SIERRA CLUB: SF BAY CHAPTER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2015 NOMINATION & CANDIDATE PACKET. Dear Member Applicant,

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1 SIERRA CLUB: SF BAY CHAPTER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2015 NOMINATION & CANDIDATE PACKET Dear Member Applicant, Thank you for expressing interest in running for the Executive Committee of the San Francisco Bay Chapter or of a regional group executive committee. The Chapter covers four counties i.e. Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and San Francisco and eight Regional Groups i.e. Delta, Northern Alameda County, Southern Alameda County, Mt. Diablo, Tri-Valley, San Francisco, Marin and West Contra Costa. The Executive Committee (ExComm) is the governing body of the Chapter. It has a budget of nearly $1 million and manages Chapter functions, including Chapter staff, publishing the Yodeler, managing finances, raising funds, sponsoring activities, providing support to more than 30,000 members, deciding conservation policy and endorsing political candidates. There are nine (9) elected at-large members of the ExComm, as well as one appointed member from each group in the Chapter. Terms of elected members are staggered, four one year, five the next year. Each regional group ExComm manages the budget, activities, conservation and political work in that area. Size of the group ExComm varies by regional group. All nominees for chapter and group Excomms, together with any nominees qualified by petition, will be listed on the ballot in the December-January Yodeler. The winners will take their seats for a two-year term of office beginning January To submit your name to the Nominations and Elections Committee for consideration as a committee nominee for the Chapter ExComm, please fill out the enclosed questionnaire and return it by Monday, September 7, 2015, 5 PM to elections@sfbaysc.org as a Word or text-only attachment; or hard copy to Sierra Club, SF Bay Chapter Elections, 2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite I, Berkeley, CA You will be notified whether you were nominated by the committee by Monday Sep. 14, If you are not nominated and are still interested in running, you can become a nominee by petition. For petition procedures please call the chapter office ( ) or elections@sfbaysc.org. The deadline for turning in petitions at the Chapter office is Monday, September 28, 2015, 5 PM. If you are nominated, or qualify by petition, you will need to submit a full-face photograph and a short candidate statement for inclusion in the Yodeler Election Supplement to appear in the December- January issue. Instructions are attached. They are due at the office on September 29, 2015, at 5 PM.

2 Note: Membership requirement for those wishing to run for office is one month before the close of questionnaire submission date, i.e. Aug. 6, In other words to run for office, you must be a member in the Club database by Aug. 6, To vote in the election, you need to be a member in the Club database as of Nov. 6, Note that there is some delay from the day that one sends in one's membership (even if one does so electronically) to the day that it appears in the database. Note: If you are interested in serving on your Group ExComm, please contact the Group Chair and/or the Group Nominations and Elections Chair in the area in which you reside. Good luck and thank you for your interest in the Club. If you have any questions, please contact Maritessa at elections@sfbaysc.org. Sincerely, Maritessa Bravo Ares Chair, SF Bay Chapter, Nominations and Elections Committee Attachments: Key Dates for Candidates, Candidate Questionnaire, Campaign Rules and Guidelines, Candidate Statement and Photo Guideline, and Sample Candidate Statement. PAGE 2

3 SIERRA CLUB: SF BAY CHAPTER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2015 Key Dates & Election Calendar MONDAY, JULY 20 Nomination period opens. Petitions for candidacy and candidate packets available. THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 The date by which candidates must be registered as Sierra Club members in the Club database in order to be eligible to run for elected office. SF Bay Chapter Nomination Committee will begin to review candidates who have submitted their questionnaires MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 Nomination Closes 5 PM deadline for the submission the Candidate Questionnaires MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 Deadline for petition candidates to submit completed paperwork TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Deadline (5 PM) for candidates to submit their statements and photos (Group and Chapter ExComm candidates) to their respective Group or Chapter ExComm Nominations Chair FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 Date by when you need to be a member in the club database to vote in the election FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20 Yodeler with ballot scheduled to be mailed to members ONLINE ELECTION OPENS AT 9 AM FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18 ELECTION CLOSES AT 2 PM. All ballots must be submitted and online voting will end at 2 PM. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 Ballots counted over the weekend. Candidates are contacted with ballots results over the weekend. Chapter ExComm meets and certifies election results in the January Meeting. PAGE 3

