Investors’ request for smaller board disregarded

 RED OAK — The Red Oak Chamber and Industry Association voted to update the organization’s bylaws, disregarding recommendations by the membership.  

Despite results from an August membership survey that indicated 62 percent of the nearly 100 members who responded wanted to see a smaller board of five or seven members, a unanimous vote only reduced the board by one, from 10 members down to nine. 

The survey also showed members wanted the removal of the organization’s eight ex officio members, which include past president Allen Pohren, City of Red Oak representative Brad Wright, Board of Supervisors’ representative Karen Blue, school district representative Terry Schmidt and representatives from the city of Stanton, Villisca, Elliott and Grant.

The board, however, voted to keep the ex-officio members from the board of supervisors, Red Oak’s city council and school district. The past president will also remain an ex-officio member if his or her year as president is the last year of his or her six-year  term on the board.

The board’s vote at its Nov. 13 meeting was a recommendation for changes to the bylaws; the final approval and ratification will be made by the entire membership at its annual meeting in January. 

Association President Kristie Konz said she hasn’t heard any complaints from the membership about not adhering to the survey requests. 

“I did have some concern with ignoring the results, as did (Vice President) Fred Pilecki, but the board ultimately voted the way they did because of the number needed for a quorum,” Konz said. 

If the board were to reduce to five or seven members, only three or four people would be able to vote on board matters, which Konz said was worrisome. 

“That means three people could determine the future of the organization and we felt a quorum of three was really not sufficient to make policy decisions moving forward,” board member and representative from the bylaw review committee Larry Brandstetter said at a past meeting. 

Keeping the ex-officio members, though, was concern of Konz’s, despite the membership’s suggestion to remove them. 

“I feel it’s valuable information from the county, city and school district, and I wanted to see that input continue from them as non-voting members,” she said. 

The representatives from Stanton, Villisca, Grant and Elliott will be removed as ex-officio members, according to Konz because they never attended meetings.  

Also at last week’s board meeting, a nominating committee was formed to select the next president, vice president and treasurer of the organization. 

Konz said Connie Mellott will most likely remain treasurer next year and Vice President Pilecki is in line to be president.

However, Konz said there has been some concern amongst the board with Pilecki becoming president. 

“Nothing is 100 percent set in stone right now,” she said. “The fact that [Pilecki] didn’t get re-elected to the city council, though, has eased some people. Some of the board members were uncomfortable with him being both a city council member and the president of the Chamber and Industry Association.”

The nominating committee will present their recommendations for the three executive positions at the December meeting. Should the board approve their nominees, the entire membership will vote on the matter at the January meeting. 

The nominating committee consists of Konz, past president Allen Pohren and board members Brandstetter, Mellot, Kara Sherman and Shirley Billings.

Next month’s meeting is Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 11:30 a.m. at Pizza Ranch.