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Section II. Officers

A. Composition1

  1. The elected officers of the Society are a president, a vice president, and a treasurer.
  2. The president and the vice president serve terms of one year each. The treasurer serves a term of three years.
  3. Officers take office at the conclusion of the annual business meeting following the election. They are ineligible for immediate reelection.

B. Duties

  1. ​​​In addition to the responsibilities and activities of ​Council, the ​​​specific Officer duties​ are outlined in​ the ​​​individual position descriptions​​ and include the following:
    1. Ensuring the legal and ethical integrity of the organization.
    2. Providing proper financial oversight and ensuring adequate financial resources.
    3. Establishing policy for the Society.
    4. Ensuring effective planning.
    5. Monitoring and strengthening programs and services.
    6. Ensuring the organization’s public standing.
    7. Supporting the work of the paid staff.
    8. Selecting, supporting, and evaluating the chief executive officer.
  2. Together with the chief executive officer, the officers are responsible for ensuring that records of continuing value to the Society are transferred to the Society’s archives.3

C. Other

  1. ​To ensure that the Society has a broad pool of leadership and to avoid potential power imbalances, elected​ officers of the Society ​​​are discouraged from serving​ as officers, steering committee members, or editors on other SAA bodies except where this service is specifically mandated​ or their specific expertise is essential​.
  2. Elected officers of the Society will not concurrently serve as paid employees of SAA, except to complete pre-existing contracts.5

Approved by the Council: June 1991
Revised May 2011, April 2025

1 The source for Section II.A. is the Constitution of the Society of American Archivists, Article V.A.1.

2 This list of duties is based on Richard T. Ingram, Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards, Second Edition (BoardSource, 2009).

3 The source for Section II.B.2. is the Constitution of the Society of American Archivists, Article VII.

4 Per resolution adopted by the Council at its January 30-February 1, 1987, meeting and reaffirmed at the June 2-4, 1989 meeting.

5 Per resolution adopted by the Council at its June 5-7, 1987, meeting and reaffirmed at its June 2-4, 1989 meeting.

Updated: 2025-07-30

Governance Manual