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ABOVE ARE OUR CHAPTER LEADERS
In our chapter, there are two entities that meet and can decide on behalf of the entire chapter: the chapter members and the chapter board of directors. Chapter members can collectively, at a chapter membership meeting, decide as determined in the chapter bylaws. The chapter board of directors is an elected group of chapter officers who govern the chapter. The chapter bylaws define the composition and authority.

While some variation may exist between chapters, the officers of our chapter typically include a chapter president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and immediate past president, and a potentially flexible number of directors. We decide the number of our chapter directors according to our size and specific needs.

As an independent entity, our chapter is fully and solely responsible for its own legal and financial affairs. It is the collective responsibility of the chapter leadership to ensure the chapter complies with local laws and, per the Chapter Affiliation Agreement, ISACA policies. 

Chapter board/leaders decide on the chapter’s specific needs and priorities. The following set of principles for success guide the leadership:

  • Plan for specific outcomes. Aim for specific and measurable goals.
  • Lead by example. Represent your chapter and office with passion, enthusiasm, and dedication.

This attitude will carry through to the chapter board and chapter members.

  • Promote ethics and integrity among all chapter board and chapter members. Recall ISACA’s Code of Professional Ethics as a guide.
  • Engage with your chapter board members regularly. Maintain regular contact with your chapter board members and volunteers to help motivate both them—and you—in fulfilling your respective responsibilities.
  • Dedicate sufficient time to your ISACA role. Set reasonable expectations and dedicate sufficient time for fulfilling local, regional, and international ISACA responsibilities.
  • Communicate with ISACA for support and assistance.
  • Remain up to date with ISACA’s programs and initiatives. Keep your chapter’s activities aligned with ISACA’s global efforts and offerings.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT

Governance

As an independent entity, the chapter is fully and solely responsible for its own legal and financial affairs. As chapter president, it is your responsibility to ensure your chapter complies with local laws and, per the Chapter Affiliation Agreement, ISACA policies. Below are steps you can take to ensure proper governance over your chapter:

  • Maintain data privacy, per chapter and ISACA policies, and local regulations (e.g., GDPR).
  • Prepare and monitor the chapter’s strategic plans.
  • Execute the policies and decisions of the chapter’s board and ensure policy compliance.
  • Take executive action in areas where specific policies have not been written or established.
  • Appoint and establish, with the majority approval of the existing chapter board, all committee
  • chairpersons and volunteers.
  • Act as ex officio member of all committees, except the Nominating Committee.
  • During the nomination process, ensure the chapter complies with the chapter bylaws.
  • Take corrective action where needed, when the strategic plans are likely not to be achieved.
  • Ensure there are continuous programs running that cater to the members' interests.

General Leadership

The chapter president is the leader of the chapter. However, it is important to delegate chapter responsibilities and support their fulfilment. Clear delegation of responsibilities and regular follow- up, as well as mentoring and support for your chapter board members, is imperative for any chapter to accomplish its goals.

All questions, concerns, comments, reports, and notifications should be submitted to ISACA’s Chapter Relations Team at chapters@isaca.org.

The chapter president should:

  • Organize chapter structure (chapter board and committee positions), as needed. Develop clear
  • lines of authority and communication within the chapter board.
  • Provide vision, leadership, encouragement, praise, and gratitude to the chapter board,
  • committee members, and other volunteers.
  • Advise and mentor new officers, directors, chairs, and volunteers on chapter information,
  • matters, and processes, as needed.
  • Lead and involve the annual strategic planning process to identify goals, objectives, and targets.

This could be accomplished in an all-day strategic planning meeting.

  • Establish a chapter calendar, including target dates for task completion.
  • Oversee and/or chair committee for chapter bylaws review.
  • Oversee all chapter activities and plans for publicizing them, including social media.
  • Supervise paid staff, if any.
  • Remain aware of and/or approve website content.
  • Oversee all succession plans for board positions.

Coordinate with chapter officers to identify potential new board members and volunteers and to:

  • Recruit members for chapter board and committees.
  • Act as the primary contact for establishing relationships with other professional organizations in the chapter’s market area, as well as other chapter leaders in the region for possible roundtable discussions, etc., as appropriate.
  • Oversee the membership director’s work to develop and implement a chapter membership
  • award program.

Finances

The chapter president is accountable for financial matters relating to the chapter but should work with the chapter treasurer on all financial matters. The chapter president also should:

  • Collaborate with the chapter treasurer to ensure compliance with any labor and tax
  • requirements.
  • Verify and supervise the chapter’s finances and budget process to ensure compliance with ISACA and proper internal controls over chapter finances.
  • Review reconciliation of chapter records with the chapter’s bank balance once a month.
  • Verify key elements of the audit trail are adequately retained. (All chapters should consider
  • adopting a Record Retention Policy—an example appears in the appendix of the chapter
  • treasurer guidebook.)
  • It is strongly recommended each chapter board require multiple signatures for checks issued for more than a specified amount and review the authorized signatories on the accounts on a regular basis. Due to the ever-increasing fraudulent activities taking place around the world, ISACA encourages each chapter to speak with their local bank to best determine steps that can be taken to most effectively mitigate the risk of fraud upon the chapter.
  • Financial reports should include totals of income and expenditures on the basis of the established accounts. These reports should be completed monthly by the chapter treasurer and approved by the chapter board. Inability to produce timely financial information may be an indicator of irregularities and may hinder the ability of the chapter board to take corrective action for reserve shortfalls or expense overages. The chapter president should investigate delays and take corrective action when necessary.

