BASIC NOMINATION INFORMATION

The USGBC Texas Chapter Bylaws provide for a Regional Council consisting of elected members. Before you submit your nominee application, please review the criteria listed below.  We also encourage you to read the Council’s roles and responsibilities and key policies provided here.

THESE USGBC STRATEGIC GOALS FRAME OUR WORK AND FEATURE IN THE NOMINATION CRITERIA:

• Become the principal resource for green building knowledge and education.
  
• Promote sustainable strategies that Impact Texas.
  
• Develop organizational capacity, structure and fluid communications to ensure our mission and vision.
  

DO YOU MEET THE GENERAL NOMINATION CRITERIA?

The Nominating Committee will use the general nomination criteria below to evaluate all nominees. Nominees will qualify to run in the election if they meet both the general nomination criteria and the specific nomination criteria for at least one of the Director categories. The governance committee will evaluate and determine potential candidate qualifications.

Only one representative from a given organization may run in the election per region, and no more than two representatives from a given organization may serve on a Regional Council during a fiscal year.

Nominees must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Demonstrate a material role in championing sustainability or green building within their organization.
  
• Served on a non‐profit, professional organization or USGBC chapter committee or working group within the past two years.
• Demonstrate leadership experience by having been employed, for at least two years, within the past five years as an executive for a non‐profit or for‐profit corporation, institution, or government agency.
• If elected to the council, become a member of the chapter prior to January 1, 2024.

After reviewing the general nomination criteria, the next step is to indicate which of the following categories best describes your qualifications:

• REAL ESTATE + PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
• MATERIALS + RESOURCE PROVIDER
• PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
• GOVERNMENTAL
• ARCHITECTURE + ENGINEERING
• CONSTRUCTION

WHAT WE REQUEST OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Position Summary:

The role of the Regional Council (RC) is to support the strategic direction of the USGBC Texas Chapter at a local level. In advancing that role – the Council has general oversight responsibility with respect to strategic and generative plans, policies, and decisions to ensure they are consistent with the Chapter’s Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles.

Key Responsibilities of the RC:

• To articulate and uphold the vision, values and mission of the USGBC Texas Chapter.
  
• To adopt policies and procedures that will carry out the mission of the USGBC Texas Chapter.
  
• To continuously assess the effectiveness of the Chapter’s work in the achievement of its mission and to engage in generative dialogue for the purpose of addressing threats to and leveraging opportunities for such work.
• To develop and approve strategic goals and initiatives for the purpose of advancing the Council’s mission.
  
• To oversee, control and direct the affairs of the RC, through the governance policies.
  
• To take such actions as may be necessary to conduct the business of the organization, including establishing policies and delegating certain authority.
• To elect the Council Chair, Vice‐Chair (Chair‐elect), Secretary and Treasurer.
  
• To appoint Board Directors to the State Chapter.
  

Responsibilities of Individual Council Members:

• Know Chapter’s mission, vision, guiding principles, strategic goals, and policies.
• Remain a member in good standing.
• Undertake special assignments and serve as committee liaisons as requested or, where appropriate.
• Read and understand RC’s financial statements – or responsible summaries thereof – and help the board fulfill its  fiduciary responsibility.
• Abide by Chapter’s code of conduct and confidentiality, conflict of interest, antitrust, and anti‐harassment policies [the latter three are provided in full or summarized below].
• Help recruit new members for Texas Chapter.
• Help bring significant new resources (financial or other) to the work of USGBC.
• Prepare for, attend and actively participate in all RC meetings.
• Speak on behalf of the Region or Chapter when authorized to do so.
  

 

USGBC TEXAS CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY (SUMMARIZED)

Leaders must avoid activities and situations that actually, potentially, or apparently conflict with USGBC’s interests or interfere with the role models' duty to serve USGBC with undivided loyalty ("conflicts"). Conflicts include:

1.       Having a direct financial or close personal interest in a company, service or product that could be affected (in a positive or negative
          manner) by a decision of a board, committee or other USGBC governing body on which the Leader serves,

2.       Revealing or misusing confidential information,

3.       Accepting or offering substantial gifts, excessive entertainment, favors, or payments that may reasonably be construed to constitute
          undue or otherwise improper influence,

4.       Breaching any fiduciary duty owed to USGBC Texas,

5.       Participating in any private inurement transactions, which include transactions where USGBC’s resources are transferred to an
          individual solely by virtue of the individual's relationship with USGBC Texas and without regard to the chapter’s purposes,

6.       Exploiting opportunities for personal or private benefit that could otherwise benefit USGBC Texas, and

7.       Taking direct action on behalf of USGBC Texas that may result in material, personal or private benefit or that may result in a material
          adverse impact to a personal or private competitor.

USGBC TEXAS ANTITRUST COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

Organizations such as USGBC Texas may engage in a number of educational activities for its members and the public. For example, USGBC Texas may collect or distribute to industry participants, customers, and the public information about green building products or services. However, since organizations like USGBC Texas involve interaction and communications between competitors, they also are subject to scrutiny under the antitrust laws. It is the policy of USGBC to comply fully with the antitrust laws. To avoid creating any issues under the antitrust laws, the members of USGBC Texas should not engage in any discussions or agreements concerning the following topics either in formal meetings or informal social gatherings:

1.       Prices, price changes, price quotations, bids, pricing policies, pricing philosophies, price levels, price differentials, mark‐ups,
          discounts, or allowances;

2.       Any element of price, including credit, warranties, or other terms and conditions of sale;

3.       Output, production, profits or costs;

4.       The customers to whom a company sells;

5.       The territories in which a company sells;

6.       The amount that a company pays for goods or services;

7.       The selection, rejection or termination of customers or suppliers;

8.       Business plans or strategies;

9.       Restrictions on the development or use of technology; or

10.     Exchange of any competitive information.

USGBC TEXAS CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY

USGBC TEXAS ANTI‐HARASSMENT POLICY (SUMMARIZED)

All USGBC Texas staff, paid employees or volunteers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect by members of the Board of Directors. As such, USGBC Texas is committed to providing an environment that is free from harassment, intimidation, and coercion based on or related to an individual’s race, color, gender, religion, national origin (including ancestry), age, disability, veteran status, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, political affiliation, personal appearance, matriculation or any other classification protected by applicable law. Any violation of the Anti‐Harassment Policy will be dealt with promptly and appropriately. Any board member who engages in such improper conduct will be subject to disciplinary action through the disciplinary process created by the board, up to and including removal from the Board. Improper harassment may include, but is not limited to: offensive or abusive physical contact; use of offensive nicknames, jokes, or terms of endearment; unwelcome comments about a person’s clothing, body, appearance, or personal life; and use of USGBC Texas’ email or internet system to retrieve or transmit offensive or harassing messages.