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SECRETARY:Pam Hider Johnson

Ms. Hider Johnson is Senior Housing Counselor and manages the Johnson County, Kansas office for The Greater Kansas City Housing Information Center (HIC). She provides comprehensive housing counseling services for persons seeking housing assistance throughout metropolitan Kansas City since 1989.

Pam is a (HUD) US Department of Housing and Urban Development, HomeFree USA® and NeighborWorks America® certified housing counselor and received mediation certification for the State of Kansas from the City of Lawrence, Kansas and University of Kansas. She serves as co-chair of the Johnson County (CHRB) Community Housing Resource Board for the past 10-years and executive committee member for Johnson County’s Continuum of Care on Homelessness.

Using the automated office/report and narrative systems sponsored by the Mid-America Assistance Coalition’s MAACLink helps her agency fulfill its responsibility as housing counselors. Pam conducts credit report reviews, budget, homeownership, landlord/tenant issues, pre and post-foreclosure and tenant counseling for individuals and families seeking assistance in the metropolitan area.

She is co-founder of “Ask a Housing Counselor®” and responds weekly on the Internet to numerous housing related queries made by citizens.

Pam also chairs the Kansas City Jazz Ambassador’s Musicians Emergency Assistance Fund and serves on the CODA Jazz Fund board that provides end-of-life assistance to area career musicians.

She was recently elected to the Executive Committee as Secretary of the Mutual Musicians Foundation.

She is married to Sam Johnson, Jr. a career drummer and president of the Elder Statesmen of Kansas City Jazz – a jazz service organization.
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General Responsibilities

Organizations are required by law and by custom to maintain certain records for several purposes, including:

  • accurate recollection of decisions;
  • determination of eligibility to vote;
  • continuity of policies and practices; and
  • accountability of directors and officers.

The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that accurate and sufficient documentation exists to meet legal requirements, and to enable authorized persons to determine when, how, and by whom the board’s business was conducted. In order to fulfill these responsibilities, and subject to the organization’s bylaws, the Secretary records minutes of meetings, ensures their accuracy, and availability, proposes policies and practices, submits various reports to the board, maintains membership records, fulfills any other requirements of a Director and Officer, and performs other duties as the need arises and/or as defined in the bylaws. (see note 1)

Accountability

The Secretary is accountable to the Board of Directors (if elected or appointed by them) or Members. (If elected by the membership at a members meeting) as specified in the bylaws. Through the Board of Directors, certain duties of the Secretary may be delegated to the Executive Director, Board members and/or committees as appropriate; however, the accountability for them remains with the Secretary.

Specific Duties

Minutes

The secretary is responsible for ensuring that accurate minutes of meetings are taken and approved.. Requirements of minutes may vary with the jurisdiction but should include at a minimum:

  • date, time, location of meeting;
  • list of those present and absent;
  • list of items discussed;
  • list of reports presented;
  • text of motions presented and description of their disposition. (see note 2)

The Secretary signs a copy of the final, approved minutes and ensures that this copy is maintained in the corporate records.

Custodian of records

The secretary ensures that the records of the organization are maintained as required by law and made available when required by authorized persons. These records may include founding documents, (eg. letters patent, articles of incorporation), lists of directors, board and committee meeting minutes financial reports, and other official records.

Membership Records

The Secretary ensures that official records are maintained of members of the organization and Board. He/She ensures that these records are available when required for reports, elections, referenda, other votes, etc.

Bylaws

The Secretary ensures that an up-to-date copy of the bylaws is available at all meetings.

Communication

The Secretary ensures that proper notification is given of directors’ and members’ meetings as specified in the bylaws. The Secretary manages the general correspondence of the Board of Directors except for such correspondence assigned to others.

Meetings

The Secretary participates in Board meetings as a voting member. The Secretary provides items for the agenda as appropriate. In the absence of the President (and Vice-President, if the position exists), the Secretary calls the meeting to order, presiding until a temporary chairperson is elected. The secretary records meeting minutes as described above Depending upon the bylaws and practices of the organization, the Secretary may perform these duties for Member meetings (eg. Annual General Meeting) and/or for an executive committee.

Signing Officer

The Secretary may be designated by the Board of Directors and/or bylaws as one of the signing officers for certain documents. In this capacity, the Secretary may be authorized or required to sign or countersign cheques, correspondence, applications, reports, contracts or other documents on behalf of organization.

Filing of Documents

The Secretary may be the registered agent with respect to the laws of the jurisdiction.; the person upon whom legal notice to the corporation is served, and responsible for ensuring that documents necessary to maintain the corporation are filed.

Note 1

This document uses the word “ensure” to convey the intent that accountability for the specified responsibilities lies with the Secretary but it is not necessarily the Secretary who carries out the activity. Indeed, we expect that many of these responsibilities will be delegated to board committees, staff, or others including experts retained for a specific purpose. The word “ensure” is not intended to imply any additional source of legal duties beyond those that are required by law.

Note 2

Minutes should have enough information to help absent directors and members understand what issues were discussed and what decisions were made. Some lawyers advise that in certain circumstances, minutes should include summary of discussion, rationale for decision, names of those participating in the discussion, and the roll call, noting any declared conflicts of interest. These circumstances: are if the matter is contentious, if board members dissent, if there is any concern about exposure to liability, or if a board member has a conflict of interest.

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