Article 1 – Name and Address
Section 1. The name of this association shall be North Dakota Environmental Health Association, hereinafter referred to as the Association. The Association may be abbreviated by the initials NDEHA.
Section 2. The offices and addresses of the Association shall be the address of the duly elected secretary.
Article 2 – Duration
Section 1. The duration of this Association shall be perpetual.
Section 2. Roberts Rules of Order, as revised, shall be the model for parliamentary procedure at all meetings. The presiding officer may select a parliamentarian to advise the presiding officer prior to or during the meetings.
Section 3. The Association shall not have any capital stock or shares.
Section 4. The private property of the Association members shall not be liable for any Association or Corporation debts.
Section 5. The Association shall operate on a fiscal year from January 1 to December 31, aligning with the membership period.
Article 3 – Purpose and Objectives
Section 1. To maintain and improve the standards of performance in environmental health by fostering and encouraging research, education and the dissemination of information.
Section 2. To foster professional development and networking among environmental health professionals.
Section 3. To publish, or cause to be published, scientific or other useful information relating to environmental health.
Section 4. To promote the highest degree of skill, efficiency and professional competence among members practicing disciplines in environmental health through a mutual exchange of knowledge and experience.
Section 5. To encourage and support programs which contribute to consumer and environmental protection.
Section 6. To promote uniformity in the enactment and enforcement of laws affecting environmental health at all levels of government.
Section 7. To engage in any other lawful activities appropriate to a professional organization, including advocacy on behalf of the profession.
Article 4 – Officers/ Executive Board
Section 1. The elected officers of the Association shall collectively constitute listed in Article 4 the Executive Board.
Section 2. The elected members of the Executive Board are all voting members, their duties and accession shall be as follows:
President: Presides at all meetings and appoints such committees as may be authorized or required. The President approves expenditures, ensures election proceedings are followed, oversees the production of newsletters, and is the official spokesperson for the association.
First Vice-President: Shall act in the capacity of the President in the absence of the President. The First Vice-President shall accede to the Presidency after serving two years. Chairs Program Committee and Technology committee.
Second Vice-President: The Second Vice-President shall accede to First Vice-President after serving two years as Second Vice-President. Chairs Membership Committee and Bylaws Committee.
Member-at-Large. The Member-at-Large shall accede to Second Vice-President after serving two years as Member-at-Large. Chairs Sustaining Partner Committee and Local Arrangements Committee.
Secretary: The Secretary shall serve a two- year term, and may be re-elected to additional terms. The Secretary shall record and present minutes of all meetings, carry out correspondence for the Association as required or directed, and maintains a current list of Association members.
Treasurer: The Treasurer shall serve a two-year term, and may be re-elected to additional terms. The Treasurer shall act as the custodian of Association funds, prepare financial reports for the Association meetings, and pay all Association bills as authorized.
Section 3. The immediate past President shall be an ex-officio member of the Executive Board and has voting rights. The Past President chairs the Legislative Committee, Awards Committee, and Nominations Committee.
Section 4. All Executive Board members shall disclose any conflicts of interest annually and recuse themselves from related votes.”
Section 5. There shall be at least quarterly Executive Board meetings each year. Meetings may be conducted in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format to ensure accessibility.
Section 6. A quorum shall be a simple majority of the Executive Board members present at an Executive Board meeting, whether present in person or via electronic means.
Section 7. Any member officially representing the North Dakota Environmental Health Association at the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) events must be a member of NEHA.
Article 5 – Membership
Section 1. There shall be three classes of membership. The membership options shall be designated as Active, Student and Retired. All classes of membership have voting rights.
Section 2. Active membership shall be available to an individual who is or has been engaged in environmental health work or associated activities for a public or private organization.
Section 3. Student membership shall be available to any person who is a student at an accredited college or university.
Section 4. Retired membership is available to an individual who is retired from the field of environmental health.
Section 5. The period of membership shall run from January 1 to December 31 of each year. A current roster of the membership shall be updated annually.