Reporting

For reporting responsibilities, both within the chapter and to ISACA, the chapter president should:

  • Ensure the annual reporting requirements for the chapter (i.e., chapter compliance) are met.
  • Every chapter is required to enter their events in the Higher Logic/Engage platform, complete an online checklist, and annually submit an audit or financial verification letter within 30 days of the chapter’s AGM. The chapter president must coordinate the assignment, completion, review, and submission of the independent report to ISACA.
  • Establish a reporting system to apprise the chapter board and membership of chapter activities.
  • Report chapter activities and financial condition to the chapter membership.
  • Act as the primary contact with ISACA to submit required reports, chapter information,
  • concerns, board rosters, etc.

Meetings

The chapter president should lead all meetings (unless extenuating circumstances prevent your attendance; in which case, the vice president should take the lead), and should:

  • Collaborate with the chapter secretary to develop an agenda for each board meeting.
  • Meet with the chapter treasurer to review the chapter budget before presentation at meetings.
  • Preside over both regular and special meetings of the chapter and chapter’s board.

Chapter Board Meetings

As defined by your chapter bylaws, you will hold multiple chapter board meetings during the year (at least four per year). The chapter president will chair these meetings and have responsibility for:

  • Complying with the chapter bylaws for meetings
  • Declaring and adjudicating motions
  • Setting the time for the next meeting

Regular or Special Membership Meetings

As defined by your chapter bylaws, you will hold membership meetings that are authorized per the chapter bylaws. The chapter president will chair these meetings and have the same responsibilities as defined above under the heading Chapter Board Meetings.

Immediately Following the Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The chapter president must inform ISACA (chapters@isaca.org) of the newly elected and appointed chapter board members and volunteers immediately following the AGM, or as soon as the new positions go into effect.

Mentoring

The chapter president and vice president, together, should mentor all chapter volunteers, as needed. If the president determines a volunteer is not fulfilling their respective duties, the chapter president should mentor the volunteer or identify an appropriate person to do so.

For example, your chapter board could include a president-elect (or deputy director), who can be second-in-command and groomed to be the next president. This can create an opportunity for the president to act as a mentor (adding to personal/professional development skills), and the mentee receives training and a longer transition period for the new role. Please note, if your chapter uses this structure, the president-elect or deputy director role must be noted in your chapter’s bylaws.

Succession Planning

Though it varies from chapter to chapter (according to chapter bylaws), your term as chapter president will come to an end. The key to continued success for any chapter is the ability of the president to identify, encourage, and develop future leaders to fill the president role in the future, fill any other vacancies in the chapter board as they arise, and ensure a succession plan is in place.

Just as you likely found it beneficial to “Learn from your Predecessor,” offer a one-on-one handover meeting to the incoming president. Share your insights, experiences, tips, and updates on current initiatives. Offer support and guidance, which will only build on all the hard work and time you devoted to the chapter. For example, you could develop a transition procedure (e.g., checklist) to help ensure most key activities are covered, and ongoing support and attention is given to items that take longer than one term to accomplish.

Turnover Procedures

When turning over to a new chapter president, the following should be completed:

  • Ensure all files, records, and correspondence are provided in a timely manner to new officers,
  • directors, and chairs by members of the current/outgoing board.
  • Submit chapter annual reporting documents to ISACA.
  • Establish a due date for completing turnover procedures.
  • Plan a chapter recognition dinner. Ensure that all volunteers and members who participated in
  • chapter activities throughout the year are appropriately recognized.
  • Coordinate the update of the chapter files with other officers and directors/chairs. Update procedures and forms as needed.

Coordinate the preparation of outstanding items list:

  • Invoices with attached documentation and approval to pay
  • Facilities contracts in process for the following year’s events
  • Seminar or instructor contracts in process for the following year
  • All other outstanding items not completed during the chapter year

Coordinate meeting(s) with current and incoming officers/chairs. This can be accomplished in one meeting or in individual meetings, as deemed appropriate.

  • Review and update the chapter inventory list with the chapter treasurer.
  • Ensure that all chapter property is transferred to the new officers as required.
  • Ensure that the treasurer initiates a change of names, authorized signers, and signature cards for bank accounts. (The suggested minimum number of signatories for a chapter bank account is three.)
  • Ensure post office box keys (if applicable) are transferred to new officers.
  • Turn over current correspondence file to the new president and be sure to include any chapter
  • support items provided by ISACA throughout the year, as some of these items are not reproduced on an annual basis.