The St. Tammany West Chamber’s board of directors is made up of 18-20 local business professionals who are business leaders that understand the purpose and mission of the chamber. According to our by-laws, board members serve a three year term, and at the end of every year six members rotate off and six new members take their place.

Our annual board nomination process will begin in the coming weeks to ensure we have a high caliber team in place come January. The first order of business is for our current board of directors to appoint a Nominating Committee, made up of five members of the chamber. By the end of the summer, they will present a slate of six candidates to serve a three year term on the board. Each candidate should be an active member in good standing and should have agreed to accept the responsibility of directorship. They fill out an application in regard to their 3-year commitment to serve, telling the committee what they can offer and what they expect from their potential servant leadership. The board will vote to approve the slate of nominated directors.

We then notify the membership of the names of persons nominated as candidates for directors and of the right of petition. Additional names of candidates for directors can be nominated by petition bearing the genuine signatures of at least 50 qualified members of the Chamber. Such petition shall be filed with the Nominating Committee within at least 10 days after notice has been given of the names of those nominated.

If no petition is filed within the designated period, the nominations shall be closed and the nominees declared elected at the September board meeting.

Newly elected board members undergo a thorough orientation process, detailing their role in accordance with Chamber by-laws and the standards of excellence that is responsible for the success of our organization. In addition, all current, incoming and outgoing board members attend a special, all-day planning retreat where a program of work that outlines the goals and strategies for the year ahead is developed.

The strength of any non-profit organization is in its board leadership. The credit for our Chamber’s progress in recent years, including the receipt of the highest level of accreditation, goes to those who have served and set a high standard for future servant leaders.