The Election Process

The Academy has two nominating committees that each present a slate of candidates to the House for its consideration. The first nominating committee, appointed by the Speaker, comprises five individuals who were delegates the previous year. The Speaker tries to select members who represent the diversity geographically, and demographically of the Academy’s membership.   The second nominating committee consists of five past presidents and is chaired by the immediate past president.

Each nominating committee meets (usually by conference call) in the late fall/early winter and considers nominating candidates to run for upcoming open leadership positions. They recruit possible candidates, identify people who may be willing and able to serve, and each develop a slate of nominees for the House to consider.

The President-Elect is usually an uncontested election of the sitting Vice President. The remainder of the offices are usually contested elections, assuming there are two identifiable, willing candidates for each of the open offices.

Candidates present at the House of Delegates meeting are asked to briefly address the House. Nominations are also open from the floor at the House. Once nominations for each office have closed, all seated Delegates representing local chapters cast their votes; a majority vote is required for election.

Your local chapter will send out a call for delegates in early 2010 and members interested in getting involved with the WAFP are encouraged to attend the 2010 House of Delegates meeting, which will be held at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, WA on May 13. Members interested in holding an office with the WAFP should contact the WAFP office at (425) 747-3100 or info@wafp.net.

The positions that will be open in 2010 are listed below:

• President-Elect (1 year term)
• Vice President (1 year term)
• Assistant Secretary Treasurer (2 year term)
• Speaker of the House (1 year term)One Eastside Trustee (3 year term)
• One Westside Trustee (3 year term)
• New Physician Trustee (1 year term)
• Resident Trustee (1year term)
• Resident Alternate Trustee (1 year term)
• Student Trustee (1 year term)
• Student Alternate Trustee (1 year term)
• Eastside Delegate to the AAFP (2 year term)
• Eastside Alternate Delegate to the AAFP (2 year term)

President-Elect (1 year term)

The President Elect shall have such powers and perform such duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors. The President Elect shall automatically become President at the close of the next Annual Meeting following his or her election.

President-Elect Duties:

• Participate in monthly executive committee teleconference meetings
• Attend board meetings

Vice President (1 year term)

The Vice President shall act as President in the absence of or at the request of the President, and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President. The Vice President may be given such other duties as the Board of Directors or President may direct. The term of office shall be one year.

Vice President Duties:

• Participate in monthly executive committee teleconference meetings
• Attend board meetings

Assistant Secretary Treasurer(2 year term)

The Assistant Secretary Treasurer shall assist the Secretary Treasurer in all duties of the office, shall act as secretary to the House of Delegates and to the Assembly and perform such other duties as the Secretary Treasurer or Board of Directors may designate. The term of office shall be two years or until the regularly elected successor takes office.

Assistant Secretary Treasurer Duties:

• Assists the Secretary Treasurer as needed
• Participate in monthly executive committee teleconference meetings
• Attend board meetings

Speaker of the House (1 year term)

The Speaker of the House is responsible for managing the annual meeting of the House of Delegates. He/she works closely with the Vice Speaker and Academy staff to develop and organize the meeting, then presides during the meeting. Additionally, the Speaker is invited to attend Executive committee meetings.

Speaker of the House Duties:

• Recruit/assign reference committee members and chairs
• Review resolutions, commission/committee reports
• Develop reference committee agendas
• Update “script” for annual meeting
• Preside at annual meeting
• Participate in monthly executive committee teleconference meetings
• Attend board meetings

Vice Speaker of the House (1 year term)

The Vice Speaker of the House of Delegates shall assist the Speaker of the House of Delegates. This individual shall have a vote in the House of Delegates and shall stand ready to assist the Speaker. The term of office shall be for one year or until the regularly elected successor takes office.

Vice Speaker of the House Duties:

• Assist with the duties of the Speaker as needed (listed above)

Eastside Trustee (3 year term)

Westside Trustee (3 year term)

(No two trustees may be from the same component chapter. The Trustees elected next year may not be from the Pierce, Mt. Baker, Southeast or Chelan-Douglas chapters, as these component chapters are already represented by current Trustees )

It shall be the duty of Trustees to attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and serve on Commissions or Committees to which they may be appointed. They shall have such powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Bylaws, or by the Board of Directors. Of the six Trustees, no more than one may be from any one component chapter and normally two shall be elected annually for a term of three years.

