Dear friends and members of the San Francisco Paralegal Association;

Our annual meeting is now less than a month away.  We are looking forward to a great event on October 24th at the San Francisco Bar Association offices, complete with breakfast and lunch, three top-notch MCLE presentations and vendor presentations provided by the Association’s sustaining membership.

However, we must not lose sight of the primary function of the Annual Meeting itself, which is to select our leadership for the coming year.

This year, I am proud to announce that membership was at a ten-year high. 

Unfortunately, our member participation is at an all-time low.  And in order for the SFPA to thrive, it must have greater involvement from you, its members.  Our future, quite literally, depends on it. 

Less than 3% of our almost 450 members participate in a practice section, volunteer on the pro-bono committee or step up to join the Board of Directors.  I do not believe that this is a sustainable ratio in which our Association can succeed.

The SFPA has a remarkable and proud past.  In the early 1970’s our founding members helped to define and promote the creation of what was then an entirely new subset of legal professional - the paralegal.  They did this not only in the Bay Area, but on a national level as one of the founding members of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations.

As the paralegal profession continues to change and broaden, we need to be taking an active part in shaping that change.  We also need to build a strong leadership core in order to increase our promotion and production of the skill-building and continuing education programs on which our membership depends.

We are currently in an excellent position to once again grow into the influential, model organization that is the SFPA’s legacy.  What we need are a few more dedicated, involved people to help take us there.

If you have ideas on how the Association can improve, join the Board.   If you can think of better ways that the Association can communicate to the membership, or if you have ideas on holding workshops that will benefit the membership, join the Board. 

If you want to develop your leadership skills and credentials for that next promotion or job search, join the Board. If you want to represent the SFPA on a state-wide level and become more active in the process of how paralegals are regulated in California, here is your opportunity. Join the Board.

If you’ve experienced frustration over the lack of diverse practice sections in the SFPA, join the Board.  Lead a practice section.  Have a few hours a month to spare, and have the know-how to help improve our website and our social media?  Step up. Take the initiative.  Get involved and make a difference.

It cannot be repeated enough: this is YOUR Association and you get out of it what you put into it.

Below, please find the nomination ballot for the 2015 Board and Officers.  I sincerely hope that you will consider joining our next team of leaders.

Thank you for your time and attention, and on behalf of the Board of Directors, I look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting.

Very truly yours,

Ian Elkus,

President, SFPA

2014 Board of Directors

Board of Directors/Officers

 Nomination Form 2014

Any SFPA member may place in nomination the name of any SFPA voting member.  If you are a voting member you may place your own name in nomination.  Each person who is nominated for office will be contacted by the Elections Officer, Diane Rames, and asked to accept or decline the nomination.  If a person is nominated for more than one office, the nominee will be asked to choose the office for which they wish to run.

Please complete this form (you do not have to nominate someone for every office) and return it to info@sfpa.com or via USPS to the address below no later than October 10, 2014.  If sending via email, please type Elections in the subject line.    Nominations will also be taken from the floor at the Annual Meeting on October 24, 2014, after which nominations will be closed.

The following Officers and Directors currently serving are eligible for nomination for re-election in 2015:

President:                    Ian Elkus

Vice-President:           Elizabeth Olvera

Directors:                    Susan Jaffe

I, _________________________________________, NOMINATE THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL(S) AS CANDIDATES(S) FOR THE 2015 SFPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS (please print or type clearly):

PRESIDENT:_____________________________________

VICE-PRESIDENT:_______________________________________

TREASURER:____________________________________

SECRETARY:____________________________________

DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE:  

(1)___________________________________________

 (2)___________________________________________

(3)___________________________________________

(4)___________________________________________

 (5)___________________________________________

(6)___________________________________________

Return this form no later than October 10, 2014:

Via email to info@sfpa.com  (subject line: Elections)

Via USPS to:

Elections

San Francisco Paralegal Association

1 Sansome Street

Suite 3500

San Francisco, CA  94104

Nominations will be tabulated and ballots provided to the membership by email and at the Annual Meeting.  One set of nominations per member.  One vote per voting member.

