The SAH Board has decided to phase out the position of Second Vice President. The main reasons for this change are:
The existing governance structure requires a six-year commitment from the person joining SAH leadership as Second Vice President—two years each as Second VP, First VP, and President. The Board found the length of service to be a serious disincentive to potential candidates. This is reflected in the extremely low numbers of members who self-nominate to become Second VP and in the difficulty the Nominating Committee encounters in recruiting nominees for the position.
Secondly, the duties of the Second VP, as defined by the SAH Bylaws are limited to: “…the primary responsibility for planning future architectural study tours, study days or occasional lectures and seminars to be sponsored and operated by the Society…” The Board was of the opinion that it would be more efficient to distribute the responsibility for these duties among other existing positions and, in the case of tours, to the Tours Committee.
The Board believes this change will create a nimbler leadership structure that allows for broader participation by SAH members.
The SAH Board of Directors voted to phase out the position on April 12, 2023, at a meeting held in conjunction with the Society’s Annual International Conference.