COMMITTEES

Committees may be established or dissolved by the NAAEE Board with a two-thirds vote as deemed necessary to carry out the work of NAAEE. All committee members must be NAAEE members in good standing. Committees exist on an ongoing basis to address recurring responsibilities.  NAAEE has two kinds of committees.

Committees of the Board exist to support the critical functions of the board and the Association in its role as a non-profit entity.  The President appoints a Chair of each Committee of the NAAEE Board from within the Board. The chairs report to the full Board. Committees of the NAAEE Board are:

Executive - Is comprised of the four officers of the Association (i.e., President, President-elect, Treasurer and Secretary). It advises the President and Executive Director on issues relating to Association management and governance. The President chairs the Executive Committee, and the Executive Director is an ex officio, non-voting member.

Finance – Carries out budget oversight, review, and presentation to the Board.  It is chaired by the Treasurer with a standing member being the Chair of the Resource Development Committee.

Nominations and Board Development – Prepares a slate of candidates for Elective Officers and At-Large Members of the NAAEE Board and oversees the nomination and election processes. It actively cultivates leadership skills for Board members, chairs of CATS and members. The Secretary serves as ex officio member.

Resource Development – Assists the organization with planning for financial stability and recommends fundraising activities. -more-

ADVISORY BOARDS (Formerly Advisory Councils)

Advisory Boards are established on a need basis by the President to oversee one-time grant projects (e.g., pre-service education/NCATE, certification).  The group serves for specific scope of work and specific length of time. The President appoints the chairs of each Advisory Board. The Executive Director assigns a staff liaison. Advisory Boards are composed of a mix of Board and non-Board members. -more-

TASK FORCES (Formerly Ad Hoc Committees)

Task Forces are established on an occasional basis by the President to address one-time responsibilities.  The President appoints a chair, usually a Board member, of each Task Force. -more-

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIGs) (Formerly Commissions)

Special Interest Groups represent a substantial number of NAAEE’s members with an interest in a particular professional area.  SIGs may be established by submitting a petition to the Board and receiving a three-quarters vote by the NAAEE Board.  Their work includes networking, information sharing, development of conference and other workshops, and proposing and conducting special projects.  SIG members must be NAAEE members in good standing. -more-

The following lists “Commissions” that will have the opportunity to become SIGs:

• Arts and EE
• Conservation
• Elementary and Secondary Education
• Environmental Justice
• Higher Education
• International
• Non-formal/Community-based EE
• Research
• Service Learning
• Sustainability Education

Standing Committees exist to support the organization’s growth and develop its breadth through critical programs and functions and advance NAAEE as a professional association for environmental educators.  The President appoints a Chair of each Standing Committee, as well as at least one member of the Board, who shall be an active member of the committee and serve as liaison between the committee and the Board. The Executive Director appoints a staff liaison to each Standing Committee and serves as an ex officio member. The Standing Committees of NAAEE are:

Awards – Solicits nominations and selects recipients for NAAEE’s annual awards.  It makes recommendations for establishing new awards and awards criteria.  Members works with staff in planning and conducting the annual awards program at the conference.

Conference Planning and Oversight – Is comprised of the NAAEE Executive Director, President-Elect, conference manager, and NAAEE and host state conference co-chairs. This committee is responsible for recommending to the Board the conference site selection, conference theme and logo.  It also plans the keynotes, strands and threads as well as provides overall conference planning oversight. 

Standing Committees (continued)

Diversity – Ensures that the Diversity Policy of the Board is being implemented, encourages approaches to the organization’s planning and decision-making that include the contributions of diverse cultural traditions, and promotes a diverse membership within NAAEE and the field of environmental education.

Environmental Education Advocacy – Recommends targets and priorities for NAAEE’s efforts to advocate for environmental education. It develops specific objectives and strategies to enlist the participation of members in achieving the objectives. The committee directs NAAEE’s initiatives to influence governmental decisions affecting the field of environmental education.

Membership – Analyzes the membership data and recommends membership fees and membership services to be offered. It determines priorities and targets for membership growth and works to insure NAAEE’s membership is diverse. The committee works with staff to formulate strategies for the attraction and retention of members. Reviews membership materials to make sure they reflect the diverse nature of the field of environmental education.

Program – Serves as an umbrella for NAAEE’s various programs (e.g., Careers and Young Professionals, professional development, diversity programs, publications, leadership development) -more-