the NAD Board of Directors have completed their board service;
Whereas, Margie Alma English has served as Region I Board Representative for the past four years;
Whereas, Christopher M. Patterson has served as Region III Board Representative for the past four years;
Whereas, Julie Rems Smario has served as Region IV Board Member for the past four years;
Whereas, Kirsten Poston has served as Appointed Board Member and as Secretary for the past six years;
Whereas, Michael Berger has served as Region II Board Representatives from 2008 to 2013;
Resolved, that the Board of Directors, along with the members of the NAD community expresses their sincere appreciation and recognition to the outgoing board members for their dedication, perseverance and loyalty to the NAD.

CARRIED

Official 2014-2016 priorities were announced as follows:

Priority Code: 2014-GA-PUB-021
2014-2016 Priority: Preservation and Advocacy of Relay Service
The NAD must undertake the following steps for the purpose of preserving Relay services:
1) Strenuously object to the FCC’s destruction of the IP Relay marketplace and the FCC’s ongoing attacks against VRS including producing a white paper by December 31, 2014 arguing that the Commission’s TRS orders last year all threaten to curtail innovation and that the FCC is ignoring the pursuit of functional equivalence. (Produce White Paper)
2) Take every possible step to obstruct and prevent FCC’s attempts to enact the Neutral Platform, including taking legal action. The NAD should identify the Neutral Platform for what it really is–a Government takeover of the competitive marketplace and thus the NAD should, from now on, re-label the neutral platform as the “Government Controlled Platform (GCP).” In the meantime, the NAD should continue to support and push for the reference platform, which will go a long way to addressing the various interoperability issues that bedevil the VRS industry. (Stop GCP)
3) Argue that the continuing cuts in Reimbursement Rates for IP Relay and VRS serves only to further undermine the ADA’s functional equivalence mandate by harming the industry’s ability to innovate by creating new technology and features and its ability to provide quality CA service. The NAD must demand that the FCC bring rates back up to ensure quality and technology including undertaking legal action if necessary (Restore Rates)
4) Take every possible step including, but not limited to legal action to demand that the FCC approve:
a) skills-based routing,
b) the approval of hearing signers to receive videophone numbers
c) and the expense of CDIs in VRS settings as an exogenous cost beyond the normal reimbursement rates. (Quality and Access)
5) Demand that the Congress and the FCC celebrate VRS as the biggest accomplishment of ADA and by doing so, call for Congressional attention on the FCC’s attack on the civil rights of Deaf and hard of hearing Americans as outlined above. The NAD should do so by asking for Congressional hearings and mobilizing grassroots activism by having members contact Congress and the FCC on all of the above issues. (Congressional Action)

Vision 2020: Objective 2.3

Priority Code: 2014-GA-PUB-033
2014-2016 Priority: FEMA Communication to Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Mandate that FEMA develop policies to assure that all Deaf and Hard of Hearing citizens know exactly everything that is being communicated during all emergency broadcasts and briefings. FEMA will assure that there is a certified live interpreter and closed captions that mirror what is spoken.

Vision 2020: Objective 3.2

Priority Code: 2014-GA-PUB-049
2014-2016 Priority: Preservation of Mental Health Services that Meet the Needs of Deaf People
Increasing Educational Opportunities to become Mental Health Counselors and create a Position Statement on the Impact of Managed Care on the future of Mental Health Services to the Deaf. The Mental Health section under the Public Policy committee will be tasked with two goals:

Develop a position statement on Managed Care in Mental Health, which recommends specific minimum guarantees and guidelines in what support (access-based) Managed Care Entities will give Deaf people in need of Mental Health or Behavioral Health services.
To establish a dialogue with higher education institutions along with federal entities for the purpose of expanding existing educational programs for developing Mental Health counselors with the intent of increasing the number of Deaf individuals becoming mental health counselors. Also include a discussion on possible funding streams for such programs, both existing and new, including stipends.

Vision 2020: Objective 1.3, 2.3, and 3.2

Priority Code: 2014-GA-PUB-050
2014-2016 Priority: Defining and Supporting the Education Strategy Team’s Focus for 2014-2016
We move that the Education Strategy Team (EST) develop a strategy for keeping Deaf schools from closing, and focus on outreach to mainstreamed programs with emphasis on socio-emotional needs and language access; employment and participation of Deaf people at all levels of education; collaboration with national organizations on diversity issues in education; updating the model Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights with ASL-English Bilingualism; collaborating with Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) to provide support to state efforts to promote kindergarten-ready legislation; supporting the development of parent advocacy groups under State Association; and establishing a clearinghouse for information on successful Deaf schools. The EST will collaborate with other NAD Committees and external organizations as recommended and as appropriate.

Vision 2020: Objective 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, and 3.4

Priority Code: 2014-GA-PUB-051
2014-2016 Priority: Outreach to Deaf Youth including Mainstream School Students

Vision 2020: Objective 3.2 and 4.2

President Wagner shared the Board’s gratitude to the interpreters and Georgia Association of the Deaf (GAD) for their hard work and dedication to the conference.

President Wagner shared that President Emeritus Gertie Galloway has entered into the hospice. She left a message for all the members that she is ready to take on a new journey and that she loved everyone.

The fifth priority will be announced at the Regional Caucus once the ballots are counted.

President Wagner adjourned the Council of Representatives meeting at 3:57 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Kirsten H. Poston

Secretary

Proposed Priorities

Submitting a Proposed Priority

Submit a proposed priority prior to the Conference (deadline May 22, 2016).

Any individual member/delegate (an individual must make the motion, and can be done on behalf of a State Association or Organizational Affiliate, but cannot be done solely from a State Association or Organizational Affiliate) may submit a proposed priority, by doing the following:
1. Review official conference priorities first, to make sure what you want to submit has not already been submitted. The links below shows you the previous submitted priorities sent to NAD for the past 4 conferences.

2008 – https://nad.org/about-us/priorities/2008-conference-priorities

2010 – https://nad.org/about-us/priorities/2010-conference-priorities

2012 – https://nad.org/about-us/priorities/2012-conference-priorities

2014 – http://new.nad.org/atlanta/proposed-priorities

Submission is only done online.
You may submit a proposed priority via video. You may use any video format (link) to upload to the online proposed priority form.
Make sure that the wording/language and intent is specific and to the

Include: who, what, when, why, and how. Make sure to include financial impact/cost wording.

Have someone second your proposed priority so it can be acted upo
Complete form online and submit it online. If you have any questions, contact [email protected].
Below is a description of priority codes explained:

2016-AZ-XXX-XXX

Numerical order within Forum or COR Code:

DEV: Development

GOV: Governance

MEM: Membership

FIN: Finance

PUB: Public Policy

The Author

As a proposal author, you should:

Have all facts and figures on hand and be prepared to support your proposa
Be prepared to answer questions, and give reasons why you think the proposal is needed and should receive priority
Monitor your proposal as it moves through the conference process (if you will not be at the conference, find someone who is going, who is willing to track your motion and give it support).

