NATA Updates Bylaws
The NATA Board of Directors approved a series of bylaw updates during its Aug. 25 meeting.
These updates are substantive changes, which were submitted to each of the districts’ annual business meetings after an initial board approval. Each bylaw then had to be approved by at least two-thirds of the NATA’s districts before being resubmitted to the board for final approval. After receiving final board approval, the new bylaws went into effect immediately.
Below is an outline of the new bylaws. You can read the full NATA Bylaws on the NATA website.
MEMBERSHIP
3.1 Classes of Members. NATA shall have the following classes of Members. The Board of Directors may create categories within each class.
Professional Membership Categories: Individuals are eligible for Professional Membership if they meet one or more of the following qualifications:
i. Certified Members. Certified members possess current Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC) certification of Athletic Trainer Certified (ATC) and are in good standing with the BOC.
ii. Certified-Retired Members. Certified-Retired Members have resigned their ATC certification with the BOC and met the Policies and Procedures Manual requirements for Certified-Retired status.
iii. Licensed Only Members. Licensed members possess a current, valid license to practice athletic training in one or more U.S. states or territories, including the District of Columbia.
iv. Licensed Only-Retired Members. Licensed-Retired Members have retired their license(s) to practice athletic training in one or more U.S. states or territories, including the District of Columbia, and met the Policies and Procedures Manual requirements for Licensed-Retired status.
Other Membership Categories:
Other Members. Individuals who do not currently possess BOC certification or a state license to practice athletic training in one or more states or territories, including the District of Columbia.
3.4 Professional Membership Rights and Privileges.
(a) Professional Members. Each Certified and/or Licensed Member shall have the right to one (1) vote on any matter coming before the Members and the right to attend the Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposia, the Annual Members’ Meeting, and other national meetings of NATA. Professional Members shall be eligible to serve as Directors and Officers of NATA. Professional Members also may serve on Committees and as liaisons. Professional Members shall have the right to exercise such other privileges prescribed by the Board of Directors and set forth in these Bylaws and the Policies and Procedures Manual.
(b) Professional-Retired Members. Professional Certified-Retired and/or Licensed-Retired members shall have the right to one (1) vote on any matter coming before the Members and the right to attend the Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposia, the Annual Members’ Meeting, and other national meetings of NATA. Professional-Retired Members shall be eligible to serve as Directors and Officers of NATA. Professional-Retired Members may serve on Committees and as liaisons. Professional-Retired members shall pay no dues and have other rights and privileges prescribed by the Board of Directors and set forth in these Bylaws and the Policies and Procedures Manual.
Other Membership Rights and Privileges:
(c) Other Members. Other Members shall have the right to attend the Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposia, the Annual Members’ Meeting, and other national meetings of NATA, but shall have no voting rights and shall not be eligible to serve as Directors or Officers of NATA. Such Members shall have other rights and privileges prescribed by the Board of Directors and set forth in these Bylaws and the Policies and Procedures Manual.
6.2 Qualifications of Directors. Professional and Professional-Retired Members of NATA in good standing shall be eligible for election to the Board of Directors. A Director who ceases to meet the qualifications for Professional or Professional-Retired Member status shall automatically cease to be a Director. A Director who ceases to be a voting Member of the District that elected such Director shall automatically cease to be a Director except as provided in Section 5.2.
6.13 Action by Majority Vote; Proxy Voting. Each Director shall have one (1) vote, except that the President shall have only the voting rights described in Sections 9.1 and 12.2 of these Bylaws. An affirmative majority vote of eligible voting Directors at a meeting where a quorum is present shall constitute action by the Board of Directors. A Director may vote in person or by proxy executed in writing by the Director. No proxy shall be valid after one (1) month from the date of its execution. Each proxy shall be revocable unless expressly provided therein to be irrevocable and unless otherwise made irrevocable by law. Only Professional or Professional-Retired Members from the same District as the Director issuing the proxy may be named as proxies.
MEETINGS
4.1 Time, Location, Notification. An Members’ Meeting of NATA shall be held annually. Written notice of the Annual Members' Meeting shall be given to all Members, stating the location, date, and time of the Annual Members’ Meeting. If the Annual Members’ Meeting will be held entirely or in part using videoconferencing technology, conference telephone, or another authorized electronic communications system, the form of communication to be used for the Annual Members’ Meeting and the means of accessing the communications system shall be included in the notice. Written notice shall be given to each Member personally, by first-class mail, or by electronic mail by not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days before the date of the Annual Member Meeting, to the Member’s address as appearing on the membership records of NATA.
