Serving as a chapter president is an important
leadership position as it provides members with
a thorough understanding of how chapters operate and the issues and challenges they encounter. Chapter presidents also attend the Institute’s
two annual national conferences. While at these
conferences, they attend the governing council
meeting.
The governing council is an elected body that
represents all the members of the Institute. It
elects the national officers, and approves all
policies, the annual budget, the strategic plan
and changes to the by-laws. It is made up of 220
members, including every chapter president,
other members recommended by their chapters, along with regional vice presidents, senior
vice presidents, executive committee members
and past national presidents.
While at the governing council meeting,
chapter presidents are given a report on the
Institute’s activities, and they vote on issues and
policies that govern the Institute. In addition to
attending the governing council meeting, chapter presidents meet with one another to discuss
mutual concerns and programs. They also have
the opportunity to attend committee meetings.
REgIONaL LEaDERshIp
At the regional level, each chapter recommends
candidates for regional vice president (RVP)
positions, which involve a two-year term. Upon
chapter recommendations and an endorsement
from the presiding RVP in a candidate’s region,
RVPs are selected by the nominating committee—a committee comprised of the current
national president and the five most recent past
presidents.
RVPs meet at the two national conferences
to discuss the happenings of their chapters and
make recommendations for programs and proposed policies that will assist in the operations
of the chapters. They’re also involved with many
of the issues that various committees and the
officers are working on.
The primary responsibility of the RVPs is to
INSIDE IREM | paTh TO ThE pREsIDENcy
work with the chapters in their regions; coordinate activities among the chapters; and serve as
the liaison between the chapters and headquarters. They are the voice of their chapters and their
regions. This is a vital learning experience on the
path to becoming the Institute’s president.
sERVINg ON NaTIONaL cOMMITTEEs
aND BOaRDs
Each year scores of members serve on and
chair national committees and boards. These
committees develop programs and policies that
are sent to the governing council or execu-
tive committee for review and approval. (The
executive committee is a body of 20 comprised
of the three current officers, seven senior vice
presidents, the immediate past president, an
IREM Foundation representative, the IREM
representative to the NAR executive committee
and seven at-large members.)
When members serve on committees and
boards such as the education committee or
the international management board, they gain
insight into the Institute’s platforms. Some
members serve on one committee for a number of years while others choose to serve on
different committees each year. There is no
better way to understand in depth the issues the
Institute faces than to serve on committees.
sENIOR VIcE pREsIDENTs
Senior vice presidents (SVPs) are assigned an
area of responsibility such as legislative affairs,
troubled assets and green/sustainability issues.
They serve for one year and are appointed by
the president-elect to serve when he or she
becomes the president.
The president-elect appoints members to
the executive committee and appoints the
various committees’ chairs and vice chairs to
serve on his or her leadership team when he or
she becomes president.
Members who serve as a senior vice president
often are asked to serve multiple terms, with the
support of the officers and IREM staff. They are
To reAD more
ABoUT The
hISTory AND
LegAcy of Irem
PreSIDeNTS
VISIT
www.irem.org/
leadingtheway.
