(a) The chairman and vice-chairman shall be elected at the first meeting after July 1 and shall take office upon being duly elected.
(b) The chairman, during his/her term of office, is responsible for interpretation of Council policy and general supervision of staff administration. The chairman or his/her designee will preside over meetings of the Council and may attend meetings of other producer organizations in his/her official capacity. The chairman's duties may include, but are not limited to: - (i) Suggesting agenda items for each meeting;
- (ii) Representing the Council before other groups;
- (iii) Communicating to the Council members;
- (iv) Conferring with the executive director regarding Council matters on a regular basis; and
- (v) When significant new issues arise, the chairman shall, whenever practical, consult with the other Council members and the executive director before speaking for the Council.
(c) The vice-chairman, during his/her term of office, may be called upon by the chairman to serve in the chairman's absence, fulfilling the duties of the higher office as delegated by the chairman.
(d) The secretary-treasurer shall be appointed by the chairman immediately following the chairman's election.
(e) Members of the Council shall have authority only when acting as a body legally in session or when directed by the Council. A member's duties and obligations are to: - (i) Become familiar with the general objectives of the Council, and with the policies of the Council;
- (ii) Vote and act impartially and for the good of the Council;
- (A) If a conflict of interest arises, the member with the conflict shall refrain from participating in the discussion or voting on the matter.
- (iii) Identify and represent the concerns and points of view of the beef industry people that they represent and communicate information about the Council to them;
- (iv) Support Council policies though one may personally disagree at the time of their formulation;
- (v) Work harmoniously with the other members of the Council, neither dominating nor neglecting one's share of the responsibilities;
- (vi) Discuss complaints and concerns with the executive director and other Council members; and
- (vii) Represent the Council at the direction of the Council or the chairman at meetings of other organizations.
- (A) Each Council member shall attend at least one National Cattlemen's Beef Association meeting annually.
- (B) As determined by a vote of the Council, each Council member may attend other national meetings, ie., National Cattlemen's Beef Association and Meat Export Federation (MEF) as necessary to carry out their responsibilities as Council members.