Officer Duties/Descriptions

President:

The President is the primary leader of the section. They represent the section within the community and is also responsible for communications to and from National SWE. They lead SWE-CM activities by focusing on the Section’s future direction, development, and vision. The President presides at Leadership Team meetings and membership business meetings. The President must be a paid and voting member of SWE.

Duties per bylaws:

  • Represent the section before the public and preside at meetings of the section and its executive council;
  • Appoint the chairs of all committees, with the approval of the executive council, except the chair of the nominating committee;
  • Approve the appointment of all committee members, except the members of the nominating committee;
  • Authorize the disbursement of section funds within the budget approved by the executive council;
  • Be an authorized signatory on all section accounts;
  • Coordinate activities and execute the business and policies of the section between meetings;
  • Review and approve the year-end section financial report;
  • Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned;
  • Perform other duties normally associated with the office of president or as may be assigned by the executive council or the governance documents

Other Duties for SWE-CM:

  • Serve on Awards Committee for Distinguished Engineering Service Award selection;
  • Select a Service to SWE Award recipient as appropriate;
  • Organize gifts for and recognition of outgoing Officers at Annual Awards & Recognition Banquet;
  • Establish succession plan;
  • Provide leadership training for Executive Council;
  • Provide oversight as needed for Event Coordinators

Vice President:

The Vice President creates opportunities to demonstrate the value of diversity by acting as the liaison between SWE-CM and other technical and related societies. They steer Committee activities as assigned. Since they fulfill the Presidential responsibilities in the President’s absence, they must be a paid and voting member of SWE.

Duties per bylaws:

  • Assume the duties of the president if the president is temporarily unable to serve
  • Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned Perform such duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents

Other Duties for SWE-CM:

  • Ensure the gift is obtained for the Outgoing President for Annual Awards & Recognition Banquet
  • Ensure SWE pin and Past President gavel are ordered in time for presentation at the banquet as necessary

Secretary:

The Secretary is the communication focus of the Section. They maintain the Section’s records and supplies, records and distributes minutes of the Leadership Team and member business meetings, and maintains mailing lists (paper and email).

Duties per bylaws:

  • Maintain the records of the section
  • Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned
  • Perform other duties normally associated with the office of secretary or as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents

Other Duties for SWE-CM:

  • Prepare minutes for Executive Council meetings
  • Prepare minutes for other general business or event planning meetings
  • Compose and edit the SWE-CM Newsletter
  • Coordinate with the Website Coordinator and List Serv Administrator to publish the SWE-CM Newsletter
  • Ensure “Thank You” letters are written and sent to speakers, etc. within ten days of the event as appropriate
  • Proved Treasurer with a letter including the next FY officer roster for the bank by June 30 for signatory changes

Treasurer:

The Section Treasurer manages all organizational funds. They maintain the checking/savings accounting records, develops and tracks budgets, and creates financial strategies. The treasurer steers fund-raising activities. They file the Financial report due July 30 each year. They must be a paid member of SWE.

Duties per bylaws:

  • Be responsible for the collection, distribution, and safekeeping of section funds
  • Prepare, maintain, and report as directed on the financial position of the section in relation to the approved budget
  • Submit a financial report to the Society in accordance with established procedures
  • Provide oversight and guidance to the committee chairs as assigned
  • Perform other duties normally associated with the office of treasurer or as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents

Other Duties for SWE-CM:

  • Maintain online banking account(s)
  • Provide Treasurer’s update to Section membership quarterly via newsletter
  • Prove financial update to Executive Council upon request
  • Submit a financial report to SWE HQ by July 31
  • File e-Postcard with IRS by Nov 15

Section Representative:

The Society allows one Section Rep for every 100 members or fraction thereof. SWE-CM has less than 100 members so we are allotted only one Section Representative. The Section Rep is the link between the Charlotte-Metrolina Section and the Regional and National organizations. They are a voting member of the Council of Representatives and takes the needs of the CM Section into account when voting on Society issues. It is the Section Rep’s responsibility to distribute communications from the National organization to the CM membership. In order to represent and vote for the Section at Regional and National levels, the Section Rep must attend Regional and National Conferences and file quarterly and annual reports to the Region D Director. The Section Rep is also responsible for insuring that SWE-CM is in compliance with Society bylaws. The Section Rep must be a paid and voting member of SWE.

Duties per bylaws:

  • Perform those duties expected of them as described in the Society bylaws, the council of representatives’ procedures, and the region governance documents
  • Perform other duties normally associated with the office of section representative or as may be assigned by the president, the executive council, or the governance documents

Other Duties for SWE-CM:

  • Complete and submit section reports as directed by Region D Governor
  • Complete and submit Annual Report (Roster Update) to SWE HQ by June 30

Alternate Section Representative:

The Alternate Section Rep is elected to attend and participate in SWE meetings and vote in the absence of the Section Rep. In the event that the Section Rep cannot perform her duties, the Alternate Section Rep assumes all responsibilities of the Section Rep.

