USA Ultimate Board of Directors Passes New Bylaws
Posted: August 28, 2013 11:00 AM
USA ULTIMATE BOARD OF DIRECTORS PASSES NEW BYLAWS
Key Part of Governance Structure Modernized for the First Time in More Than 30 Years
August 28, 2013 (Boulder, Colo.)—The USA Ultimate Board of Directors
passed new bylaws at its summer board meeting, modernizing the organization’s governance structure and aligning it with the accepted standards practiced by other national governing bodies of sport. The revisions represent the first major update to the bylaws since the organization was founded as the Ultimate Players Association in 1979.
The new bylaws go into effect immediately.
"These new bylaws signify an important stage in the evolution of USA Ultimate, and vastly improve the governance, operation, and future stability of the organization," said Mike Payne, USA Ultimate Board of Directors President. "Ultimate has hit an inflection point in terms of the sport’s growth and visibility. As the largest and most-resourced organization in the sport, we owe it to our members and partners, now and in the future, to guide USA Ultimate in a truly professional, forward-looking manner. The new bylaws will help ensure that the right types of individuals are overseeing the organization, supported by important policies and processes that will support ongoing growth and minimize risk. I am also proud that these bylaws are as mature and rigorous as those that govern the operations of the other world-class U.S. sports governing bodies."
The new bylaws are designed to guide and support the operations of USA Ultimate staff and volunteers. The changes that have been introduced include, but are not limited to, increased focus on U.S. National Teams and the gradual movement towards Olympic status, revamped composition of the USA Ultimate Board of Directors to include elite athlete representatives and independent appointees, a more mature approach to business and financial planning as well as risk management, and increased focus on Spirit of the Game (SOTG) within the Ultimate community. The new bylaws took 18 months to complete and included extensive research, writing and rewriting, as well as interaction with external experts.
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