Eastside and Westside Trustee Duties:

• Serve as a liaison between the board and WAFP membership
• Act as a representative of the membership to the board
• Make contact with and poll the membership regarding active issues which the WAFP is addressing
• Act as a resource for the chapter presidents and the membership at large
• Identify and recruit individuals for future leadership positions within the WAFP and encourage these individuals to participate in WAFP activities
• Attend board meetings
• Assist in identifying delegates for the House of Delegates
• Maintain a seat on the Membership and Member Services Commission
• Contribute quarterly to the Washington Family Physician journal

New Physician Trustee (1 year term)

It shall be the duty of the New Physician Trustee to attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and serve on Commissions or Committees to which they may be appointed. They shall have such powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Bylaws, or by the Board of Directors. The six Trustees shall be elected as provided in the Bylaws. The New Physician Trustee may be from any chapter, shall be within seven years of entering practice at the time of election, and shall be elected for a term of one year, with a limit of three terms in this position.

New Physician Trustee Duties:

• Contribute quarterly to the Washington Family Physician journal
• Serve as a liaison between the board and the membership
• Act as a representative of the membership to the board
• Make contact with and poll the membership regarding active issues which the WAFP is addressing
• Act as a resource for the chapter presidents and the membership at large
• Identify and recruit individuals for future leadership positions within the WAFP and encourage these individuals to participate in WAFP activities
• Attend board meetings on a regular basis
• Assist in identifying delegates for the House of Delegates
• Maintain a seat on the Membership and Member Services Commission

Resident Trustee (1year term)

It shall be the duty of the Resident Trustee to attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and serve on Commissions or Committees to which they may be appointed. They shall have such powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Bylaws, or by the Board of Directors. The Resident Trustee and Resident Alternate Trustees shall be Resident Members, nominated by the Resident Chapter and elected at the Annual Meeting for a term of one year.

Resident Trustee Duties:

• Contribute quarterly to the Washington Family Physician journal
• Coordinate, prepare agendas and lead minimum of two meetings of the WAFP Committee on Resident and Student Issues per year. This is done in conjunction with the WAFP Student Trustee.  
• Maintain contact with Chief Residents at Washington residency programs and continue relations with the AAFP Resident leadership.
• Help coordinate budget spending and reimbursement from funding resources.
• Coordinate with the WAFP Student Trustee to plan the annual WAFP Resident/Student Retreat, which takes place each winter/spring.
• Serve as the resident representative to the WAFP Board of Directors to report on activities from the Committee on Resident and Student Issues and WWAMI Residency Network (if needed) and provide a resident perspective to board issues.
• Attend and organize resident delegation to the WAFP Annual Meeting and to the National Congress of Family Medicine Residents & Students (NCFMRS).
• Announce and hold elections for Resident Trustee positions and serve as a resource for your successor.

Student Trustee (1 year term)

Student Alternate Trustee (1 year term)

It shall be the duty of the Student Trustee to attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and serve on Commissions or Committees to which they may be appointed. They shall have such powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Bylaws, or by the Board of Directors. The Student Trustee and Student Alternate Trustee shall be Student Members nominated by the Student Chapter and elected at the Annual Meeting for a term of one year.

Student Trustee Duties:

• Contribute quarterly to the Washington Family Physician journal
• Attend meetings of the WAFP Board of Directors and serve on commissions/committees as indicated, representing student concerns 
• Coordinate, prepare agendas and lead minimum of two meetings of the WAFP Committee on Resident and Student Issues per year. This is done in conjunction with the WAFP Resident Trustee  
• Encourage membership and participation in WAFP/AAFP and serve as liaison to the FMIG leaders at Washington medical schools
• Help coordinate budget spending and reimbursement from funding resources 
• Coordinate with the WAFP Resident Trustee to plan the annual WAFP Resident/Student Retreat, which takes place each winter/spring
• Attend and organize student delegation to the WAFP Annual Meeting and to the National Congress of Family Medicine Residents & Students (NCFMRS)
• Announce and hold elections for Student Trustee and serve as a resource for your successor 

Eastside Delegate to the AAFP (2 year term)

Eastside Alternate Delegate to the AAFP (2 year term)

In accordance with the Bylaws of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the House of Delegates of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians shall normally elect one delegate and one alternate delegate annually for a term of two years to represent this constituent state chapter in and at the Congress of Delegates of the American Academy of Family Physicians. A delegate to the American Academy of Family Physicians may be elected to that office for three consecutive two-year terms, unless during the third two-year term the delegate files a letter with the President of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians indicating the delegate’s intent to run for national AAFP office. In that circumstance the AAFP delegate’s term for the alternate in line behind the delegate would be extended for a fourth term. The senior delegate shall be responsible for reporting to the WAFP Board of Directors following the AAFP Annual Meeting an assessment of WAFP Delegate participation in national offices.

Eastside Delegate to the AAFP Duties:

• Represent the WAFP at the Congress of Delegates of the American Academy of Family Physicians

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING SCHEDULE

The Board of Directors can also meet and communicate via conference call, e-mail or listserv when there are issues that require more immediate attention than the regular Board meeting schedule permits.