Awards Committee Chair:

The Awards Committee is responsible for collecting nominations for the awards sponsored by the Section. Currently, our Section sponsors two awards: the Distinguished Engineering Service Award (DESA) and the Service to SWE Award (SSA). The DESA was established in FY07 to recognize an individual who best exemplifies the engineering profession through leadership and service. The judging criteria evaluate the contributed time and effort in one or more of the following areas: public service, public awareness, professional development and leadership, and others as specified by the nominator. The SSA was established in FY08 to recognize a SWE Member who has demonstrated dedication and significant service to SWE and the Section. The Chairperson is responsible for announcing the Section award recipients, coordinating the ordering and purchasing of the awards, and issuing press releases for the award recipients and Awards and Recognition Banquet. They also coordinate the Section submissions for Regional and National awards.

Duties for SWE-CM:

  • Coordinate the DESA process
  • Coordinate with Publicity Committee and/or Secretary to submit press release within 5 days of Awards & Recognition Banquet for all award(s) recipient(s)
  • Coordinate submissions for Regional and National Awards

Chair:

  • Provide status report to Executive Council upon request
  • Submit an annual report to the EC

Membership Committee Chair:

The Membership Committee coordinates programs to increase membership and enhance the privileges of SWE membership. It maintains personal data files on Section members and on prospective members. The committee creates and supplies membership packets to potential new members. It also contacts and assists prospective members in applying for membership in the Society.

The Chairperson coordinates membership activities, applications, and membership upgrades with National SWE. They welcome new members and helps the Section Secretary maintain the membership list. They also provide new members “bios” for the Section newsletter, SWE~Charlotte-Metrolina Chronicle.

Nominating & Teller Committee Chair:

The Nominating & Teller Committee is responsible for soliciting volunteers to fulfill our office positions for the following fiscal year. It is also responsible for collecting all election ballots and counting the votes.

The Chairperson is responsible for coordinating the dissemination of the ballots, the counting of the votes, and reporting the results to the Executive Council.

Outreach Committee Chair:

The Outreach Committee, formerly known as Career Guidance Committee, provides information and counseling on engineering careers for elementary, middle, junior high, and high school students, their counselors, and parents. It maintains and disseminates information on available scholarships and coordinates the Certificates of Merit and/or Achievement program. This committee provides counseling and, when possible, financial assistance to women engineering students. It acts as a resource to college students as they head toward careers in engineering and conducts any other activities approved by the Section membership in furtherance of the Society’s outreach goals.

The Chairperson champions outreach efforts and recruits coordinators for those efforts. They coordinate student programs by being the contact for local schools and agencies and arranging presentations. They network with other technical societies’ outreach chairpersons to maximize our resource base. The chairperson submits quarterly committee reports via our newsletter and to the Executive Council upon request. The main event/program that falls under this committee is the annual Girl Scout Event(s).

Professional Development Committee Chair:

The Professional Development Committee encourages and assists Section members to establish goals for and to attain high levels of educational and professional achievement. It also encourages and assists women engineers in readying themselves for a return to active work after a period of absence. It provides opportunities for members to enhance their technical and managerial skills, network, and gain visibility and conducts any other activities approved by the Section membership in furtherance of the professional development of its members.

The Chairperson oversees the committee efforts and submits quarterly committee reports via our newsletter and to the Executive Council upon request.

Publicity Committee Chair:

The Publicity Committee establishes an image of women as a positive force in the engineering profession. It provides publicity to advance the Society’s objectives and Section goals and sends news accounts of Section activities to SWE: The Magazine of the Society of Women Engineers. The committee also puts together and distributes the SWE-CM newsletter, SWE~Charlotte-Metrolina Chronicle.

The Chairperson publicizes Charlotte-Metrolina Section efforts to a wide audience (corporate leaders, financial supports, etc.). They collect information from the Leadership Team and membership for SWE~Charlotte-Metrolina Chronicle. The chairperson also evaluates options to increase SWE-CM visibility and arranges for media coverage of events. They submit quarterly committee reports via our newsletter and to the Executive Council upon request.

Website Coordinator:

  • Maintain and update Section website
    Maintain all online account and login information and distribute to Executive Council as appropriate, except online banking and PayPal accounts
    Ensure Section uses SPAM reduction methods

ListServ Administrator:

  • Maintain and update both list servs (and Evite address book as appropriate)
    Ensure Section abides by CAN SPAM procedures