6.9 Meetings. There shall be an Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors. Other meetings of the Board of Directors may be called at any time by the President or at the request in writing of a majority of the number of Directors then in office. Minutes of all Board meetings shall be taken.
6.10 Remote Meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors, any committee designated by the Board of Directors, and meetings of the Members may be held entirely or in part using videoconference, conference telephone, or another authorized electronic communications system, as determined by the Board of Directors, as long as each person participating in the meeting can communicate with all other persons participating in the meeting, and provided that reasonable measures are used to sufficiently verify the identity of every person voting at the meeting using remote communications and to keep a record of any vote or other action taken. Participation by such means of remote communications shall constitute presence in person at a Meeting.
12.1 Substantive Changes. These Bylaws may be altered, amended, supplemented, or repealed after any such changes proposed by the Board of Directors, are shared and presented virtually or in person with the membership at least 90 days in advance of any vote of the Districts’ membership to allow for feedback and comments prior to a vote of the eligible professional membership by district. After the membership has had at least 90 days to review the Bylaws revisions, each of NATA’s Districts shall vote on whether to approve the proposed revisions in accordance with each applicable District’s bylaws and other applicable rules for voting. Any changes approved by at least two thirds (2/3) of the total number of Districts shall be resubmitted to the Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors then approves the changes by at least a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the number of Directors then in office (excluding the President), the changes shall thereupon become effective.
COMMITTEES
7.2 Standing Committees.
(a) Presidential Nominating Committee. The Presidential Nominating Committee is comprised of each seated District Director, the most immediate past Director for each District, provided they are currently a member of the District, and current NATA Board Committee/Council Chairs designated in the Presidential Election Policies and Procedures. Each Professional Member and Professional-Retired Member of the Presidential Nominating Committee will be permitted to vote. In the event that a NATA Board Committee/Council Chair is a candidate or unavailable, the Committee/Council will appoint a replacement who will receive a proxy ballot. Those who declare candidacy shall not serve on the Nominating Committee and shall not vote.
OFFICERS
8.2 President.
(a) Nomination. If more than two (2) candidates choose to stand for election, the Presidential Nominating Committee shall (subject to qualifications contained in these bylaws) nominate two (2) candidates for President at a meeting to occur within one (1) year prior to the election of the President, which shall take place before the Annual Members’ Meeting at which the current President’s term ends. Each candidate must be a Certified Member or Certified-Retired Member. Candidates for the office of President must be a current or past NATA Committee or Council Chair who served under the current or immediate past-president or a current or past Director of NATA.
(b) Election. Elections shall be conducted in an orderly, efficient, equitable and secure manner. A ballot shall be sent to each Professional Member and Professional-Retired Member. An election shall not be held if there is only one candidate. The candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall take office as NATA’s President at the next Annual Members’ Meeting.
(c) Term of Office, Re-election. The term of office of the President shall be three (3) years. With the exception of a Vice President who advances to fill a partial term as President, the President may not serve more than one (1) term.
8.5 Vacancy, Resignation, and Removal.
(a) Vacancy and Resignation.
i. Voluntary. An Officer may resign at any time by notifying the Board of Directors or the Executive Director in writing.
ii. Automatic. An Officer shall be deemed to have resigned and the Office shall be deemed to be vacant when such Officer: (A) resigns membership in NATA, (B) ceases to be a Certified Member and/or Licensed Member in good standing of NATA, (C) dies or becomes mentally or physically incapacitated, or (D) in the case of the Vice President or Secretary/Treasurer, ceases to be a Director. If there is disagreement between an Officer and the Board of Directors with respect to whether one or more of these events has occurred, the Board shall decide the matter in the same manner as provided in Section 8.5 (b).
(b) Removal. An Officer may be removed by the Board of Directors under conditions set forth below. At an in-person meeting of the Board, the Officer whose removal is being considered will be given a full opportunity to discuss and respond. The Officer shall be removed if a four-fifths (4/5) vote of Directors not personally involved in the matter determines that one or both of the following has occurred:
i. Conflict of Interest. The Officer has entered into a relationship that creates a significant conflict of interest with the goals of the NATA or the rights and obligations of the Office.
ii. Incompetence. The Officer is no longer able to fulfill the obligations of Office competently.
iii. Inappropriate Conduct. The Officer is found to have engaged in conduct that is illegal or unethical such that the Officer’s continued service would be contrary to the best interests of NATA.
