ELECTION PROCESS AND DETAILS

2025-2026 ELECTION FERMENTA BOARD MEMBER POSITION DESCRIPTIONS

President

The President works directly with all Board members. Daily duties include monitoring and responding to organizational emails, monitoring social media, and membership administration. The President is the main point person for all Fermenta events and assists in delegating tasks and responsibilities. The President schedules and runs Board meetings.

Duties:

• Schedule, set the agenda, and run monthly Board meetings

• Monitor and answer organizational emails

• Work with media outlets, do interviews, or delegate these tasks to others as appropriate

• Help coordinate events

• Monitor Fermenta’s website

• Actively seek out new venues or think of new ideas for educational events, scholarships, or collaborative opportunities

• Ensure sure all other Board members are performing their duties as assigned to the best of their ability

• Oversee any committees as necessary

• Attend as many Fermenta events as possible

• Step into any other board position to assist with board responsibilities

Treasurer

The Treasurer oversees the management and reporting of Fermenta’s finances. The Treasurer works with all Board members on a regular basis to ensure financial responsibility. The Treasurer is responsible for preparing all financial documents on a timely basis, distributing these documents to Board members, and maintaining adequate copies and backups of all financial data. The Treasurer should be financially literate, pay close attention to detail, be timely in completing tasks, and keep neat and accurate records.

Duties:

• Attend monthly Board meetings

• Perform all necessary monthly financial tasks

• Maintain the bank account 

• Track expenditure receipts 

• Monitor monthly scholarship expenses

• Account for all donations 

• Track/calculate monthly fees

• Prepare, store, and distribute to Board members any monthly financial statements

• Submit the annual 990 form to the Internal Revenue Service

• Submit the annual corporations report to the State of Michigan

• Create yearly financial statements

• Propose and present an annual budget

• Monitor finances as they correspond to the budget

• Maintain a cash box for events

• Assist as needed with events

• Attend as many Fermenta events as possible

Secretary

The Secretary keeps Board meeting minutes and uploads them into the Fermenta Google Drive. The Secretary monitors membership administration, helps correspond with donors, and takes on other tasks as needed.

Duties:

• Attend monthly Board meetings

• Draft and maintain Board meeting minutes and uploads them into Google Drive

• Monitor and correspond with members as needed

• Send thank you correspondence to donors

• Assist in monitoring and updating the website

• Assist in planning & organizing events as needed

• Attend as many Fermenta events as possible

Director at Large for Scholarships and Education

The Scholarship Director’s primary responsibility is to chair the Scholarship Committee and coordinate finding, promoting, offering, and awarding a variety of educational scholarships for members. The Scholarship Director schedules and runs Scholarship Committee meetings.

Duties:

• Attend monthly Board meetings 

• Schedule and run Scholarship Committee meetings

• Recruit members to Scholarship Committee when needed

• Seek out new scholarship and educational opportunities in all fermentation industries

• Draft a scholarship yearly calendar

• Revise and update scholarship categories and respective application forms when needed

• Draft individual scholarship descriptions and send to appropriate board members for newsletter, web page, social media etc 

• Monitor applications, contact applicants if necessary

• Check applicant qualifications and membership status 

• Draft applicant voting matrices and coordinate voting with Scholarship Subcommittee members

• Tally votes and award scholarships, based on voting rubrics

• Notify recipients, and communicate with non-winning applicants

• Request bio and picture from recipients, send to appropriate board members for newsletter, web page, SM etc

• Notify President and Scholarship Committee members of winners

• Follow up with recipients re testimonial

• Keep records of scholarships awarded, receipts, and winners 

• Propose and monitor annual scholarship budget

• Submit copies of receipts to the Treasurer in a timely manner

• Make sure Scholarship table is set up at Fermenta Anniversary Party

• Assist in planning events as needed

• Attend as many events as possible