4 SIERRA CLUB: SF BAY CHAPTER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2015 Candidate Questionnaire Deadline: Monday, September 7, 2015 by 5 PM Thank you for your interest in serving on the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club s San Francisco Bay Chapter. If you are interested in serving on your Group Executive Committee, please contact the Group Chair and/or the Group Nominations and Elections Chair in the area in which you reside. Please answer all the questions below. If you need more space, attach additional sheets. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Maritessa Bravo Ares, SF Bay Chapter Nominations and Elections Chair at elections@sfbaysc.org. Name: Address: Phone (evening): Phone (daytime): address: Sierra Club membership # (see Yodeler label) Sierra Club member since: 1. Why are you running for this Executive Committee? 2. List the entities within the Sierra Club (Group, Chapter, State, National, or other committees) to which you belong and dates of membership. Include offices and dates held. Organization Dates 3. List other Sierra Club activities (events, hikes, etc.) in which you have been regularly involved. Activities Dates 4. List environmental organizations other than the Sierra Club to which you belong. 5. Briefly describe your environmental activities outside the Sierra Club. PAGE 4

5 6. Estimate the number of hours per month you presently spend on all volunteer activities. Sierra Club Non-Sierra Club 7. What leadership skills would you bring to this Executive Committee? 8. The Chapter Executive Committee has the responsibility for managing an organization that operates an office open to the public, publishes a bimonthly newspaper and web sites, sponsors hundreds of hikes and outdoor activities, sets conservation policy, endorses political candidates, and is actively involved in SF Bay Area politics. What professional or technical skills would you bring to the Executive Committee? Check all that apply. Management Publishing Budgeting/Finance Grassroots organizing Fundraising Knowledge of specific issues (specify) Volunteer organizing Knowledge of community interests or concerns (specify) Environmental law Ethnic diversity Computer or internet knowledge Social media skills Other (specify) 9. Service on the Executive Committee requires a significant time commitment. In addition to attending a monthly meeting, members of the Chapter Executive Committee are expected to serve on one or more of the Chapter s standing committees (Conservation, Outreach, Finance, Fundraising, Legal Advisory, Staff Management, Political, etc.) Will this present any problems for you? If so, please describe them. 10. The Executive Committee is regularly called upon to make decisions on controversial issues affecting both the Sierra Club and our community. Do you have any conflicts of interest that might make it difficult for you to make such decisions? PAGE 5

6 11. What do you consider to be the most important issues facing the SF Bay Chapter? 12. Fundraising and minimizing expenses are crucial for the continued success of the Chapter. What ideas do you have for increasing the Chapter s revenue or decreasing costs? Signed Date PAGE 6

7 SIERRA CLUB: SF BAY CHAPTER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Campaign Rules & Guidelines 1. GENERAL A. Oversight Campaigning is allowed for Chapter and Group Offices. General oversight for election campaigns for offices within the SF Bay Chapter is the task of the Chapter s Nomination and Election Committee, hereinafter called the committee. B. Publications Chapter publications, including group and activity section newsletters, shall be available for candidate statements and promotion on an equitable basis. Such campaign materials shall be so identified. Articles, as well as Letters to the Editor, not identified as campaign materials, but identified as by or about individual candidates, shall NOT be published in Club publications during the period between the announcement of all candidates including petition candidates and the close of the election period, except as required by the ordinary performance of the duties of the candidate as a Club activist/officer. Casual references to a candidate as leader, organizer, or participant in an event may occur. 2. CAMPAIGN MATERIAL A. Definition Campaign materials are hereby defined as printed, electronic or reproduced material that advocates the election or defeat of any candidate or candidates for Chapter or Group Executive Committee, or Sierra Club Council, or any combination thereof. B. Content Guidelines Campaign materials should be positive, in keeping with the goals of the Club. Materials shall not be libelous and shall not contain assertions contrary to known fact. No provision of these rules is intended to abridge the First Amendment rights of any candidate or member. C. Candidate Approval Campaign materials produced and/or distributed not by, but on behalf of a candidate or candidates should be not distributed without the candidate s or candidates approval(s). 3. DISTRIBUTION OF CAMPAIGN MATERIAL A. Mailing PAGE 7

