| OREGON HEARTH, PATIO, BARBECUE ASSOCIATION |
Give Back to Your Industry - Serve on the Board
Serving on the OHPBA Board
OHPBA's board of directors encourages members to get involved with your trade association. OHPBA is run almost entirely by people just like you! Many of the individuals serving on the board or on committees are volunteers that make their living selling and servicing fireplaces and stoves. These are volunteers that have typically gained a lot from our industry and have felt a need to give a little back for the well being of everyone. OHPBA’s volunteers invest in their future as well as yours. There are several board positions and ways to get involved on committees.
Why do we need your help?
Too many Hearth Retailers take for granted that the OHPBA will always be there to represent their interests with regional, state and local legislative and regulatory issues. There is no “they” who will take care of it. The reality is the “they” is people like you.
Also, there are a number of legislative and regulatory issues facing us. First, the Oregon legislature meets every year now. In odd years it meets for six months, and even years for 90 days. Of course, the OHPBA has been very involved policing and monitoring issues that all affect the Oregon Hearth Industry both at the legislature and in agencies like the Oregon DEQ and Department of Energy. In the coming year or so the industry will face dramatic changes in woodstove certification requirements. We need to monitor the Department of Energy’s tax credit program for wood and pellet stoves. We need to stay in front of the Environmental Quality Commission because they are now the primary governing body we deal with on implementation of wood stove laws. We must make sure that our industry needs are adequately represented.
How to get Involved
Consider being part of the OHPBA Board of Directors. We are always looking for new people who will bring new insights and ideas. Our board election is held in the spring. Please take a look at the enclosed sheet that describes all of the board positions.
Board Meetings
We generally have four board meetings per year, usually held in or around Portland, Salem or Eugene. One of the Board meetings is held at the annual conference in the spring, and sometimes we will hold one by teleconference. We are also trying out online meeting technologies like Zoom Meeting. There are a couple of committees that you may be interested in serving on. Generally these take a little less time than board service, but they are also very important.
Most committee meetings are held via teleconference, which helps significantly with time and travel. Current committees are Communications, Government Affairs, Education and Membership.
G. Harvey Gail, MBA is the Executive Director and he has been helping OHPBA achieve its goals for 25 years. Harvey’s help ensures that the inspiration and ideas you provide as a board member are effective at impacting the industry.
Feel free to contact our office if you are interested in serving on the board, or if you have any questions or comments.
Duties of Officers and Directors
President. The President shall be the Chairman of the Board of Directors and shall preside at all meetings of the association and all meetings of the Board of Directors. S/he shall appoint all committees subject to the approval of a majority of the Board and perform such other duties and functions as custom and parliamentary usage require. The President serves a 2 year term.
Vice President. The First Vice President shall assume the duties of the President at the latter’s request or in his/her absence. The First Vice President will automatically become President upon completion of his/her term. The First Vice President shall have membership committee duties and or/ oversees the membership chair. The Vice President serves a 2 year term.
Secretary Treasurer. The Secretary Treasurer’s responsibilities including ensuring accurate records of the proceedings are kept; giving notice of meetings of the members prescribed by the bylaws, and shall performs such other duties as may be required of him/her by law, by vote of the Board of Directors or by the bylaws. The Secretary Treasurer shall ensure that proper account for all funds of the association is maintained, keeps proper records of all receipts and expenditures, and renders a complete financial report at the Annual Meeting and such additional financial reports as may be required by the Board of Directors. The Secretary Treasurer may delegate responsibility for his/her duties in a reasonable manner. Generally the bookkeeping and banking duties fall on the Executive Director, but the Treasurer oversees the work. The Secretary Treasurer serves a 2 year term.
Past President. After the President completes his/her term in office he will serve on the Executive Board as Past President. The Past President presides over the nomination committee. The Past President serves a 2 year term.
Director(s) at Large. The Director(s) at Large attend board meetings and sit on various committees. Directors at large are appointed by the President. Currently positions include Manufacturers Rep. and Utility Director.
Area Directors. The Area Directors report on their prospective geographic areas on matters of importance to the association. Area Directors include: Willamette Valley Area Director, Eastern Oregon Area Director, Central Oregon Area Director, Southern Oregon Area Director, and Portland Metro Area Director. Area Directors serve two years, but the terms are staggered.
Committee Chairs
Communication Committee Chair. This person oversees the communications of OHPBA to its members and sponsors. Duties include providing content for the Fireside Chat E-Newsletter, proofing publications, and posting to our Facebook page.
Government Affairs/Codes Coordinator. This person leads up the government affairs and codes committee. Ideally, the person in this role will attend the HPBA's Government Affairs Academy to get schooled up on lobbying, and media relations skills. The person in this position works with the OHPBA lobbyist on legislative proposals, testifying at the legislature and attending work group meetings and hearings with state agencies.
Education Committee Chair: This person oversees the planning of the OHPBA's seminars, trainings and conferences. The board of directors and Executive Director is also involved in the planning. This is a great position for anyone who enjoys event planning - both the fun social aspects and the education.
Membership Committee Chair: This position involves both recruiting new members and working with former members to entice them to remain as members. Our members are our foundation, so this committee position is extremely important. Involvement can be whatever you have the time for. In the past the membership committee chair has visited prospective companies and reached out to lapsed members.