Motion Writing Guidelines

These guidelines provide the basics on how to write a successful motion for proposed 2016-2018 priorities, which will be presented to and voted upon by official delegates at the 53^rd Biennial NAD Conference.

Also, you are responsible for making sure your Priority Proposal Form is worded so that proposal is clear, concise, and complete before you send in your submission. Deadline is May 22, 2016. Late or incomplete proposals will not be accepted.

Proposal Format

Each motion for a proposed priority has four parts:

Title
Priority
Rationale
Fiscal impact

Title

Describe in a few words the focus of your proposed
Make sure the title matches the intent (purpose) of the proposed priority being

Priority

Write the text of the proposed priority as a statement (clear, straightforward, and specific focus).
Make sure the proposal can easily be understood and replied to with a vote of, Yes, I am in favor of this proposed priority, or, No, I am opposed to this proposed
Do research in advance on your Was this addressed by the NAD in the past, or is this something the NAD is already doing? Is your proposal nationally significant? Is it forward-looking?

(Check online documents, as well as those listed under 2014 NAD Conference business)

Very important: Keep the focus of your proposed priority simple and to the point; do not combine multiple ideas or concepts in a single

Rationale

Clearly explain the rationale, that is, briefly state the reason why you believe your proposal is worth considering as a top priority for the
For instance, why is your proposal of national significance? How will it impact the entire nation?

Fiscal Impact

Clearly explain the fiscal impact for the proposed priority (how much would it cost the NAD, where the funds would come from, and how your proposal would be carried out).
For instance, do you think membership fees should be increased to pay for your proposed motion?*
Summary

Keep in mind the three Cs for successful priority proposal writing: Make sure your proposal is clear, concise, and complete.

Sample Priority Proposal

Title:

Red T-Shirts for Delegates

Proposed Priority:

Require all NAD delegates to wear red t-shirts to the Council of Representatives (both days) at the 2016 NAD Conference.

Rationale:

This will make NAD delegates easy to identify during Council of Representatives meetings and make voting easier to tally.

Fiscal Impact:

The NAD would purchase a stock of red t-shirts (at an estimated cost of $10 each, with two (2) t-shirts per person in various sizes. The t-shirts would be sold to delegates at the start of the 2016 NAD Conference. Delegates would pay $20 to the NAD for these t-shirts. Estimated total cost for 125 delegates: $2,500. Cost to NAD: $0 (except staff time for ordering, shipment, and distribution).

Conference Motions and Proposed Priorities

Conference Motions and Proposed Priorities

Proposed Priorities will not be accepted on the floor at the Council of Representatives.
Most of the business conducted during Council of Representatives meetings is conducted through a proposed priority process that involves receipt of the top ranked proposed priorities from the General

The only other motions that may be proposed by COR delegates shall deal with Bylaws, Finances, or

All motions and proposed priorities that are carried by COR delegates are All other motions or priorities that are not passed shall die.

Submitting a COR Motion

Again, the only new motions that may be put forth by COR delegates shall deal with Bylaws, Finances, or Resolutions.

Note: New motions that deal with Bylaws amendments shall apply only for 2016 conference bylaws consideration because the official deadline for 2016 Bylaws amendments has

The Steering Committee
- The President shall appoint the Chair of the Biennial national conference Steering

The Steering Committee shall receive numbered motions / proposed priorities from the Chair, making necessary edits to wording of the motions / proposed priorities for clarity, and prepare Microsoft Word or PowerPoint files for presentation to delegates for COR action; and

Keep the President continually informed on motion status and/or recommendation for the entire duration of the COR

Priority Proposals

53rd Biennial NAD Conference

Priority proposals can be submitted online at http://phoenix.nad.org/get-involved-conference/how-to-propose-a-priority/ for 2016 NAD Conference consideration. Authors must be a member of the NAD in good standing, and can submit multiple proposals, however each proposal must be submitted separately.

Proposals must be submitted by May 22, 2016. Incomplete or late proposals will not be accepted.

2016 Proposed Priorities

The following proposed priorities for 2016-2018 consideration were submitted by individual members and affiliate organizations of the NAD. These are organized by assignment to the five categories that correspond with existing standing committees to aid with deliberations during the General Forum and then the Council of Representatives.

NAD members and delegates will vote on the top 20 proposed priorities during the General Forum. The resultant 20 proposed priorities will be sent to the Council of Representatives. Delegates to the Council of Representatives will then select the top 5 proposals, which will then become the official priorities of the NAD for the next two years.

The NAD Steering Committee reserves the right to edit, revise or modify conference proposals received if they do not meet the priority proposal guidelines.

Note: Financial impact statements and/or analyses are provided by proposal makers and not the NAD. A decision has been made NOT to combine similar motions, but the Board/HQ comments section of each proposal makes note of similar proposals.

Proposed Priorities will be updated and available online 30 days prior to the conference.

DEVELOPMENT

GOVERNANCE

MEMBERSHIP

FINANCE

PUBLIC POLICY

Resolutions

Proposed resolutions will be updated and available online 30 days prior to the conference.

Bylaws

BYLAWS

National Association of the Deaf

As approved at the
2014 Biennial NAD Conference
Atlanta, Georgia

Article I. Name

1. Name.

The name of the organization shall be the National Association of the Deaf, hereafter referred to as the Association.

Article II. Object

1. Object.

The object of the Association shall be to preserve, protect, and promote the civil, human and linguistic rights of deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America.

2. Membership.

The Association shall be a federation of State Association and Organizational Affiliates of, by, and for deaf and hard of hearing people in working towards its objectives. The Association shall also offer categories of membership.

3. Relationship.

The Association shall work with its State Association and Organizational Affiliates through their designated representatives. The Association shall render assistance upon request, as appropriate, to State Association and Organizational Affiliates.

Article III. Membership

III. 1. Organizational Membership.

III. 1. 1. State Association Affiliates.

One (1) State Association Affiliate per state, with twenty (20) or more members, shall be recognized. The District of Columbia and the American territorial entities shall be considered states under this category.

III. 1. 2. College Student Affiliates.

Twenty (20) or more student members of a post-secondary educational program may organize for the purpose of forming a NAD College Student Affiliate.

III. 1. 3. Organizational Affiliates.

There shall be three (categories of organizational membership: non-profit, for profit, and government affiliates.

III. 1. 3. i. Non-Profit Affiliates.

Three (3) subcategories of Non-Profit Affiliate membership shall be available to bona fide national entities with a mission or interest in furthering the welfare of deaf and hard of hearing people.

III. 1. 3. ii. For-Profit Affiliates.

Two (2) subcategories of For-Profit Affiliate membership shall be available to national and state for-profit entities with a mission or interest in furthering the welfare of deaf and hard of hearing people.

III. 1. 3. iii. Government Affiliates.

Government Affiliate membership shall be available to federal, state, and local governmental entities with a mission or interest in furthering the welfare of deaf and hard of hearing people.

III. 1. 4. Sections.

The Association shall, within its corporate structure and criteria, allow for the formation of Sections to focus on specific areas of interest consistent with the overall aims of the Association.

