SIOP Members Create New D&I Portfolio Officer

In balloting that ended July 19, SIOP voters approved an amendment creating a new Diversity and Inclusion Portfolio Officer on the Executive Board.

They also ratified a provision limiting the eligibility of current officers to run for future seats on the board, a measure intended to assure that officers serve the entire term for any elected position.

SIOP President Eden King introduced the amendment creating the Diversity and Inclusion Officer as part of her closing plenary presentation at the 2019 SIOP Annual Conference.  

The amendment was first proposed by several committee representatives, including Ismael Diaz, Mindy Bergman, and Enrica Ruggs, and Membership Portfolio Chair Allan Church at the end of the 2018 Conference. The Amendment was unanimously approved by the Executive Board in January 2019 for presenting to the membership for a vote.

Standing committees on LGBT, CEMA, and International Affairs, and the Women’s Inclusion Network ad hoc committee, all currently part of the Membership Portfolio, will be moved under the Diversity and Inclusion Portfolio.

The bylaws amendment became a foundational element of King’s presidential focus on making SIOP a more universally welcoming and inclusive organization. “I'm thrilled that SIOP is taking this important step toward inclusion, and I am excited to see what our first D&I Officer will accomplish," she said. The first D&I Officer will be elected this fall during the regular SIOP Officer Elections.

The amendment clarifying eligibility of Executive Board members to run for election was put forward by a task force assembled in 2017 to investigate concerns about the organization’s election procedures. After reviewing several benchmark policies regarding eligibility for offices, the task force proposed an amendment that begins by stipulating “Elected members of the Executive Board (EB) are expected to serve their full position term.”

Approximately 12% of voting members weighed in on the amendment proposals. The D&I Officer amendment was approved by an 86% affirmative vote, and the eligibility amendment was approved by 93.4 %of voters.

The full text of the amendments can be found here and the updated bylaws can be found here.