BYLAWS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMISTS

ARTICLE I – PURPOSE 

The Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (hereafter referred to as "the Association") is an international organization dedicated to the encouragement of exchange of ideas, research, and other professional activities relating to environmental and natural resource economics and management, including that of an interdisciplinary nature. For these purposes it may issue publications, newsletters, organize meetings and symposia or engage in other activities appropriate for the stimulation of work in its area of interest, and promotion of the professional activities of its members. The Association is dedicated to freedom of discussion and research, and undertakes to avoid partisan positions with respect to any individual, group, political philosophy, or research method.

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1. QUALIFICATIONS - Anyone interested in environmental and resource economics and management may become a member upon payment of at least one year's dues. Nonpayment of dues or of any other financial obligation to the organization shall constitute sufficient grounds for termination of membership without further notice. 

SECTION 2. SUSPENSION - Any member who makes use of his/her affiliation with the Association in a manner considered improper by the Board of Directors may be suspended by the Board after opportunity has been given the individual for a hearing before the Board and may be expelled from the Association by a vote of the Board and a majority of members voting at the next Business Meeting of the Association.

SECTION 3. DUES - Dues will be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Association. The Board is authorized but not required to establish different levels of dues for different classes of members, distinguishing students from non-student members, institutional from individual members, honorary members from regular members or establishing any other classes of members that are appropriate for the purposes of the Association. Dues shall be designed to defray those expenses of the Association that cannot be met by other means such as gifts, grants, or sales of publications.

ARTICLE III - THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SECTION 1. FUNCTIONS - The governing body of the Association will be a Board of Directors, which will meet at least once each calendar year to transact all business of the Association not delegated by it to subordinate committees or individuals, to assign additional specific responsibilities to the officers and committees of the Association, and to create, appoint, or abolish any committees, offices not specified in these By-Laws, or agents as it may deem advisable. Officers and agents not otherwise provided for in these By-Laws shall hold their offices for such terms and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as shall be determined from time to time by the Board. The Board may also delegate to specified employees, officers, and other Board members authority to expend funds and sign contracts. The Board will determine the terms of sale of Association publications, deciding whether they will be supplied without additional charge to dues-paying members, as well as registration fees for meetings and symposia and any other charges levied by the Association.

SECTION 2. COMPOSITION OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS - The Board of Directors shall be composed of eleven voting members and several ex-officio members without vote who may be appointed by the Board. The voting members shall consist of the Association President, President-Elect (in the second year of a President’s term) or immediate past President (in the first year of a President’s term), Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and six other Board members elected by the Association membership as specified in Article IV. The ex-officio members shall consist of the editor(s) of any journal of the Association, and such other persons as the Board may designate from time-to-time. This does not preclude selection of an editor(s) from among the voting members of the Board, in which case he/she retains his/her vote.

SECTION 3. TERMS - The President and Vice-President shall serve for terms of two calendar years each and cannot succeed themselves in the same office. The President-Elect shall serve a one-year term, beginning in the sitting President's second year, after which he/she succeeds to the Office of President. The Immediate Past President shall serve a one-year term, beginning in the sitting President's first year. The Secretary and Treasurer shall serve three calendar year terms each. The other voting members of the Board shall serve three calendar year terms with two to be elected each year. The editor(s) and any other ex-officio members shall be appointed by and for a period to be designated by the Board. 

SECTION 4. QUALIFICATIONS - All members of the Board, both voting and ex-officio, must be members in good standing of the Association during their term of office.

SECTION 5. RESIGNATIONS - Any officer or other member of the Board may resign at any time. Such resignations shall be made in writing, by electronic or regular mail, and shall take effect at the time specified, or, if no time is specified, at the time of its receipt by the Secretary, or in the event of a vacancy, by the President. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.

SECTION 6. VACANCIES - If any elected or appointive office other than that of President becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation, or non-membership, the remaining Board members in office, though less than a quorum by a majority vote, may appoint any qualified member of the Association to fill such a vacancy, who shall hold office for the unexpired term and until his/her successor shall duly take office. In the event that there is a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice-President shall become President.

SECTION 7. QUORUM - A majority of the voting members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

SECTION 8. ACTION WITHOUT MEETING - Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed on paper or electronically by all of the directors. At least two weeks must be allowed for responses to come in.

ARTICLE IV – NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF VOTING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SECTION 1. INITIAL SLATE - The initial slate of voting members of the Board of Directors shall be chosen by majority vote of the members of the Board that has formed the Association and shall serve until their terms expire and their successors have assumed office.

SECTION 2. SECRETARY AND TREASURER - The Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected by the other voting members of the Board of Directors except in the case of the initial slate.