8 i. Discouraged Mailing of campaign material to Club membership lists, or portions thereof, is discouraged, but it is allowed. Mailings are discouraged in order to minimize the influence of money in the election process. This policy is similar to the Club policy for Board of Directors elections and to the Council guidelines, which state: While campaigning for the Executive Committee is permitted, extensive expenditures of human and financial resources in such campaigning, such as mailings to the general membership, are not ordinarily in the best interests of the Sierra Club, and are to be discouraged. ii. Labels Labels for mailings may be purchased at rates set by the Club. Mailing address information may be hand copied from membership lists onto mailing pieces. If labels are purchased from the label department at Sierra Cub headquarters, a copy of the material to be mailed shall be supplied with the label order. Labels purchased pursuant to this rule are to be used only for the intended purpose and may not be copied for any other use. The committee will ensure that appropriate measures are taken to safeguard the integrity of Club membership lists. B. Distribution to Other Candidates Sufficient copies of any campaign materials, to be mailed or otherwise distributed, shall be supplied to the committee to be distributed to all other candidates for their information. C. Review Requirement i. Submission Any campaign materials to be mailed or otherwise shall be submitted to the committee, in draft form and before publication. At the same time, there shall also be submitted a list of names, or complete description of the list to which a mailing is to be sent. Campaign material to be distributed other than by mail shall also be accompanied by a narrative explaining the distribution scheme (hand out at a meeting, for example), and a description of the intended audience (a list of meetings at which the material will be distributed, for example). ii. Review period Beginning with the dates such material reaches the chair of the committee, there will ensue a five day review period. After five days, the candidate will be informed of the review of the proposed mailing or distribution and may then proceed to have the material duplicated. The material may be mailed or distributed starting seven days after it reaches the chair of the committee. The Chair of the committee will make her/himself available during this period and will effect timely review of submitted material. D. Campaign Material Review Process i. Purpose The committee shall review the submitted material for positive emphasis, general consistency with Club policies, and adherence to known fact. ii. Distribution The committee shall immediately distribute the submitted material to all other candidates for their information, review, and preparation of potential responses, if any, and to the Chapter s Legal Committee only for review and advice regarding the potential for libel. PAGE 8