Section 6. Membership dues for all classes shall be established by the Executive Board and shall be paid upon receipt of a dues statement or at the Annual Educational Conference. Such dues statements shall be sent to each unpaid member by the Secretary during the month of December.
Section 7. The Secretary shall send confirmation of membership and receipts upon receipt of payment for membership dues.
Section 8. Dues are nonrefundable and shall not be prorated.
Article 6 – Meetings
Section 1. There shall be at least one Association-sponsored meeting each year. One meeting shall serve as the annual business meeting for the Association. Meetings may be conducted in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format to ensure accessibility.
Section 2. For each Association committee there shall be at least one meeting each year. Meetings may be conducted in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format to ensure accessibility.
Section 3. A quorum for any Association-sponsored meeting shall be a simple majority of the membership in attendance, whether in person or via electronic means. Attendance shall be verified by the Secretary.
Section 4. The Association shall hold an Annual Educational Conference at least biennially.
Article 7 – Elections and Appointments
Section 1. Elections shall be held biennially during odd numbered years at the annual business meeting.
Section 2. The Nominating Committee shall submit to the President the names of qualifying candidates who are available and willing to serve as nominees to fill expiring terms. Anyone who has been a member for one year may be considered for nomination to any office.
Section 3. Ballots shall be distributed electronically or by mail at least thirty days prior to the annual business meeting to the membership. Voting may occur electronically, by mail or in person, as approved by the Executive Board. Ballots shall include: an alphabetical listing of nominees, a brief biographical sketch of each nominee, and provision for write-in nominations.
Section 4. Voting shall occur as approved by the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall receive votes no later than ten days prior to the annual business meeting.
Section 5. Election of officers shall be by a simple majority of those members casting ballots. In the event of a tie in cast votes, a recount of the votes will be taken. If an equal split of the vote remains, the tie shall be broken by the President.
Section 6. The term of office for elected members of the Executive Board will commence at the closing of the annual business meeting.
Section 7. The President shall appoint persons determined by majority vote of the Executive Board to fill vacancies occurring between regular elections. Appointed officers shall serve until the next regular election, at which point the position will be filled via standard election procedures.”
Article 8 – Finances
Section 1. All financial decisions shall be made by the Executive Board.
Section 2. Individual expenditures up to $500 shall require the approval of the President. Individual expenditures over $500 shall require the approval of the Executive Board.
Section 3. The Treasurer shall prepare a report detailing the status of Association funds annually. The report shall show income, expenditures and all money in all accounts held in the Association name. This report shall be presented during the Association business meeting.
Section 4. The president shall appoint an Audit Committee to review the Treasurer’s report along with all associated documentation. After such review, if the Treasurer’s report is found to be accurate, the Audit Committee shall approve and sign it prior to it being submitted at the Association business meeting. If it is found to not be accurate, the Audit Committee shall present the results of their findings to the membership during the Association business meeting.
Article 9 – Newsletter
Section 1. An Association newsletter shall be published at least annually, which may be electronic or print.
Article 10 – Amendments to the Constitutional Bylaws
Section 1. Proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be submitted in writing to the By-Laws Committee and distributed electronically or by mail to the membership at least thirty days prior to the annual business meeting.
Section 2. A majority vote of the members present at the annual business meeting, whether in person or via electronic means, shall be needed to adopt any proposed amendments.
Article 11 – Website
Section 1. The Association shall maintain a website. All costs for operation and maintenance of the website shall be borne by the Association.
Section 2. The website shall, at a minimum, have the following features: history of and information about the Association, current events/news, list of officers on the Board of Directors, and current contact information, current bylaws, information about meetings and conferences, and membership information (including an application).
Article 12 – Dissolution
Section 1. In the event of dissolution, assets shall be distributed to a nonprofit organization with similar purposes, as determined by the Executive Board.
In witness thereto, the above document represents the official version of the Bylaws approved by a vote of the membership on the 22nd day of October 2025 in accordance with the provisions as defined in the Bylaws of the Association.