III. 1. 5. Organizational Membership Fees.

III. 1. 5. i. State Association Affiliates.

Required organizational membership fees for State Association Affiliates shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Association.

III. 1. 5. ii. College Student Affiliates.

Required organizational membership fees for College Student Affiliates shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Association.

III. 1. 5. iii. Organizational Affiliates.
Required organizational membership fees for Organizational Affiliates, either as a whole or by category, shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Association.

III. 1. 5. v. Sections.

Required organizational membership fees for Sections shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Association.

III. 1. 5. vi. Junior NAD Chapters.

Required chapter membership fees for Junior NAD Chapters shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Association.

III. 2. Individual Membership.

III. 2. 1. Regular Members.

Regular membership status in the Association shall be conferred to residents of the United States, upon payment of annual dues.

III. 2. 1. i. Senior Members.

Senior citizen membership status shall be conferred to individuals at the age of 60 and beyond, upon payment of annual dues.

III. 2. 1. ii. Youth Members.

Youth membership status shall be conferred to individuals aged 18 to 30 years upon payment of annual dues.

III. 2. 1. iii. Honorary Members.

Honorary membership status shall be conferred by biennial national conference resolution or by the Board of Directors to individuals in recognition of distinguished service to the Association. Honorary members are not eligible to vote, unless such individuals are also NAD members in good standing who is chosen as a delegate at the biennial conference. Honorary members are not eligible to hold office, unless such individuals are NAD members in good standing.

III. 2. 1. iv. Order of Georges and Georgettes.

Order of Georges and Georgettes status shall be conferred to individual members who maintain their membership for at least three (3) consecutive years.

III. 2. 2. International Members.

International membership status shall be conferred to individuals who do not reside in the United States, upon payment of annual dues. International members shall not vote or hold office.

III. 2. 3. Individual Membership Fees.

Required individual membership fees for Regular, Senior, Youth, and International members shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Association.

ARTICLE IV. Board of Directors

1. Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors of the Association shall be comprised of the following: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and eight (8) Regional Board Members. In addition, the Board shall appoint up to two (2) Appointed Board Members.

2. Elected Officers.
The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Association shall be elected by ballot at the biennial national conference. No person shall be eligible to hold office who has not been for two years immediately preceding the election, a member of the Association as well as a member of a State Association Affiliate and/or member-based Non-Profit Organizational Affiliate.
3. Elected Regional Board Members.
Regional Board Members shall be elected by ballot by delegates of their respective regions at the biennial national conference. No person shall be eligible to hold office who has not been, for the two years immediately preceding the election, a member of the Association as well as a member of a State Association and/or member-based Non-Profit Organizational Affiliate. The United States shall be divided into four (4) geographical regions, and each region shall be represented by two (2) Regional Board Members, one of which is elected two (2) years apart from the other:

3. 1. Region I.

Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

3. 2. Region II.

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

3. 3. Region III.

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgin Islands.

3. 4. Region IV.

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

4. Appointed Board Members.
The Board of Directors may select up to two (2) Appointed Board members for special expertise. Consideration shall be given to ensuring diversity balance for the Board as whole. Appointed Board Members must be member of the Association.

5. Candidacy Requirements.
The Election Committee shall receive completed candidacy forms, requisite background information, and proof of membership of a State Association and/or member-based Organizational Affiliate from prospective candidates for Officer and Regional Board Member positions no later than thirty (30) days prior to the biennial national conference to verify candidacy requirements. Names of official candidates shall be posted prior to the conference. If there are no prospects for a particular position, the Election Committee shall receive candidacy documents prior to the start of the Council of Representatives meeting. There shall be no nominations from the floor except in cases where there are not more than one (1) candidate running for the Elected Offices at the time of deadline in which nominations from the floor shall then be accepted.

6. Terms of Office.

6. 1.Elected Officers.

The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Association shall be eligible to serve for no more than three (3) consecutive two-year terms.

6. 2. Elected Regional Board Members.

Regional Board Members of the Association shall be eligible to serve for no more than two (2) consecutive four-year terms.

6. 3. Appointed Board Members.

Appointed Board Members of the Association shall be eligible to serve for no more than three (3) consecutive two-year terms.

7. Assumption of Office.
Elected Board Members shall assume their respective duties immediately after adjournment of the biennial national conference. Appointed Board Members shall assume their respective duties immediately upon accepting appointment by the Board of Directors, within 60 days after the biennial national conference.

8. Meetings.
The Board of Directors shall meet at least twice each year, or upon the request of the President or at least five (5) Board members.

9. General Duties.
The Board of Directors shall have general control of the affairs of the Association between biennial national conferences, during which time they shall consider action on conference recommendations. The Board shall undertake actions to ensure the financial health and growth of the Association. The Board shall have the power to fill Board vacancies except for the office of President as they may occur between biennial national conferences, to appropriate money from the operating fund, and to ensure that the current expenditures of the Association shall not at any time exceed the regular income for each fiscal year.

10. Duties of Board of Directors.

10. 1. President.

The President shall be the chief spokesperson for the Association and shall chair business meetings of the biennial national conference and the Board of Directors. The President, with the approval of the NAD Board, shall appoint the chair of each standing committee, other than the Finance Committee, and shall be an ex officio member of all committees.

10. 2. Vice President.

The Vice President shall serve at any time the President is unable to serve, or when the office of the President becomes vacant.

10. 3. Secretary.

The Secretary shall be responsible for the minutes of the biennial national conference and meetings of the Board of Directors.

10. 4. Treasurer.

The Treasurer shall have charge of vested funds of the Association and shall serve as chair of the Finance Committee.

10. 5. Regional Board Members.

Regional Board Members shall serve as liaison between the Board of Directors and State Associations within the region, and work with the Board of Directors as a whole.

10. 6. Appointed Board Members.

Appointed Board Members shall provide support to and work with the Board of Directors as a whole.

11. Executive Session.

The Board of Directors shall convene in executive session where circumstances warrant, i.e., when discussing matters of sensitive, personnel, or litigious nature.

12. Resignations.
Resignations must be submitted in writing to the President or the Secretary.

13. Removal from Office.
Elected and appointed Board members may be removed after due process hearing for failure to carry out their duties or for other good and sufficient reason by a two thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Directors present and voting.

14. Conflict of Interest.
All persons either elected or appointed to an office (including but not limited to any Board or Committee members), prior to acceptance and during tenure of that position, shall consider each item of business, where they have a vote or decision authority, to determine if a real or perceived conflict exists with the interests of the Organization. A conflict of interest is defined as any situation in which a member’s decisions or votes could substantially and directly affect the member’s professional, personal, financial or business interests. In the event that a person nominated for or holding an office finds himself or herself in such a position, he or she shall promptly disclose the conflict of interest to the Board of Directors and rescues himself or herself at any Board or committee meeting from any deliberations or vote on the matter giving rise to the conflict of interest. A copy of the disclosure statement shall be reviewed by the Governance Committee.