9 iii. Advice to Candidates The Committee may make suggestions to the candidate if the committee feels that the proposed material is either not in accord with known facts or with the election guidelines requiring material to be positive in tone. The committee shall remind candidates that it is to their ultimate benefit to avoid having a negative or acrimonious tone attached to any Sierra Club activity, including an election campaign. E. Use of Club lists or listservs or membership information to phone or members by a candidate is prohibited. Use of Club social media like the Chapter or Group's Facebook page is not permitted; however, an individual candidate's Facebook page may be used. 4. RESPONSE TO CAMPAIGN MATERIAL Proposed replies to campaign material by other candidates shall be submitted to the committee just like any other campaign materials and shall be subjected to the same review process. 5. ENFORCEMENT OF CAMPAIGN RULES AND GUIDELINES A. Procedures Established Procedures are hereby established for appropriate action in the case of intentional and substantial violation (hereinafter called violation ) of these campaign rules. Violations are to be brought to the attention of the committee, through the chair, immediately following their occurrence or discovery. Violations brought to the attention of other entities shall be redirected by those entities to the committee for initial investigation. B. Violations Discovered during the Election Period If a majority of the committee finds, during the election period, before the votes have been counted, that a candidate has committed a violation of these campaign rules and guidelines, then the committee may recommend to the Chapter or Group Executive Committee, as appropriate, that the candidate be disqualified. Such a recommendation shall be made in writing. Copies of the recommendation shall immediately be sent to the Chapter Council Delegate and Council Chair. The Chapter or Group Chair, or a majority of the Chapter or Group Executive Committee, may hold a special meeting to discuss such a recommendation. Such a meeting shall be limited to the topic at hand, and shall afford the chair of the committee the opportunity to explain, the candidate the opportunity to rebut and interested members the opportunity to comment on the recommendation. A public vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the ExComm including the candidate in question, if applicable, shall be required to disqualify the candidate from taking office, unless the ExComm finds prior to 1 January that the candidate had not in fact committed a violation. C. Violation Discovered after the Election Period If a majority of the committee finds, after votes have been counted, that an elected candidate has committed a violation of these campaign rules and guidelines, then the candidate shall not be disqualified from taking office, but the committee may recommend to the Chapter or Group Executive Committee, as appropriate, that the candidate be removed from office pursuant to the Chapter or Group bylaws. Such recommendation shall be made in writing. Copies of the recommendation shall immediately be sent to the Chapter Council Delegate and Council Chair. The Chapter or Group Chair, or a majority of the Chapter or Group Executive Committee, may hold a special meeting to discuss such a recommendation. Such a meeting shall be limited to the topic at hand, and shall afford the chair of the committee the opportunity to explain, the PAGE 9

10 candidate the opportunity to rebut, and interested members the opportunity to comment on the recommendation. The Chapter or Group bylaws govern the conduct of a special election to remove a member from office. D. Appeals Decisions of a Group ExComm to disqualify a candidate may be appealed to the Chapter ExComm within 48 hours following that decision. The Chair of the Chapter s ExComm, or a majority of the Chapter ExComm, may decide to hold a special meeting to discuss an appeal at its discretion. If such a meeting is held, it shall be limited to review of the process used to disqualify a candidate. This is a procedural appeal only, not a substantive appeal. Initial decisions regarding disqualification by the Chapter ExComm and appeals of decisions regarding disqualification by a Group ExComm may be made to the Council through the Council Chair. The Council may set its own procedures to use for review and may review both procedures and substance. The final decision by the highest entity reviewing shall govern. 6. NOTIFICATIONS A. Candidates The Committee shall provide nominees with a copy of these Rules and Guidelines at the same time as candidates are notified of their nomination by the committee or sooner. Petition candidates shall be provided with a copy at the same time as they are notified of their qualification or sooner. B. Others As soon as candidates are nominated or qualify by petition, the committee shall so notify all conservation issue subcommittees, activities sections, groups, and Yodeler editor, in order that news items by or about candidates shall not appear in any newsletters or other publications in conflict with Rule. I.B. herein. 7. CONSTRUCTION AND INTERPRETATION These rules and guidelines are in addition to any other procedures established by the Club or legally required in the conduct of a Club election, and are subordinate to any conflicting Club or legal requirement. Questions regarding interpretation shall be first posed to the committee through the chair. Initial advice may be given by the Chair orally. Appeals to a ruling, if necessary, shall be made in writing to the committee, the Group Executive Committee (if applicable), the Chapter Executive Committee, and the Council, in succession. All efforts should be made to resolve questions about interpretation informally. (Revised 7/10/14) PAGE 10

