• The expansion of eligibility for associate status to include “a company that designs and sells a product under AMCA’s scope, but subcontracts assembly and fabrication” (Article III, Section 7). This change has the potential to grow AMCA’s base, augment AMCA’s technical expertise, and increase non-dues, non-assessment revenue. If there were a flood of new associates or a small number of AMCA members in a particular product section, however, membership input could be diluted (associates are not members and cannot vote on association-wide issues or hold leadership positions, but can serve on committees).
• The chair of each region becoming the region’s steering-committee chair (Article VII, Section 5) and each region steering-committee chair (or his or her designee) serving on the Nominating Committee (Article IX, Section 2C). This would strengthen the connection between the board of directors, the steering committees, and the regions; improve communication; increase opportunities for coordinated leadership; and simplify the nominating process. At the same time, however, it would reduce the number of volunteer positions.
• Limiting committee chairs to terms of two years and not more than two consecutive terms (Article IX, Section H [new]). This would increase churn at the chair level, increasing leadership opportunities, and prevent staidness from a committee working under the same leadership for an extended period. Conversely, it would force a chair-position change when one may not be wanted or needed.
• The replacement of an association-wide engineering committee with product-section engineering committees (Article 9, Section 2B). This would formalize the role of committees responsible for product sections and eliminate a “speed bump” in the standards-approval process. However, it would diffuse responsibility for avoiding technical conflicts among divisions.
• The mandate that each region have a marketing committee (Article IX, Section 2D) and an advocacy committee (Article IX, Section 2E [new]). This would place responsibility for marketing and advocacy strategies with the regions, where the outcomes are most keenly felt. However, it would increase the effort required to ensure alignment with general AMCA and board policies and initiatives.