SECTION 3. NOMINATING COMMITTEE - The Vice-President will chair the nominating committee, and by March 1 of each year will submit to the Board for majority approval the names of two or three persons to serve with him/her on the committee. None of these persons may be sitting Board members. The Nominating Committee shall nominate two candidates for President-Elect and two candidates for each other office for which a membership election is to be held that year. The Nominating Committee shall deliver its slate of candidates to the Secretary by August 1 of each year. In addition, a candidate can be nominated by petition by five percent of the members of the Association who are then in good standing. In order to qualify, petitions containing the signatures and addresses of the members must be received by the Secretary by August l of each year.

SECTION 4. CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS - Membership elections shall be conducted annually by electronic ballot of all members of the Association with a deadline for receipt of ballots not later than December 1 of each year. The elections shall be decided by the highest number of votes cast for each office as determined by an Election Committee with no members from those on the ballot that year appointed by the Board. In the case of a tie vote, the other members of the new Board shall decide who among those receiving the same vote shall hold the office.

ARTICLE V - FUNCTIONS OF THE OFFICERS

SECTION 1. PRESIDENT - The President has primary responsibility for the welfare of the Association and is responsible for execution of the decisions of the Board of Directors. He/she, or the President's designated representative, also presides at all business meetings of the Association and the Board. The President or the President's designated representative(s) shall assume responsibility for the planning and organization of all meetings of the Association that take place during his/her two-year term.

SECTION 2. PRESIDENT-ELECT - The President-Elect will initiate plans for Association meetings to be held during his/her upcoming Presidency.

SECTION 3. VICE-PRESIDENT - The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President when the latter is unavailable or unable to do so, and carry out other duties as shall be assigned to him/her by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 4. TREASURER - The Treasurer shall have custody of the funds of the Association, subject to the rules of the Board of Directors. He/she shall keep accurate account of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Association. He/she shall deposit all monies and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the Association in such depositories as may be designated by the Board. The Treasurer shall disburse, or cause to be disbursed, such Association Funds as may be ordered by the Board or by employees, officers, or other Board members designated by the Board for this purpose.

SECTION 5. SECRETARY - The main duty of the Secretary is to preserve the continuity of the Association. The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the Board of Directors of the Association, and in case of his absence, refusal, or neglect to do so, any such notice may be given by any person thereunto directed by the President, or by a majority of the elected Board of Directors, upon whose request the meeting is called as provided in these By- Laws. He/she shall record all the proceedings of the Board, and if so directed, other meetings of the Association in a manner to be directed by the Board, and have responsibility for their storage and retention. He/she shall also serve as manager of the activities of the Association's Executive Secretary.

SECTION 6. OPERATIONS COMMITTEE - The Officers shall serve as an Operations Committee of the Board of Directors. They will be designated powers by the Board of Directors to assure the smooth functioning of the routine administrative duties of the Association.

ARTICLE VI - LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

No member or officer shall be individually liable for the debts, contracts, and other obligations of the Association, other than dues paid for membership. This provision shall appear in all contracts entered into by and on behalf of the Association.

ARTICLE VII – MEETINGS

SECTION 1. ANNUAL MEETINGS - The Annual Meeting of the Association shall be held at such time and place as the Board of Directors may designate. The Board may arrange other meetings in addition to the Annual Meeting. Announcement of the time and place of the annual meeting must be communicated to members at least 30 days in advance.

SECTION 2. ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETINGS - A Business Meeting of the Association shall be held during the Annual Meeting. During this Meeting, as part of the Secretary's report, a summary of the actions of the Board shall be presented to the membership. Reports shall be presented also by the President, Treasurer, editors, and chairmen of the active committees.

SECTION 3. OTHER MEETINGS - The Secretary will normally call a meeting or conference of the Board of Directors by communicating a notice at least 21days in advance of the event to each Board member. If in the judgment of the Secretary circumstances require an earlier meeting, the Secretary may call a meeting or conference by making telephone or electronic contact with each Board member at least seven days in advance of the meeting. The President or a majority of the elected Members of the Board may also call a meeting by presenting a signed written or electronic request to the Secretary in time for him/her to follow either of these procedures.

ARTICLE VIII - CHANGES IN THE BY-LAWS

Changes in the By-Laws shall be proposed either by action of the Board of Directors or by petition containing the signatures and addresses of 10 percent of the Association members or by a majority of the Association members participating in any Annual Business Meeting. They shall be adopted upon affirmative vote of two-thirds of members voting, where the vote will be taken (a) at any meeting of the Association or (b) by mail or electronic ballot at any time, provided that a copy of any amendment proposed for consideration shall be sent to the last recorded email address of each voting member at least thirty (30) days prior to such meeting.