15. Compensation.
Members of the Board of Directors shall serve without receiving compensation except for standard expense reimbursement for costs incurred in discharge of duties.

16. Chief Executive Officer.
The Board of Directors shall be empowered to appoint a Chief Executive Officer to serve as the chief administrative officer of the Association. The Chief Executive Officer shall report to the President of the Association and shall serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of the Board.

17. Indemnification.
The Association shall indemnify any Board member or employee of the National Association of the Deaf against expenses actually incurred by such person in connection with the defense of any civil action, suit, or proceeding in which such person is made a party by reason of being or having been such Board member or employee and is found to be not liable. Such indemnification shall not be deemed exclusive or any other rights to which such Board member or employee may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of the Board of Directors, or otherwise.

ARTICLE V. Meetings

1. Biennial Meetings
The Association shall meet in biennial national conference during each even numbered year.

1. 1. Conference Site.

The site selection process for biennial national conferences shall be governed by the Board of Directors. Such sites shall rotate among established geographical regions.

1. 2. Call to Conference.

The President of the Board of Directors shall issue an official call to the biennial national conference at least six (6) months in advance.

1. 3. Conference Format.

The biennial national conference format and duration shall be determined by the Board of Directors at least nine (9) months in advance.

1. 4. Forums.

Individual members and organizational affiliate representatives registered at the biennial national conference shall have the opportunity to participate in and vote at Forums.

1. 5. Council of Representatives.

Delegates to the Council of Representatives shall conduct official business during the biennial national conference. The Council of Representative shall be composed of the following:

1. 5. i. State Association Representatives.

Proportionate Council of Representatives representation by State

Association Affiliates shall be determined as follows:

20-199 members—up to two (2) delegates  200-399 members—up to three (3) delegates  400-599 members—up to four (4) delegates  600-799 members—up to five (5) delegates  At least 800 members—up to six (6) delegates

1. 5. ii. College Student Affiliate Representatives.

The Council of Representatives shall include one (1) delegate from each College Student Affiliate of the Association.

1. 5. iii. Non Profit Organizational Affiliate Representatives.
The Council of Representatives shall include one (1) delegate from each bona fide local, state, and national Non Profit Organizational Affiliate of the Association, which meets eligibility criteria set forth by the Board of Directors. Further, Non-Profit Organizational Affiliates which meet eligibility criteria set forth by the Board of Directors shall have proportionate representation in the same manner as provided for State Association Representatives.

1. 5. iv. Section Representatives.

The Council of Representatives shall include one (1) delegate from each Section of the Association.

1. 5. v. Order of Georges and Georgettes Representatives.

1. 5. vi. Junior NAD Representatives.

The Council of Representatives shall include two (2) delegates from the Junior NAD.

1. 6. Regional Caucuses.

Regional caucuses may convene at will during the biennial national conference. Caucuses shall be composed of state delegates and other delegates within the respective regions.

1. 7. Privileges.

The Board of Directors and Past Presidents of the Association shall have the privileges of the Council of Representatives except voting.

2. Regional Conferences.
State Association Affiliates and Non-Profit Affiliates shall convene in respective regions during the fall months preceding the biennial national conference. State Association and eligible Non-Profit affiliates may send up to six (6) delegates each.

ARTICLE VI. Committees

1. Standing Committees.
The standing committees of the Association shall be the Finance, Governance, Outreach and Public Policy Committees. The President shall appoint the chair of each standing committee, other than the Finance Committee.

2. Ad Hoc and Special Committees.
The Board of Directors may also form ad hoc or special committees as needed, with chair of each to be appointed by the President.

3. Committee Responsibilities.
All committee chairs and members must be listed and accessible. All committees shall be required to file regular, monthly reports to the membership on the progress of that committee after reporting to the President and the Board

ARTICLE VII. Parliamentary Authority

VII. 1. Robert’s Rules of Order.
Unless otherwise provided for in these bylaws, the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be the parliamentary authority of the Association.

ARTICLE VIII. Amendments

VIII. 1. Amendments.
These bylaws may be amended by a two thirds (2/3) vote of the Council of Representatives present and voting at the biennial national conference, provided that amendments are submitted to the Law Committee sixty (60) days prior to the conference, that copies are sent to conference delegates thirty (30) days prior to the conference, and that amendments are read during the conference and acted upon immediately thereafter. Amendments may be enacted only by the Council of Representatives.

VIII. 2. Suspensions.
These bylaws may be suspended for a specific purpose by four-fifths (4/5) vote of the Council of Representatives present and voting.

ARTICLE IX. Dissolution

1. Dissolution of Assets.
In the event that the Association is dissolved, after payment of all debts and liabilities, remaining assets shall be distributed to national 501(c)(3) organizations dedicated to the well-being of deaf and hard of hearing people

Writing Bylaws Amendment Proposals

These guidelines provide the basics on how to write successful bylaws amendment proposals.

As author, you must be an individual NAD Member in good standing.

Also, you are responsible for making sure your Proposed Bylaws Amendment Form is worded so that your proposal is clear, concise, and complete before you send in your submission. Please use this form as the basis for your amendments the current Bylaws as approved by the Council of Representatives at the 2014 NAD Conference in Atlanta, GA.

Deadline: May 5, 2016. Submissions after May 5, 2016 will not be accepted

To print a copy of NAD 2014 Bylaws, please go to http://www.nad.org/about-us/bylaws.

Bylaws Amendment Format

Each proposed amendment has four parts:

Article and Section
Section Exactly As Worded
Proposed Bylaws Amendment
Rationale Article and Section
Specify which 2014 NAD Bylaws article and section, including the number and title, that you wish to

Section as Exactly Worded

Insert the 2014 Bylaws section that you wish to amend – that is, insert the current text of the section as it is exactly worde

Proposed Bylaws Amendment

Write your proposed bylaws amendment (clear, straightforward, and specific focus), explaining what you wish to add, delete, or substitute. See examples be

Make sure the proposal can easily be understood and replied to with a vote of, “Yes, I am in favor of this amendment,” or, “No, I am opposed to this amendment.”

Do research in advance on your proposal. Was this addressed by the NAD in the past, or is this something the NAD is already doing? Is your proposal forward-looking? (Check online documents, e.g., NAD Bylaws, 2014 NAD Priorities, as well as those listed under 2014 NAD Conference business).

Rationale

Clearly explain the rationale for your proposed amendment – that is, briefly state the reason why you believe your proposal is worth
For instance, why is your proposal of organizational significance? How will it impact or improve the NAD infrastructure including its governance system?

Summary

Keep in mind the three C’s for successful bylaws amendment writing: Make sure your proposal is clear, concise, and

Sample Proposals

Example #1

Article and Section:

Article III, Section 2 Officers

Section as Exactly Worded:

“The officers of this Association shall consist of a President, a First Vice President, a Second Vice President, a Third Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.”

Proposed Bylaws Amendment:

Delete “a Third Vice President”

Rationale:

To reduce the number of Board officers.

