[November 14, 2000] -- Nominations are now being gathered by the 4A-AT&T National Council for the 2001-2002 Term 4A-AT&T National Board. The available positions are:

1. National President

2. Executive Vice President - Operations

3. Executive Assistant

4. Executive Vice President - Finance

5. Executive Vice President - Marketing & Strategy

6. Executive Vice President - Information & Systems

Local chapter presidents will submit nominations to the council by November 21, 2000. The National Council will vote to select the officers of the next National Board by November 28, 2000.

Roles, Responsibilities and Duties of National Board Officers

The National President shall have overall responsibility and authority for managing and directing the internal and external affairs of 4A-AT&T.

The Executive Vice President of Operations shall be responsible for organizing and providing oversight management and leadership support of 4A-AT&T's national programs: community activities, scholarship programs, disaster relief, and the 4A recognition program. He/she will be responsible to provide leadership for the annual 4A national professional development conference. In the absence or incapacity of the National President, the Operations Executive Vice President shall assume his/her powers, roles, responsibilities and authorities in all matters relating to the overall management and direction of the organization.

The Executive Assistant shall serve as the organization's Information Officer having responsibility for overall management and supervision of 4A-AT&T's information. He/she shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the National Board and the National Council. He/she shall be under the supervision of the National President.

The Finance Executive Vice President shall be responsible for organizing and providing oversight management and leadership support of 4A-AT&T's finance and economic affairs.

The Executive Vice President of Marketing & Strategy shall be responsible for organizing and providing oversight management and leadership support of 4A-AT&T's public & community relations and business development. He/she will plan and provide strategies to promote 4A-AT&T both externally and internally to AT&T to increase membership and funding, to establish brand recognition, and to establish liaisons between 4A-AT&T and other BRGs, other corporations, and our communities.

The Executive Vice President of Information & Systems shall be responsible for organizing and providing oversight management and leadership support of 4A-AT&T's information and systems needs.

Four Heads Are Better Than One

Murthy Vangala, 4A-AT&T President, had initially proposed a restructuring of the 4A-AT&T National Board this past July. He felt that the duties and responsibilities of the 4A-AT&T vice-president, as they have evolved over the past two years, should really be shouldered by more than one individual, especially in an all-volunteer organization associated with the fast-moving telecommunications industry. Spreading the responsibilities over more positions would increase the opportunities for dedicated members to be visible, Murthy added. The National Council accepted the President's charge and set out to define the roles and responsibilities of the new Board officers. One vice-president became four executive vice-presidents. The EVP of Operations was deemed to be the second in charge, taking over the presidency if required. The treasurer function was placed under the EVP of Finance. The secretary was promoted to Executive Assistant. The EVPs of Marketing & Strategy and Information & Systems rounded out the new, higher-powered Board.

Arriving at This Year's 4A National Election Process

When the National Council began a review of the National Bylaws to incorporate the new Board structure, they uncovered a discrepancy. The official copy of the Bylaws stated that only the National president is to be elected by the general membership. However, in the past two elections (1998 and 1996), the general 4A membership voted for all four National officer positions. The council debated whether to conduct a full-blown general election of the new board positions, or to have a general election for the president only with the remaining five positions voted on by the National Council, or to have the entire Board elected by the National Council. Chapter presidents went out to seek guidance from their chapter board. But just as final opinions were being collected, AT&T announced its monumental 4-way break-up by 2002. The National Council was pushed to rethink how the next National Board should be elected. The importance of building up 4A-AT&T to be the strongest organization possible before the break-ups led National Council to conclude that, at this particular time, 4A-AT&T would be best served by having the entire Board elected by the council. Nominations would be gathered by the council with the help of chapter presidents' canvassing their local board and membership for qualified candidates.