At times chapters may find themselves with a sudden vacancy on their board. An officer may relocate or realize they no longer have enough time to fulfil their duties. Some chapters may also experience the challenge of handling an unresponsive officer. What should your chapter do in these circumstances? The action you take will likely depend on the situation and needs of your chapter.
Ending the Officer Term
If the resigning officer has given due notice, establish a new end-of-term date with them to clarify how long they will maintain their chapter responsibilities. Ensure they turn in any important chapter files by that time, and restrict their access to officer-only information once their term officially ends.
If an officer is not fulfilling their duties or responding, your chapter board may decide to give them a warning. This can be followed by notice that failure to reply by a certain date will result in their removal from the board. If you need guidance or assistance, feel free to reach out to Chapter Relations or your Regional Advisor.
Reassigning Responsibilities
How you reassign responsibilities will depend on your Chapter Bylaws, the hierarchy of your chapter board, and the time remaining before the next chapter election. Always refer to your bylaws first to ensure you are following any predetermined procedures. Some chapters have a hierarchal structure that make replacements and transitions simple. For example, if the President resigns, the President-Elect will fill in that position.
If your bylaws are not clear, consider the time remaining until the next election. For longer periods of time, you may decide to hold a special election and add a new member to the board. In these cases, the assistance of the resigning officer in training their replacement is always encouraged and appreciated. For shorter periods of time, the board may decide to divvy up the responsibilities between the remaining chapter officers.
Updating the APA
If your chapter has any change in officers between its annual reaffiliation, be sure to email ChapterRelations@americanpayroll.org so they can update your chapter records. The APA’s Chapter Relations team will need to know the updated term dates for any resigning officers, as well as the term dates and contact information for any new officers.
Has your chapter managed a mid-term officer transition before? If so, share what you learned from the experience in the comments below!
