(CVMA Bylaws – Current to January 2022)
(Proposed/to be adopted in April 2022)
For the purpose of conducting elections of the members of the Board, the State of California is divided into constituent association districts constituted as follows:
Future redistricting of the nine (9) Association districts may be considered and accomplished as needed. Such redistricting may be necessary to provide for proper representation on the Board of Governors for all members of the Association.
Five (5) members of the Board are elected each year for terms of three (3) years each.
If a voting member maintains a principle office for the practice of veterinary medicine in a constituent association district different from the district in which the member resides, such voting member may, by written notice to the Board of Governors, direct that their right to vote in any election under this Section, be assigned to the Association district in which the member resides.
If the Board of Governors determines that a voting member does not have a principal office for the practice of veterinary medicine, the Board shall direct that the member’s right to vote in any election under this Section and the member’s right to seek any elective office under this Section, be assigned to the constituent association district in which such member resides, unless the Board determines that such assignment should be made to a more appropriate district upon the presentation of a written petition by such member.
Any eligible member of the Association may become a candidate for the Board upon submitting to the office of the Association a petition of intention in writing, signed by ten (10) members of the Association in good standing who reside in or maintain a principal office for the practice of veterinary medicine within the Association district which the member would represent if the member were successfully elected to membership on the Board of Governors.
Only voting members of the Association who reside in or maintain their principal offices for the practice of veterinary medicine in the respective constituent association district, or whose right to vote has been assigned to the respective constituent association district, shall be entitled to vote for the member of the Board of Governors therefrom.
The election shall be by ballot.
Notification shall be mailed to VMA officers in those districts where Board terms are scheduled to expire at least 120 days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors. Notification will also be published in the CVMA Weekly and/or the January/February issue of the California Veterinarian.
Candidates’ petitions shall be returned by their District to the Association not later than 75 days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors.
In the event there is a single nominee for the district governor position, and said nominee is nominated in accordance with the Association’s Constitution and Bylaws, the Executive Director shall be instructed to cast a unanimous ballot, thereby eliminating the mailing of ballots.
Should more than one nominee submit the petition in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws, ballots shall be mailed to every Association member in the eligible district not later than 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting, to be received and canvassed by the Executive Director not later than 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting.
The members of the Board of Governors shall continue in office until their successors are elected and qualified.
The term of office of each member of the Board of Governors shall commence upon installation at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors next succeeding the member’s election, and that member shall hold office until a successor is elected and qualified.
Veterinary Medical Student Representatives to the Board. There shall be one (1) veterinary medical student representative to the Board from each veterinary school within the State of California which is accredited by the AVMA-COE to confer the degree of DVM or an equivalent degree in veterinary medicine, for a term of one (1) year. Each such student representative shall be elected from the student membership of his or her school.