Example #2

Article and Section:

Article V, Section I Board of Directors

Section as Exactly Worded:

“The Board of Directors shall meet four times a year.”

Proposed Bylaws Amendment:

Change “four times a year” to “six times a year”

Rationale:

Increase the number of meetings to facilitate Board decision making.

Example #3

Article and Section:

Article V Board of Directors

Section as Exactly Worded:

N/A

Proposed Bylaws Amendment:

Add a new section to Article V, “The Board of Directors shall serve no more than three consecutive terms.”

Rationale:

Require term limits for elected Board members.

Bylaws Amendment Proposal Form

53^rd Biennial NAD Conference

Submit your proposed amendment for 2016 NAD Conference consideration at http://phoenix.nad.org/get-involved-conference/how-to-propose-a-priority/. Authors must be a member of the NAD in good standing, and can submit multiple proposals, however each proposal must be submitted separately.

Proposals for Bylaws are due by May 5, 2016. Incomplete or late proposals will not be accepted.

For questions, contact the Bylaws Chair at [email protected]

2016 Bylaws Amendment Proposals

2016 Bylaws Proposals will be posted online on June 5, 2016.

Elections

Policies and Procedures

These official NAD Election Policies and Procedures address the following topics, in preparation for the 53^rd Biennial NAD Conference in Phoenix, AZ:

Section I: Board Roles and Core Responsibilities

Section II: Expectations of board members

Section III: Candidate information and eligibility

Section IV: Campaign expectations and protocols

Section V: Election Procedures

Section VI: Candidacy confirmation letter

Section VII: Candidacy filing form

This document applies to all candidates who seek to run for the offices of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and four Regional Representatives, as follows:

President (2016-2018)
Vice President (2016-2018)
Secretary (2016-2018)
Treasurer (2016-2018)
Region I Regional Representative (2016-2020)
Region II Regional Representative (2016-2020)
Region III Regional Representative (2016-2020)
Region IV Regional Representative (2016-2020)

The Election Committee carries out NAD Election Policies and Procedures prior to and during the 53^rd Biennial NAD Conference. Official elections for all position vacancies on the NAD Board of Directors will be held during the Council of Representatives meeting on July 7, 2016.

Prospective candidates must first review and agree to adhere to NAD Election Policies and Procedures before filing their application for candidacy to the Election Committee (deadline for submission: June 5, 2016). Once certified by the Election Committee, candidates will be notified of their candidacy status. Their names will be placed alongside applicable board position/s above with campaign website addresses, if any.

Newly elected Board Members shall assume their respective duties immediately after adjournment of the biennial national conference.

Section I – Board Roles

The following roles and core responsibilities of each elected Officer and Regional Representative are outlined in the NAD Bylaws and the NAD Board Policy Manual.

President

Term of office: No more than three consecutive two-year terms.

Shall be the chief spokesperson for the Associa
Shall chair business meetings of the biennial national conference and the Board of Dire
Shall appoint such committees as may be necessary and shall be an ex-officio member of all committee
Shall report to each biennial national conference on activities since the last biennial national conference, and on the overall condition of the NAD; and
Shall appoint Honorary Board members, with support of the full Boa

Vice President

Term of office: No more than three consecutive two-year terms.

Shall serve at any time the President is unable to serve, or when the office of the President becomes vaca
May oversee the Governance Committee as Chair to ensure that the NAD governance system complies with current bylaw requirements during board and Council of Representatives mee

Secretary

Term of office: No more than three consecutive two-year terms.

Shall be responsible for the minutes of the biennial national conference and meetings of the Board of Dire
Shall serve as the Chair of the Steering Committee during the biennial national conference, and may serve as Board liaison to Organizational Affiliate

Treasurer

Term of office: No more than three consecutive two-year terms.

Shall have charge of vested funds of the Associa
Shall serve as the Chair of the Finance Committee, charged with monitoring all fiscal, investment and fundraising activities of the Association
Shall report on fiscal, investment, and fundraising activities of the NAD at each biennial national conference.
Shall recommend policy on investment activitie
Shall verify monthly reports and have access to all finance docume
Shall be Treasurer of the Board’s budget if any; and
Shall inform the President and NAD Board of Directors of all financial actions and investme

Two positions each for NAD Regions I, II, III, and IV (staggered terms).

Term of office: No more than two consecutive four-year terms; must reside within region represented.

Shall focus on the deaf and hard of hearing community nationwide. In addition to serving as liaison between State Associations within the region and the NAD Board, communicating with State Associations on a regular basis about NAD related matters, and bringing regional concerns to the Boa
Shall facilitate information and resource-sharing between and among State Associa
Shall serve as co-facilitators for regional caucuses during the biennial national conference.
Shall work closely with their Regional Representative partners in communicating updates within their region, sharing plans of action, or following up as neede

Appointed Members

Up to two positions; selected for specific areas of expertise by the full Board, as needed.

Term of office: No more than three consecutive two-year terms.

In addition to the role of Regional Board Members, Appointed Members shall work closely with and provide support to the Board as a

Ex-Officio Member

Board-appointed Chief Executive Officer (full voice but no voting privileges)

Shall work closely with and provide support to the Board as a whole.

Core Responsibilities

The NAD Board of Directors shall have general control of the affairs of the Association between biennial national conferences, during which time they shall consider action on conference recommendations.

The Board shall have the power to fill Board vacancies, except for the office of President, as they may occur between biennial national conferences, to appropriate money from the operating fund, and to ensure that the current expenditures of the Association shall not at any time exceed the regular income for each fiscal year.

The NAD Board of Directors also:

Serves as a whole in the interests of the NAD, its mission, established strategic goals, and its membe
Serves as a policy-making board and as the governing body for the organization;
Provides determination, evaluation, and adoption of governing principles, policies, programs, financial procedures, personnel practices, and courses of action affecting the welfare of the NAD;
Approves the final budget and ensures that NAD Headquarters and the NAD Board of Directors adhere to the budget;
Approves and, formally with the President’s signature, signs all programmatic, fiscal and personnel actions relating to the hiring, setting of goals and objectives, salary, evaluations, and other related actions for the position of the Chief Executive Officer;
Provides policy direction to the Chief Executive Officer;
Forms standing and ad hoc committees for various purposes and through which business may be discharged;
Engages in fundraising activities and membership recruitment; and
Only in the event of an emergency, performs the administrative functions of NAD

Section II – Expectations for Board Members

The NAD Board of Directors together shall serve as a whole in the best interests of the organization, its mission, established strategic goals, and its membership. Each member of the Board also has a clear and overriding expectation to engage in development (fundraising) and membership recruitment activities. Board members are expected to demonstrate initiative in NAD endeavors both individually and as a whole. Specifically, this expectation involves the following:

Committing the requisite time, energy, and knowledge to fulfill Board fundraising goals/targets;
Demonstrate a mindset to present ideas and opportunities for NAD revenue-generation;
Developing new national, state, and local corporate and organizational donors;
Making personal monetary donations (e., travel expenses for Board meetings);
Generating individual donations by members and nonmembers alike; and
Recruiting individual and organizational affiliate membe

