USA Swimming To Vote On New Governance Rules and Regulations At USAS Convention

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Next week, USA Swimming will have its annual meeting in Dallas, Texas as part of the United States Aquatic Sports (USAS) Convention.  Among the legislation items are changes in the governance of USA Swimming on a Board level. Many of the below recommendations are controversial and will be subject to much debate.  Many of the proposed changes were proposed by the Board of Directors.  Swimming World Magazine will be at the convention to report on any breaking news.

Here are some of the items that will be voted on and their current recommendation status for approval:

Recommended For Approval

  • To align the Corporate Bylaws with the Articles of Incorporation which say that the Board of Directors shall have the authority to amend the Bylaws
  • To allow the Board and staff flexibility to initiate future membership types more quickly than the current system permits
  • To clarify that the duties of the President/CEO and Secretary/General Counsel include serving as ex-officio, non-voting members of the Board of Directors
  • To change terms of offices from two to four years and stagger the terms to ensure continuity on the Board
  • To define the Board officers and assign responsibility to the Board for electing its leadership from among the Board members
  • To establish the procedures for filling vacated seats on the Board
  • To clarify the authority of the Board of Directors
  • To align with changes in Board structure and titles and to allow for special meetings when exigent circumstances occur
  • To eliminate the Executive Committee because it is no longer needed, given the availability of meeting via electronic means
  • To enhance recruitment and vetting of candidates for the Board of Directors and ensure that candidates understand and commit to the obligations of the Board position.
    • NOMINATING COMMITTEE
      • The Nominating Committee shall consist of nine (9) voting members and one non-voting ex-officio member.
      • Two shall be athlete members (different genders) appointed by the Athletes Executive Committee with advice and consent of the Athletes Committee.
      • Two shall be coaches; one shall be appointed by the Age Group Development Committee and one shall be appointed by the Senior Development Committee from among all coach members of USA Swimming.
      • Two shall be current members of the Board of Directors, proposed by the Board Chair and approved by the Board of Directors.
      • One shall be appointed by the USA Swimming Foundation Board of Directors.
      • Two individuals (different genders) of independent background intended to enhance and complement the diversity of thought and perspective of the remaining composition of this committee (such as ethnicity, geography, business skills) shall be proposed by the Board Chair and approved by the Board of Directors,
      • The President/CEO or his or her designee shall be a non-voting member of the committee.
      • The Committee shall, at its first meeting of each nominations cycle, select a chairperson from among its own membership.
    • Terms of Nominating Committee members shall be three (3) years, staggered such that one-third (1/3) of its members are appointed each year.  Members of the Nominating Committee shall not be eligible to be appointed to this committee once they have served two terms.
    • Duties of the Nominating Committee – The Nominating Committee shall:
      • Issue a call for nominations and prepare a recommended slate of potential Board members in accordance with procedures set forth in the Policy Manual.
      • Screen proposed candidates to ensure that they meet all requirements for Board membership as set forth in these Bylaws and in applicable Board policies.
      • Ensure that prospective Board members are informed about the Board’s governing structure and of its expectations for individual Board member participation, including but not limited to: adherence to policies pertaining to Board Members’
  • To align with the new Board structure
  • To align with new structure
  • To establish the process for elections
    • The House of Delegates shall annually elect the number of members to the Board of Directors necessary to maintain the listed number of voting members. No candidate shall be eligible for election unless he or she has signed a written commitment to adhere to USA Swimming’s Bylaws and the Board policies then in effect and has, in the judgment of the Nominating Committee, exhibited a demonstrable connection to swimming.
    • The Nominating Committee shall issue a Call for Nominations, which may be self-nominating or by third party with written consent of the proposed nominee, and, upon review and vetting of proposed candidates, present to the House of Delegates a ballot including the names of qualified and proposed nominees at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting of the House of Delegates.  Accompanying the ballot, and in related correspondence sent to the Delegates, a limited space biography/candidate statement shall be distributed.
    • The ballot shall include at least two, but no more than three, nominees for each seat open for election.
    • in addition to the Call for Nominations and vetting process, a candidate for a Board of Directors position may be nominated by petition of a minimum of twelve (12) LSCs, which must include at least three LSCs from each of the four geographic zones. The names of any such candidates, if meeting the required vetting qualifications, including commitment to fulfill all requirements of Board services, as determined by the Nominating Committee, must also appear on the ballot, whether as one of he Nominating Committee’s two or three recommendations, or as an additionally named candidate.
    • Overt electronic or printed campaigning shall be prohibited.
  • To assign sole authority for approval of the budget to the Board of Directors

Not Yet Reviewed or Postponed Recommendation

  • To correct the fundamentally unfair manner the Board of Directors may remove a Board member and then also hold a hearing if the person contests the removal. Proposed by Rules and Regulations Committee
    • the Board of Directors (Insert: LSC House of Delegates) shall hold a hearing at which the member shall have the same procedural rights as if the hearing were to be conducted by the Zone Board of Review pursuant to Part Four of USA Swimming Rules and Regulations.
  • To transition the Board from an operations-based Board to a governance-focused Board
  • Under the new Board governance structure, only committees engaged in functions for which the Board maintains direct responsibility should report to the Board.  Operating committees are those engaged in functions for which the Board holds the President/CEO accountable, and thus shall be overseen by the President/CEO or his or her designee(s)

Download latest Full Proposal of Amendments to Rules and Regulations

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