PENNSYLVANIA
MAPPING
AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION CONSORTIUM
(Approved by Board Vote - August 5, 2010)
Article I – Title
The name of this organization shall be the "Pennsylvania Mapping and Geographic Information Consortium;" hereafter referred to as "PaMAGIC."
Article II - Vision, Mission and Objectives
The vision of PaMAGIC is that: Citizens of Pennsylvania will have a coordinated, flexible, and integrated geographical information infrastructure to better support decision making and more efficient use of limited resources. The mission of PaMAGIC is: To provide leadership, coordination and guidance to enhance the development, use and access to spatial information and related services in Pennsylvania.
1. Provide leadership in Pennsylvania to address current trends in geographic information technology and associated issues.
2. Develop a strong partnership with business, academic community, and government that will promote the collection, maintenance, sharing and use spatial data.
3. Encourage the transition from hard copy maps and records to digital media and GIS-based data.
4. Convey the needs and concerns of GIS users to federal, state, and local officials.
5. Foster communication among geospatial professionals throughout Pennsylvania.
6. Facilitate cost-efficient mechanisms for cooperation between GIS and spatial data users in Pennsylvania, to reduce duplication of effort and inefficient use of limited resources for such activities.
7. Assist in the development of consistent content, format and exchange standards for digital geographic information users within the Commonwealth.
8. Render periodic reports to legislative and government offices and Pennsylvania citizens concerning the state of GIS in Pennsylvania.
Article III - Membership and Membership Fees
Membership shall be open to individuals and groups who use or have an interest in the use of geographic information within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. There are two categories of membership:
Individual Membership - those who use geographic data and related software products.
Honorary Memberships - those who have provided exceptional service to PaMAGIC by virtue of their contribution of time, money, talent or reputation to furthering the goals of the organization.
Honorary members will be determined by the Board.
An annual membership fee will be assessed all members to defray the cost of communications (correspondence, newsletters, special mailings). The Board of Directors shall set the membership fee on an annual basis.
Article IV - Sponsorship
A sponsor donates a sum of money, goods or services to PaMAGIC. Sponsors may be afforded discounted rates for advertisements placed in newsletters, directories and the website page.
Article V - Officers
PaMAGIC will be governed by a nine person Board of Directors. The members of the Board will be nominated from the General Membership.
Prospective members of the Board will be nominated and elected annually by PaMAGIC members. The term for each elected Board member is three years. Of the nine member Board, the terms shall overlap and alternate such that three Board member positions are filled each year. This is intended to provide continuity in the governance of the organization. The Board will devise a plan to provide a phased transition to fill these alternating terms.
There will be no term limits on Board members. The President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary will be elected from and by the Board within one week after elections. All nine Board members must vote for officers and electronic voting is acceptable. The beginning and end of Board member terms shall be at the annual business meeting.
An officer may be removed from his or her position either on a voluntary basis, or by a majority vote by the nine member Board. If the officer is removed by vote, the officer will be given an opportunity to justify the situation before a final vote is taken. If the officer is removed, the Board shall appoint someone else to fill the position until the next election.
Article VI - Voting
All members shall be eligible to vote on the selection of the Board of Directors on a one person - one vote basis. Votes will be decided by a majority of eligible voting members in attendance at meetings or responding to mail/fax requests. Proxy votes will be accepted if a written ballot is tendered before a regular vote is taken.
Article VII - Meetings
PaMAGIC will hold a minimum of one General Membership business meeting per calendar year. This annual business meeting will take place determined by the Board of Directors. At least two officers must preside over the business meeting. If deemed necessary by the Board of Directors, additional business meetings may be called by the President. General business meetings shall be announced to the General Membership and provide adequate opportunity for the membership to attend. In addition, committee meetings may be held one or more times per year as scheduling and need dictates. Minutes of all meetings will be documented by an appointed scribe and made available to the General Membership by the Treasurer/ Secretary.
Article VIII - Committees
PaMAGIC may establish standing or special committees as directed by the Board of Directors. Any such committee should be chaired by one or more members of the Board to ensure direction and guidance relative to the goals and objectives of the organization. Regular reports or committee activities and accomplishments should be prepared and presented to the Board at business and general membership meetings.
Article IX - Amendments
Proposed amendments to these By-Laws can be submitted by any member of PaMAGIC, provided that such an amendment has first been signed by the proponent(s) along with a statement of rationale for recommending the change. The proposed change must be submitted in writing to the President of the Board. The Board Chair will then call a meeting of the Board to discuss the proposed change, and a vote will be taken by the Board. A majority vote of the nine member Board will be required to ratify the change.