Meeting expectations for NAD Board members are as follows:

Elected candidates are required to attend the post-conference Board of Directors meeting on the morning after the close of the biennial national conference. Outgoing Board members are also required to attend, to ensure smooth tra
The Board of Directors shall meet at least twice each year, or upon the request of the President or at least five Board membe
Board members are required to attend all scheduled Board of Directors mee If, for any reason, a Board member is unable to attend a meeting due to a prior commitment related to job, family emergency, or medical reasons, notification must be provided to the President. It shall be at the President’s discretion whether the absence will be excused or unexcused.
Each Board officer may have a maximum of two unexcused absences during their two-year Each regional Board member is allowed a maximum of two unexcused absences during their four-year term.
At any time, the number of unexcused absences goes beyond the maximum allowance, the President shall meet with that Board officer or regional Board member to discuss that person’s situation and come to a re
If an attendance problem persists, the President will promptly contact the board membe The President, with the entire Board of Directors at the next Board meeting, will promptly share the board member’s response. The Board of Directors will decide what actions to take regarding the Board member’s future on the Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors decides to terminate the Board member’s status, termination will be conducted per this policy (or the process specified in the organization’s bylaws).

Code of Conduct

Members of the NAD Board of Directors are expected to:

Listen carefully and respect the opinions of all members of the Board of Dire
Listen carefully to the opinions of deaf and hard of hearing constituents within the region and throughout the United State
Respect and support the majority decisions of the Board of Dire
Recognize that the authority of the Board of Directors comes from the Board of Directors as a whole and not from individual membe
Stay well informed of developments that are relevant to issues that may come before the Board of Dire
Participate actively during Board of Directors and committee mee
Engage proactively in the role of board liaison either in standing committee or subcommittee
Accurately share expressed concerns and needs of NAD constituents to the Association, and the actions of the Board of Directors to NAD constitue
Alert the Board of Directors to any issues that may have an adverse effect on the Association or its constitue
Refer any complaints to the appropriate person in the chain of comma
Ensure that the NAD is well managed by working with the Chief Executive Officer through policymaking processe
Ensure that the Chief Executive Officer is qualified to manage the staff and work of the Associa
Represent all deaf and hard of hearing persons in the United States and not just those from a specific geographic region or interest
Consider themselves as “trustees” of the NAD and do their best to ensure that the Association is well maintained, financially secure, growing, and always operating in the best interest of its constitue
Constantly strive to learn more about their responsibilities as members of the Board of Directors and how to do their jobs bette
Declare any conflicts of interest between their personal or professional lives and their positions on the Board of Dire
Avoid voting on issues that appear to be a conflict of intere
Adhere to all NAD policie

Members of the NAD Board of Directors are expected not to:

Discuss or share Board confidential activities/proceedings in
Be critical, during or outside of the Board of Directors meetings, of fellow Board members or their
Use the NAD or any part of the Association for their own personal advantages or for the personal advantages of their friends and/or relative
Disregard the established communication protocols with the President, Standing Committee Chairs, and subcommittee chairs along with Board liaisons and the Chief Executive Officer of the

Confidentiality

All NAD Board of Directors members shall practice the highest degree of confidentiality and inte
Board of Directors members shall adhere strictly to all policies of the NAD and its Board of Directors, including this policy of confidentia
All print, electronic/digital and video documents/clips on Board business matters are considered confidential and not to be forwarded outside the NAD board and staff unless authorized by the President or Chief Executive Office
Board of Directors and Headquarters staff shall not share with any person or organization information that has not been made public unless authorized to do so by the President and/or Chief Executive Office
All communication and records regarding questions of misconduct by a Board of Directors member or Headquarters staff shall be kept strictly confidentia
Board of Directors members are not permitted, during or after their term of office/employment, to use information considered confidential by the organiza
Violation of confidentiality is considered a major infraction, and Board of Directors may assess penalties for such infra [Refer to state laws, contract requirements, or other policies concerning response to a request from NAD member by writing, by subpoena or court order.]

Conflict of Interest

All NAD Board of Directors members shall complete and sign a Conflict of Interest Statement on the start of each new term of office, and on an annual basis. The Governance Committee shall be responsible for recommendations on how to resolve conflict of interest situations if arisen. The Board of Directors serves voluntarily; therefore, members shall receive no remuneration from the NAD. Further,

No Board member shall use their position, or the knowledge gained there from, in such a manner that a conflict between the interest of the NAD or any of its affiliates and their personal intere
Each Board member has a duty to place the interest of the NAD foremost in any dealings with the organization and has a continuing responsibility to comply with the requirements of this
Board or committee members may not obtain for themselves, their relatives, or their friends a material interest of any kind from their association with the NAD.
If a Board member has an interest in a proposed transaction with the NAD in the form of any personal financial interest in the transaction with the outside organization involved in the transaction, or holds a position as a trustee, director, or officer in any such an outside organization, he or she must make full disclosure of such interest before any discussion or negotiation of such transaction
Any Board or committee member who is aware of a potential conflict of interest with respect to any matter coming before the board or committee shall not be present for any discussion or vote in connection with the matte

Section III – Candidate Information and Eligibility

Candidate filing deadline: June 5, 2016. Note: We strongly encourage candidates to attain official candidacy status prior to the deadline. The candidate MUST provide documents to prove eligibility status (active NAD and state association memberships, as required).
Candidate names posted on the NAD website (with the candidate’s website URL, if applicable) are considered declared and certified by the NAD Election Committee.
After the June 5, 2016 candidate-filing deadline, responses to standard questions asked of all candidates will be posted on the NAD web

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I make an official announcement of my candidacy for the NAD Board of Directors?

How do I make an official announcement of my candidacy for the NAD Board of Directors?

To be considered for official candidacy status, you must send a letter of intention to Election Committee members ([email protected]) completed Candidate Filing Form and accompanying documents. Once you meet eligibility and declaration requirements, the Committee will notify you and your name (and campaign website address, if applicable) will be posted on the NAD website.

Is NAD membership a candidacy requirement?

Yes, active NAD membership is required for all Board positions.

If you wish to run for the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer for the 2016-2016 term of office, you must be a member of both the NAD and your state association or organizational affiliate in good standing for the two years preceding the biennial national conference.

If you wish to run for a Regional Representative position for a four-year term of office, you must be a member of both the NAD and your state association or organizational affiliate in good standing for the two years preceding the biennial national conference. You must also have official residency status in your NAD region in order to maintain eligibility. These are NAD bylaws requirements; ineligible persons will not be considered for candidacy. Specifically, candidates are required to provide copies of the following:

Proof of National NAD membership status for the two years preceding election (July 2014-July 2016). This may be obtained by contacting the Election Committee ([email protected]). This email verification must be attached to the Candidate Filing Form.
Proof of state association membership, or organizational affiliate membership status for the two years preceding election (July 2014-July ) This must be provided through an official letter from the state association or organizational affiliate president. This letter must be attached to the Candidate Filing Form. Should the state association president be a candidate for office, the state association vice president shall submit the letter.

