Proposed Amendments to GALA's Bylaws

Proposed Bylaws Amendments: What You Need to Know

As our industry evolves, so must GALA. After thoughtful discussion by the Governance Committee and the Board of Directors, combined with consultation with GALA's legal counsel and feedback from surveys and a member focus group, we are proposing four updates to GALA’s bylaws.

Members will vote on each amendment separately during the first two weeks of September. A copy of the current bylaws is always available in the footer of our website. (Current bylaws.)

What’s Changing?

Allison Ferch, GALA's Executive Director, walked us through the proposed changes at a GALA Member Meeting, as well as addressed questions from the membership.

Watch the GALA Member Meeting Recording

Removing Goals from the Bylaws

Today, GALA’s goals are written directly into the bylaws. This makes it cumbersome to adjust them when priorities shift, since any change requires a formal member vote. We propose removing the goals section so that goals can be set and updated through our strategic planning process instead. GALA already documents goals and key results annually, ensuring they remain current and relevant.

Adding Individual Membership & Updating Eligibility

We plan to introduce an individual membership option to make GALA more inclusive and accessible, particularly for professionals without corporate sponsorship or larger budgets. Eligibility criteria, which are minimal in the current bylaws, will be detailed outside of the bylaws. This allows us to provide clearer examples and exceptions while keeping the bylaws focused on governance.

Extending Board Terms from Two to Three Years

Board service is a big commitment, and two years often isn’t long enough for volunteers to get up to speed and make a lasting impact. We propose extending terms to three years to support leadership continuity and effectiveness. The two-term limit remains in place, and the size and composition of the Board will not change.

Retiring the Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee (NomCom) was designed to help identify candidates for Board service, but in practice it has created extra administrative work without adding value. GALA has consistently had strong candidate pools through our open call process. We propose eliminating the NomCom and continuing with open self-nominations, supported by clear, well-documented election procedures.

How Voting Works at GALA

At GALA, each member organization designates one person to vote on behalf of the organization. We call that person the voting contact. We encourage members to internally discuss referenda and elections so that the vote is truly representative of the organization. 

Once a year, we reach out to our members' primary contacts (aka administrators) to validate the voting contact name and contact details. This ensures that we send ballots to the right people. 

Next Steps

We will hold a Q&A session on 28 August where we'll share the rationale for change and hear your input. Registration is open to all GALA members. 

We are currently validating the voting contacts for each member organization. If you are not a voting contact, we encourage you to share your feedback with your team. 

Ballots will be distributed to voting contacts in the first few days of September.  

Please feel free to contact me (Allison Ferch, Executive Director) with any questions or concerns.