Questions or concerns?  Email to info@sfpa.com, subject: Elections Q&A

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Duties of Officers described below:

President

The San Francisco Paralegal Association's President's responsibilities are governed by section 8.4-1 of the Association's Bylaws Supplement.

 The President is the chief executive officer of the Association, the chairperson for all Board meetings, the administrator of all internal affairs, and the ex officio member of all committees and practice sections. The President's responsibilities include:

 Advancement of the paralegal profession in the San Francisco Bay Area, the State of California, and elsewhere;

The main job of the President is to advance the paralegal profession by overseeing the operations of the Association and continuing to expand its influence. Overseeing the operations of the Association means active involvement in the day-to-day affairs of the Association, as well as effective delegation of responsibilities to other Association leaders. Day-to-day affairs include continued financial solvency of the Association in coordination with the Treasurer, maintained compliance of the Association with federal and state nonprofit laws in coordination with the Secretary and Treasurer, and targeted communication with interested parties to advance the official positions of the Association with the Board.

 Networking with interested parties from corporations, law firms, and other nonprofits to expand the reach of the Association;

In coordination with the Marketing and Membership Committee Chair or Co-Chairs, the President shall develop a comprehensive marketing plan aimed at expanding the Association's reach into corporations, law firms, and other nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area. The President may also coordinate with other committee and practice section chairs and co-chairs to advance professional initiatives with these interested parties.

 Networking with leadership for other paralegal associations;

The other two paralegal associations in the San Francisco Bay Area are the Paralegal Association of Santa Clara County (PASCCO) and the Redwood Empire Association of Paralegals (REAP). Another important legal professional association in the San Francisco Bay Area is the Mount Diablo Legal Professionals Association (MDLPA). The President is responsible for maintaining positive relationships with these associations for future legislative efforts and professional development projects. Part of the Association's budget may be allocated for the President for networking, but only with the approval of the Board.

Drafting agendas for all Board meetings; and,

A template Board meeting agenda is available at Stationery under Directors. The template will need to be updated if a new committee or practice section is adopted by the Board.  Once the agenda is drafted, the President will be required to forward this agenda to the Secretary for inclusion in the Board meeting materials no later than one (1) week before the upcoming Board meeting.

All other responsibilities as assigned by the Board.

The President must respect the decision of the Board of Directors to assign additional responsibilities.

Secretary

The San Francisco Paralegal Association's Secretary's responsibilities are governed by section 8.4-3 of the Association's Bylaws Supplement.

The Secretary shall be the custodian of all records of the Association. The Secretary's responsibilities include:

Circulation of immediate and monthly email blasts;

 Drafting correspondence for the Board and President;

 Drafting minutes for all Board meetings;

 Maintain nonprofit compliance with the California Attorney General and the California Secretary of State

 Publish all membership notices, including waiver notices; and

 All other responsibilites as assigned by the Board or President

The Secretary must respect the decision of the Board of Directors or President to assign additional responsibilities.

Treasurer

The San Francisco Paralegal Association's Treasurer's responsibilities are governed by section 8.4-4 of the Association's Bylaws Supplement.

 The Treasurer shall have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds of the San Francisco Paralegal Association. The Treasurer's responsibilities include:

 Depositing monies in all appropriate Association depositories;

The Association maintains two depositories: a checking account and a savings account with Chase Bank. The Chase Bank account number is 8610279239.  The log-in information for these two depositories is contained in the Accounts spreadsheet in info@sfpa.com's Google Documents. Checks forwarded by Premier Business Centers to the Treasurer must be deposited in the checking account with Chase Bank no later than two (2) weeks from receipt.

 Maintain merchant service accounts for the Association;

The Association maintains a merchant service account with PayPal. The log-in information for this account is contained in the Accounts spreadsheet in info@sfpa.com's Google Documents. Online payments made to the merchant account with PayPal automatically deposit into the checking account using Auto Sweep.