Will the NAD announce my candidacy?

Yes, provided that you meet eligibility and declaration requirements, as set forth above, by the deadline provided. The NAD will make candidate announcements via its website.

When are elections held during this summer’s biennial national conference?

Elections for Officer and Regional Representative Positions are held during the official business meeting (Council of Representatives) on July 7, 2016.

What do I need to know about campaigning and fundraising? May I distribute promotional materials such as campaign literature and posters?

You must abide by the policies set forth in Part IV below. There is no limit on personal fundraising activities, as long such contributions are understood to be free of any conflict of interest, bias, obligation, or expectation once the candidate is elected to Board service.

What are the meeting and travel requirements for NAD Board members?

The Board of Directors schedules regular meetings three to four times each year, usually arriving at the meeting site on Thursday afternoon and departing on Sunday morning. Committee meetings/board training sessions usually take place on Thursday evening, with regular Board meetings open to the public on Friday and Saturday. Meetings take place at various locations across the country, including the NAD Headquarters.

The NAD Board meets prior to the official start of the biennial national conference; their term of service continues during the conference week, and both outgoing and continuing members join newly elected members at the board meeting held on the morning after the close of the biennial national conference on Sunday, July 10, 2016. It must also be noted that while the NAD Board is actively engaged in various activities during biennial national conferences, they cannot vote at official business meetings (Council of Representatives).

Important Note: Board members are expected to donate travel and per diem expenses for quarterly Board meetings whenever possible, in fulfillment of individual Board members’ fundraising commitment to the NAD.

How much time commitment is required for NAD Board service?

Generally, Board members serve on at least one standing Board committee and serve as Board liaison for at least one Board committee. Board members also conduct standing committee business through online chat room discussions, as needed.

Board members are expected to submit Officer and Regional reports prior to each Board meeting. Board members also ensure that all standing committee reports, and ad hoc committee reports for which they are directly responsible, are submitted prior to each Board meeting.

Section IV – Campaign Expectations and Protocol

Propriety and decorum is expected at all times, and each candidate shall refrain from comparing themselves to or naming other candidates prior to and during the conference. Candidates shall communicate this expectation to their campaign team as well as those who provide campaign This also applies to the use of social media, whether it be through Facebook, Twitter, or other platforms.

Each candidate may create and publish their own website, using the candidate’s desired content and de The NAD logo and other NAD graphics shall not be used in any form or manner. No other individual, institutional, or organizational websites shall be used for campaigning purposes. The NAD will provide links from its website to the official candidate’s website.

Disclaimer: The candidate’s website is their own creation and responsibility, and the NAD takes no responsibility whatsoever for the information posted. The NAD reserves the right to cut the link between its website and the candidate’s website if campaign propriety and decorum expectations are violated.

Candidate literature, promotional materials, and novelties can only be distributed after the end of each official business meeting (Council of Representatives), and display and/or distribution of such materials are restricted only to designated tables to the sides or rear of the meeting Such information shall be available for delegate viewing and/or collection during each session of the Council of Representatives meeting. Candidates shall be responsible for placement and removal of materials each day; otherwise, these materials will be discarded during hotel cleaning and set-up processes.

T-shirts, hats, pins, buttons, and stickers worn by candidates and the candidate’s supporters are allowe Other types of promotional materials and novelties may be used, as long as these are approved in advance with NAD Headquarters, due to hotel contractual restrictions; hotels often forbid the use of confetti, balloons, and distribution of food/drink samples.

Large posters that are placed on easels are allowe Candidates shall be responsible for poster materials and expenses for easel rental. Location and placement of such posters shall be cleared in advance with NAD Headquarters. The candidate and their campaign team members shall not interfere with, remove, or substitute their posters for existing NAD conference posters.

To ensure that there is no conflict or interference with scheduled conference events, the candidate may host private campaign parties by invitation to official delegates and alternates and designated VIP

Completion of a Meeting Space Request Form is required (send e-mail request via NAD website); these will be processed on a first come first serve basis. The NAD Headquarters will then authorize the hotel to release space for such events. Please note: All expenses and arrangements for private campaign parties shall be the responsibility of the candidate, including catering arrangements. Candidates may choose to host parties within their own hotel rooms or suites, at their own expense. Candidates must also comply with hotel regulations.

There shall be no posting of campaign materials or similar items on hotel walls, pillars, dividers, doors, or other hotel surfaces with campaign materials, nor can such materials be affixed to display or surface areas in use by the NAD or other vendors during the conference. The candidate shall be responsible for damage to hotel property if the candidate or their campaign committee violates these regula

Section V – Election Procedures

Formation of the Election Committee:

The Election Committee may consist of a NAD Board of Directors member, a Past President, and a person who is not a candidate for any Board Members of the Election Committee, including the Chair, shall be selected by the President and approved by the Board of Directors before the biennial national conference.
Anyone who seeks an office on the NAD Board of Directors shall not serve on the election committee.
The Board shall have the power to fill any vacancies that occur on the Election Committee.

Duties of the Election Chair:

The duties of the Election Chair include, but are not limited to, the following:
Review Candidate Filing Forms and accompanying materials, and ensure verification of membership prior to approval of candidate
Ensure candidates review Election Policies and Procedures document as well as the Election
Review Election documents with the Election Committee prior to the start of the election process to insure complete understanding of the procedure Performance of these procedures is strictly limited to the Committee and shall not include any staff members of the NAD.
Provide guidance to selected Past Presidents in presiding over elections at the Council of Representatives mee

Powers of the Election Committee:

The Election Committee has the authority to determine the disqualification of declared candidates if they violate any of the policies and procedures set forth for NAD elections, as outlined in the Election Policy and the Board Policy Manua
If such a situation arises, the chair of the Election Committee shall submit a recommendation of a candidate disqualification to the attention of the NAD Board of Dire
Should an appeal of the results of the election be raised, it shall be addressed to the attention of the NAD Board of Dire

Election Process:

Candidates on the official Election Committee roster at the start of the biennial national conference shall be entered into the election proce
The Election Committee shall designate Past Presidents to coordinate presentations by candidates for Regional Representative positions at their respective Regional Caucuses, as well as with the Affiliates Caucus and candidates for Officer positions during the Council of Representatives for Officer
Candidates shall make presentations on their own behalf during the allotted timeframe for such, limited to a maximum of three minutes ea
Current NAD bylaws require ballot vote for election of Officers and Regional Representatives during the Council of Representative In the case of a single candidate for a position, the Secretary shall cast the ballot on behalf of the delegate assembly.
Officers and Regional Representatives shall be elected by a majority vote of delegates. Announcement of election results by the Election Committee and swearing in of new Officers and Regional Representatives shall take place prior to the end of last session of the Council of Representatives mee

Voting Procedures:

The Election Committee shall designate a Past President to conduct actual voting for Officers and Regional Representatives during the Council of Representatives mee
The selected Past President shall explain voting procedures and ensure with the Credentials Committee that each delegate votes for only one candidate for each available
The voting process during the last session of the Council of Representatives meeting shall be as follows:
First, delegates shall consider and vote for candidates for the offices of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, respective
Second, regional delegates shall consider and vote for candidates for Regional Representatives for Regions I, II, III and IV, respective
Third, voting results shall be announced by the selected Past President upon the Election Committee’s verification of voting results for each office.