11 SIERRA CLUB: SF BAY CHAPTER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Candidate Statement & Photo Guidelines You have expressed an interest to be a candidate for the chapter or a regional group executive committee. If you are a successful nominee, either by Nomination and Election Committee nomination or by petition, your statement and photo will be published in the December-January Yodeler, scheduled for mailing on Nov. 20. Voting closes on Friday, December 18 at 2 PM in the Chapter office. The ballots will be counted Saturday, December 19 in the Chapter office (2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite I, Berkeley). Candidates may observe the ballot counting but may not participate in the counting. A Chapter officer will notify you of the results. By accepting a nomination or submitting a petition, you agree to abide by the Chapter s Campaign Rules and Guidelines. They are enclosed; please read them carefully. The Rules and Guidelines encourage campaigning that is positive, issue oriented, and in keeping with the goals of the Club. The Committee expects each candidate, and anyone acting on behalf of a candidate, to treat every other candidate with courtesy, dignity and respect. Statements about a person who is a candidate that appear in Club sponsored media (Chapter or Group newsletters, web sites, s, etc.) should avoid mentioning that the person is a candidate. With respect to distribution of campaign material by electronic mail, the committee will be guided by the Sierra Club Standing Rule 5.6.1(iii) which states, in part: "no Club funds or other resources, including those of Club entities, shall be used to support or oppose any candidate... including activities related to circulation of petitions. Resources include official publications and other forums, such as newsletters and web pages." The Nominations and Elections Committee may allow the candidate s statement as printed in the Yodeler to be posted electronically for the benefit of the membership. Candidate statements (sample attached): 1. Candidate statements are limited to 300 words, including activities. Please skip an extra line between paragraphs. 2. Candidates must provide the following information: a) City of residence, b) Occupation (if retired, please include former occupation, c) Year you joined the Sierra Club; d) list of your activities. 3. The statement can be given to us in the following format: a) By to PAGE 11

12 Statement should be submitted as an attached text-only or MS Word file. (Preferred method) b) Typed paper version, mailed to the Chapter office: Sierra Club, SF Bay Chapter Elections, 2530 San Pablo Ave., Suite I, Berkeley CA Before preparing your statements and photos, you may want to consult a previous year s election supplement for a sense of the format. You can obtain a sample by contacting Yodeler editor at: yodedit@sfbaysc.org. 5. If you are using the same statement or the same Activities or Statement section for both Chapter and Group ExComm, please state so explicitly. Photograph All photos should be a clear, focused image with a plain background. The photo should be a headshot of the candidate looking at the camera. Do not have face in shadow. Think passport photo, where your face fills the frame but a good-looking passport photo, not a casual rush job. We encourage you to use an up-to-date photo, but if you wish to reuse a photo from a previous election supplement, please just instruct us to that effect, and we will do so without having to reprocess the photo. Electronic images: (1) Face needs to be *at least* 210 pixels wide, 300 pixels high. This means the portion of the photo containing the face; e.g. if the face is only one-third the width of the photo, then the photo needs to be three times 210, i.e. 630 pixels wide). Photos displayed on websites will not work well unless the face is at least 3 inches wide on the screen. (2) Preferred file format is TIFF (3) If using a JPEG file, only save once (4) Include an attachment (not pasted in) to to elections@sfbaysc.org (5) Do not try to scan a half-toned (i.e. published) photo. Any scans must be made from a photographic print, slide or negative. Photographic prints: (1) Face should be at least 1.25 wide, 1.5 high (2) Image must be a true photographic print, not a printed reproduction (3) If you wish the photo returned, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (4) Mail to chapter office, Sierra Club, SF Bay Chapter Elections, 2530 San Pablo Ave., Suite I, Berkeley, CA (5) Any questions about photo submissions should be directed to the Yodeler editor at: yodedit@sfbaysc.org. In order to have time to prepare the statements and photographs to be published in the election supplement of the Yodeler, we need your statement and photograph by September 29, 2015, 5 PM whether you are nominated by the committee or if you apply by petition. Please make certain that these materials are put into the mail to allow for sufficient time to reach us. If you have any additional questions, please us at elections@sfbaysc.org. PAGE 12

13 SAMPLE CANDIDATE STATEMENT Name: John Doe Residence: Oakland Occupation: scientist retired Sierra Club member since 1985 Activities: Chapter Executive Committee Member ; Conservation Chair ; Ecology Center Board, Statement: I have been active... (Please follow this format for your submission. Your combined Activities plus Statement needs to be 300 words or less.) PAGE 13