 Maintain nonprofit compliance with California Franchise Tax Board and Internal Revenue Service

The Association is required by the California Franchise Tax Board to file an Exempt Organization Annual Information Return (FTB Form 199) every year by May 15 (adjusted for holidays and weekends). The fee to file an Exempt Organization Annual Information Return is $10.00. It is the responsibility of the Treasurer to prepare and file the Exempt Organization Annual Information Return with a $10.00 check.

 The Association is also required by the Internal Revenue Service to file a Short Form Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (IRS Form 990-EZ) if gross receipts for the nonprofit organization remain under $200,000 annually and assets remain under $500,000 annually. The Short Form Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax must be filed every year by May 15 (adjusted for holidays and weekends). There is no fee to file a Short Form Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.

 Here is some information for use when filing the California Franchise Tax Board's Exempt Organization Annual Information Return and the Internal Revenue Service's Short Form Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax:

 California Corporation Number: C0821668

Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN): 95-3149593

Fiscal Year: Calendar Year (January 1 - December 31)

Tax Exemption Status Internal Revenue Service Code § 501(c)(6) (Federal)

Revenue and Taxation Code § 23701e (State)

 Pay all invoices for the Association

The Association creates invoices using QuickBooks Online and pays invoices using Chase Bank Bill Pay. The log-in information for these two accounts is contained in the Accounts spreadsheet in info@sfpa.com's Google Documents.

 The Association pays invoices for the following services:

Publish Annual Report of the Association;

The Annual Report is a snapshot of the financial health of the Association presented by the Treasurer at the Annual Meeting. The Treasurer will need to summarize the following financial information for that report:

• A summary of the financial health of the Association;
• A sheet showing current depository balances for the past and current fiscal year;
• A sheet showing year-to-date profits and losses for the past and current fiscal years;
• The revised budget from the July revision meeting for the past and current fiscal years; and
• Visual aids to show the distribution of income and expenses.

The Annual Report must be presented to the Board of Directors at the Board meeting immediately preceding the Annual Meeting. All revisions of the Annual Report requested by the Board of Directors must be addressed before the Annual Meeting.

Submit monthly report to Board with current depository balances and monthly profits and losses; and

Monthly depository balances and profits and loss statements must be provided to the Board of Directors to help Association leadership assess the current financial health of the Association. These reports can be created using QuickBooks Online. The log-in information for this account is contained in the Accounts spreadsheet in info@sfpa.com's Google Documents.

All other responsibilities as assigned by the Board or President.

The Treasurer must respect the decision of the Board of Directors or the President to assign additional responsibilities.

Vice President

The San Francisco Paralegal Association's Vice President's responsibilities are governed by section 8.4-2 of the Association's Bylaws Supplement.

The Vice President, in the absence of the President, shall assume the duties of the President. The Vice President shall also assist in the administration of all committees and practice sections. The Vice President's responsibilities include:

Collect and forward to the Secretary all written reports of the chairs or co-chairs of all committees and practice sections;

The Vice President is charged with soliciting, collecting, and presenting all written reports for chairs and co-chairs of all committees and practice sections. The Vice President must solicit all written reports no later than one (1) week before the upcoming Board meeting. The Vice President must collect and forward to the Secretary all written reports no later than two (2) business days before the upcoming Board meeting. If the chair or co-chair is unable to attend the upcoming Board meeting, the Vice President will present on their behalf.

 Providing all needed resources to the chairs of all committees and practice sections; and

All resources needed by the committees and practice sections for the performance of their duties, including the organization of monthly or bimonthly practice section meetings, must be provided by the Vice President. These resources may include communication with interested parties, event planning, and help finding speakers. All requests unable to be completed by the Vice President alone may be brought to the attention of the President and, if necessary, the Board of Directors.

 All other responsibilities as assigned by the Board or President.

The Vice President must respect the decision of the Board of Directors or President to assign additional responsibilities.

Connect with your association!

San Francisco Paralegal Association
1 Sansome Street, Suite 3500, San Francisco, California 94104
Tel: (415) 946-8935 - Contact email: info@sfpa.com

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