Section VI – Candidacy Confirmation Letter

(The letter below will be sent to candidates whose applications have been reviewed by the Election Committee and deemed to be eligible for official candidacy.)

Dear Candidate:

Thank you for submitting your Candidate Filing Form, with accompanying materials and proof of NAD and State Association membership status, by or prior to the June 5, 2016 deadline.

On behalf of the Election Committee, based on review of your application paperwork, I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted as an official candidate for the following position/s on the NAD Board of Directors:

[insert position/s]

All official candidates are expected to abide by official Election Policies and Procedures posted on the NAD website http://phoenix.nad.org/get-involved-conference/call-for-candidateselection-procedures/. This will also be the site where your name (and website URL, if applicable) will be placed alongside those positions for which you are an official candidate.

If you have any questions about election requirements or the election process, please contact me directly. Good luck and best wishes on your candidacy for the NAD Board of Directors!

Sincerely,

2016 Election Committee Members

Section VII – Candidacy Filing Form

Individuals interested in running for a position on the NAD Board of Directors must complete the five parts of the candidacy submission for 2016 NAD Conference consideration at http://phoenix.nad.org/get-involved-conference/call-for-candidateselection-procedures/. Potential candidates must be a member of the NAD and an affiliate organization (including state association) in good standing for a minimum of two years.

Submissions are due by June 5, 2016. Incomplete or late submissions will not be accepted.

For questions, contact the Elections Chair at [email protected]

The Election Committee will announce official candidates for officer and regional representative positions on the NAD Board of Directors as follows:

President (2016-2018)

Candidate Name 1

Vice President (2016-2018)

Candidate Name 1

Secretary (2016-2018)

Candidate Name 1

Treasurer (2016-2018)

Candidate Name 1

Region I Regional Representative (2016-2020)

Candidate Name 1

Region II Regional Representative (2016-2020)

Candidate Name 1

Region III Regional Representative (2016-2020)

Candidate Name 1

Region IV Regional Representative (2016-2020)

Candidate Name 1

2016 Board of Directors Candidates

Candidates will be posted online in June.
Awards

Awards Nominations

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) invites nominations for Recognition Awards to be presented during the 53^rd Biennial NAD Conference to be held July 5-9, 2016 in Phoenix, AZ.

Do you know an advocate who deserves recognition for their volunteer work that improves on the equality, dignity, and independence of deaf and hard of hearing Americans?
Is there a business or service that has gone above and beyond to make their workplace a model of accessibility – one that provides opportunities for training and advancement of their deaf and hard of hearing employees?
What about a business that seeks the advice of deaf and hard of hearing consumers in the development and provision of their product or service to the community?
Do you know an individual State Association member who has demonstrated leadership excellence?
Is there an educator who has made an extraordinary impact on her/his students?

Nomination Deadline

All nominations must be received at NAD no later than April 30, 2016. Nominations received after this date will not be accepted. Incomplete or inaccurate nomination forms will not be accepted.

Selection Process

All nomination packages that meet submission requirements will be reviewed by the NAD Awards Committee, which will make its recommendations to the NAD Board of Directors for final selection of recipients. The Golden Rose and the NAD-RID Outstanding Service to Interpreting have their own selection processes.

Notification

Recipients of NAD Recognition Awards will be announced prior to the Conference; they will receive a personal letter of notification that will include the specific day and time of the award presentation during the 53^rd Biennial NAD Conference, July 5-9, 2016 in Phoenix, AZ.

Recognition Awards

Accessibility Award – Presented to an individual or organizational entity, this award recognizes exceptional efforts to bring about greater accessibility for the benefit of deaf or hard of hearing Americans.

Frederick C. Schreiber Distinguished Service Award

Presented in memory of the first NAD Executive Director (1966-78), this award recognizes an individual member of NAD deemed to have contributed, on a volunteer basis and nationwide, to the well-being of deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States during the previous two years.

Andrew J. Foster Memorial Award

Presented in memory of Andrew J. Foster who was a missionary educator, this award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated excellence in teaching activities or contributed to the field of education.

Golden Rose Award

Presented in memory of Frederick C. Schreiber, NAD Executive Director (1966-78), this award recognizes an individual who has provided a lifetime of volunteer service of lasting benefit to the deaf community and has established a model of behavior for young deaf people to emulate.

Robert M. Greenmun Memorial Award

Presented in memory of Robert Greenmun, NAD Secretary-Treasurer (1946-64), this award recognizes an individual State Association member who has demonstrated leadership excellence and contributions to their state association on a voluntary basis.

Knights of the Flying Fingers (KFF) Awards

Presented to individual NAD members, this award is given in recognition of outstanding and dedicated volunteer service on behalf of the NAD.

Randall McClelland Memorial Award

Presented to an individual NAD member, this award recognizes exceptional leadership on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing people that also serves an inspiration to many.

NAD-RID Outstanding Service to Interpreting Award

Presented to an individual member of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) or the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), this award recognizes significant dedication to and involvement with improving the quality of interpreting in the United States. The nominee should be a person who has shown outstanding commitment to enhancing the quality of interpreting within a framework that recognizes the importance of collaboration between deaf, hard of hearing people and the interpreting profession.

Senior Citizens Award

Presented to an individual member of NAD, this award recognizes the consummate deaf senior citizen volunteer who has applied their energy and talent to make a difference in the community and the world around them.

Spirit of the NAD Award

Presented to an individual member of NAD, this award recognizes a person who carries the spirit of the NAD in all levels of their work, demonstrating exemplary commitment, dedication, and service.

State Association Excellence Award

Presented to a State Association, this award gives recognition for exceptional advocacy programs and services, including membership outreach and communications.

Youth Service Award

Presented to two individuals – one between the ages of 14-18 years, and the other between the ages of 19-28 years – this award recognizes youth whose dedication, vision, and leadership have made a difference in the community and the world around them.

Nomination Form Requirements

Detailed information about the nominee (bio/background) and qualifications for the selected award, making sure to address award objectives and/or criteria in the Call for NAD Recognition Awa
Please note that for some awards, nominees must be individual NAD members in order to qualify and must have provided their service on a voluntary
For the Golden Rose Award, in addition to the above, the nomination package must include a description of the service provided to the deaf community and how the nominee, by providing the service, established a model of behavior for young people to

The 2016 NAD Awards Nomination Form is available online – the package for each individual or organizational nomination can be sent via email or postal mail – for receipt no later than April 30, 2016. Nominations that are incomplete or received after this deadline will not be accepted.

Official Delegates and Alternate Delegates

Official Delegates and Alternate Delegates for State Associations, Affiliates, Jr. NAD, Members, Sections, and OGG will be posted online and updated regularly.