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2021 CANDIDATES

The Sister Cities International (SCI) Board of Directors is elected by its voting members. The election normally includes both electronic voting and in person voting. However, this year the entire election will be held virtually
with electronic voting. The results of the Election will be announced at the SCI Annual Business Meeting scheduled for July 16, 2021. More information on the election, as well as service on the Board of Directors can be found in the FAQ.

Sister Cities International is committed to the values of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our organization at all levels.

Ten (10) At-Large Board positions as well as the Young Professional position will be filled by election. The Young Professional is for a two-year term (2021-2023). Seven (7) of the at-large positions are for full three-year
terms (2021-2024), two (2) are for a two-year term (2021-2023) and one (1) is for a one-year position (2021-2022). The three-year positions will be filled by the 1st through 7th place candidates, the two-year by the 8th place and the 9th place and the one year position by the 10th place.

Voting will be available online between June 1st and July 15th.

AT LARGE POSITION

CAROLE KENNER

HELENE SCHNEIDER

IVAN JAIME

JIM DONOVAN

JOE BUSCAINO

MARIO PORRAS

MILDRED VANDERPUIJE

MUCKI WRIGHT

RONDA PIERCE

SERGIO JIMENEZ

MILDRED VANDERPUJIJE

MUCKI WRIGHT

YOUNG Professional REPRESENTATIVE

KEVIN O'DONnELL

HELENE SCHNEIDER

IVAN JAIME

JIM DONOVAN

Proposed Bylaw Changes for 2021 Approved by the Governance Committee

Section 4, paragraph 4:

A candidate shall be considered elected to office if he/she has received the highest number of votes of the votes cast for a Director’s position by the Voting Members at the Annual Meeting. For purposes of clarification of this section, if seven Director’s positions are available for election at an Annual Meeting, the seven candidates, out of all eligible candidates, with the highest number of votes of the votes cast shall be considered elected. There shall be no requirement for a candidate to receive a majority of votes of the votes cast to be elected. In the event of a tie of votes, a run-off election shall be immediately conducted between the candidates who received the tied number of votes that created the necessity for a run-off; however, if the Annual Meeting is conducted virtually, then the Board of Directors shall proceed publicly to determine by lot which of the candidates shall be declared elected. Upon the completion of an election, the Governance Committee shall certify the election results and present them to the Board of Directors, members and candidates. Conflicts arising from this section shall be resolved by the Board of Directors.

Section 1, paragraph 2.

Committee chairs and Committee members shall be appointed by the Chair of the Board of Directors with the consent of the Board of Directors. The term of office for each Committee member shall be two years, to coincide with the term of office of the Chair of the Board of Directors. Each Committee chair shall be a Director of the Corporation. Each Committee, unless otherwise stated, shall include a minimum of five persons, including not less than one person who is not a Director, and may include Directors and representatives from the Affiliated Organizations, Advisory Boards, Honorary Board, State Representatives, and members or their representatives, in case of a member who is an organization or governmental entity.

Section 1.

Annual Conference. The Board of Directors may determine the date and location of any Annual Conference and for any Regional Conferences, for any year in which any such conference shall be convened. Timely Notice shall be given to the members of the date and location. The Chair of the Board of Directors shall set the agenda for any Annual Conference and any Regional Conferences and shall preside over its official functions, activities and events. 


Section 2.

Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors shall determine the time, date and location of the Annual Meeting. Timely Notice shall be given to the members of the time, date and location. Voting members may participate in person, via electronic or telephonic means or by advance submission of a written ballot for purposes of establishing a quorum and taking action at the Annual Meeting. Directors for the Corporation shall be elected at the Annual Meeting pursuant to the Bylaws of the Corporation. Official business of the Corporation, including the consideration and passage of resolutions, and the adoption of Amendments to the Articles of Incorporation and/or Bylaws of the Corporation, may be conducted and transacted at the Annual Meeting. The Chair of the Board of Directors shall preside over and set the agenda for the Annual Meeting. Any conflict with regard to the form, function or procedure of the Annual Meeting shall be resolved by ruling of the Chair, at the Chair’s sole discretion. As presiding officer at the Annual Meeting, the Chair of the Board of Directors shall determine and declare, by a ruling of the Chair, at the Chair’s sole discretion, if a quorum of Voting Members is present and available to conduct the business of the Corporation. Upon declaration by the Chair that a quorum is present at the beginning of the Annual Meeting, the members may act upon any or all items presented for their consideration. Any action made or taken by the members must be done by a majority vote of those votes cast by the Voting Members present at the time of the vote during the Annual Meeting, unless otherwise specified pursuant to the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Corporation. 


Section 3.

Regular Meetings and Special Meetings. Regular Meetings and Special Meetings may be held by the Board of Directors on behalf of the Corporation. The Board of Directors shall regularly meet not less than three times each calendar year. The Board of Directors shall determine the times, dates and locations of all Regular Meetings and shall give Timely Notice to the Board of Directors of the times, dates and locations. Directors may participate in person or via electronic or telephonic means for purposes of establishing a quorum and taking action at a Special Meeting. 

Special Meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chair of the Board of Directors or by the Executive Committee. The business conducted at a Special Meeting shall be confined to the purposes stated in the meeting notice. For purposes of this section, notice of a Special Meeting must be given to the Board of Directors not less than forty-eight hours in advance and shall include the time, date, location and purposes of the Special Meeting. Directors may participate in person or via electronic or telephonic means for purposes of establishing a quorum and taking action at a Special Meeting. 


Section 4.

Attendance. Each Director shall be required to attend all Regular Meetings of the Board of Directors. If a Director is absent from two or more consecutive Regular Meetings, he/she may be declared resigned from office by the Board of Directors for failure to meet the meeting Attendance requirements of the Corporation. An excused absence from a Regular Meeting may be granted by the Chair of the Board of Directors. An excused absence shall not be considered an absence for the purpose of this section. 


Section 5.

Timely Notice. Unless otherwise prescribed by the Bylaws of the Corporation, Timely Notice of a conference or meeting shall be considered given when delivered by postal, written or electronic means, personal service, or by written or verbal statement at an Annual Conference, Annual Meeting, Regular Meeting, or Special Meeting of the Board of Directors or members of the Corporation, when given not less than ten days in advance of said conference or meeting. 


Section 6.

Voting Procedures. Only Voting Members of the Corporation shall be eligible to cast votes in conferences and meetings of the Corporation or in elections of the Board of Directors. Each Voting Member shall certify its voting delegates, including alternate delegates, who shall be authorized to cast a Voting Member’s votes at an Annual Meeting of the Corporation. The Governance Committee shall certify Voting Members and their voting delegates, and alternates, who shall be authorized to cast ballots in any meeting of the Corporation or in elections of the Board of Directors. Each voting delegate or alternate shall be registered for the Annual Meeting, in order to cast votes at the Annual Meeting and will be issued non-transferable voting credentials for use during the Annual Meeting. A list of all certified voting delegates shall be maintained by the Secretary of the Board of Directors. Each Voting Member in good standing with the Corporation shall be accorded a certain number of possible votes to cast in a meeting of the Corporation or in elections of the Board of Directors, according to its dues classification. A Voting Member in the minimum membership classification shall have two votes. A Voting Member in the next higher membership classification shall have three votes. A Voting Member in all higher membership classifications shall have four votes. Each voting delegate may cast all or any portion of the votes he/she is entitled to cast as determined by membership classification. An alternate delegate may only vote in the absence of the voting delegate. Voting in elections of the Board of Directors shall be done by secret ballot, either by electronic mail, postal mail, or in person. Mail ballots shall be received by the Governance Committee not less than ten days prior to the Annual Meeting. No Voting Member shall be authorized to vote by both mail and in person on the same question or matter. Proxy voting shall not be permitted at any conference or meeting, whatsoever, of the Corporation.