To: Colleagues
From: Elizabeth McIntyre, RN, MAS, NCTMB
NCB Director

Date: 1/2/05

RE: National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork’s Nomination Process

I want to share some concerns that I have regarding this year’s NCB Nomination process. Currently, I am in the 3rd year of my first term on the NCB BOD (Board of Directors). This fall, I submitted my application to be placed on the ballot to be considered as a candidate for a second 3-year term as a Director. I just received a letter from the Nominating Committee that stated I did “not meet the current criteria for consideration”. There was no mention of what the selection criteria were in the application or in my letter stating the criteria that I did not meet. So, I will not be on the 2005 ballot. Thus, the certificant body that elected me previously will not have the opportunity to consider me as a viable candidate for 2005.

I have been an active and concerned member of the BOD working very hard to make NCBTMB responsive to its stakeholders and to the position it holds in the MT/BW professional community. I am very concerned that NCBTMB’s nomination process is not fair or equitable. I have taken the following actions:

However, due to the NCBTMB nomination process (the ballot is finalized on 1/15), I am also asking you to petition the BOD to repeal the 2005 Nominating Committee’s ballot. The reason for my request is due to the following extraordinary circumstances surrounding the nomination process this year:

1. The Nomination Committee members were appointed during this past summer and not one of the committee members had previously served the NCBTMB in any capacity. This means that those charged with selecting future NCBTMB leaders were not familiar with the work of the committee, the activities of the BOD, and the Directors serving on the BOD. This brings to question whether this lack of knowledge can provide for a committee that could be qualified for their charge to find qualified future leader candidates for the upcoming BOD vacancies. The committee members’ names have not been published which I believe is highly unusual for a non-profit organization.

2. The NCB BOD has not developed and/or agreed upon the “needs” or criteria for serving on NCBTMB’s BOD. Nor did the Committee request any information about the BOD’s needs.

3. May ‘04 - the NCB BOD Chair selected the Nominating Committee Chair in May 2004. At that time, the BOD Chair had not determined whether or not she was interested in running for a second term as a Director.

July ‘04 - the BOD Chair notified the Directors that since she was considering a second term as a Director, so she gave the duty of selecting the Supervisor of Elections to the Chair-Elect in order to avoid any perceived conflict of interest.

December ’04 - the BOD Chair said “she decided at the last minute to submit her application for a Director position”. The BOD Chair shared that the Nominating Committee Chair was a friend and former colleague and that she was selected for the ballot. This situation represents a major conflict of interest.

4. The Nominating Committee’s decision not to place an incumbent Director on the ballot is unprecedented and highly suspicious of BOD fixing. It is also raises serious question as to how this could actually happen to a currently serving BOD member with no record of complaints or egregious behavior on record. This action may even suggest to a reasonable person that there is personal differences affecting an election process.

For the past 3 years, I have been an effective and efficient Director. In addition, the NCB Chair and the BOD have charged me with the following strategic activities:

Would a Director who did not meet the “criteria” be asked to do this important work? (also see below)

Within the past three years, I have challenged the status quo activities at NCB. These challenges have resulted in significant staff changes at NCB headquarters, changes in strategic initiatives and budgetary issues. Sometimes these stances were difficult, however, they were necessary and perceived by many to be in the best interests of NCB. Because I have challenged several issues where a definitive conflict of interest existed, I now feel that a power play to control the BOD and the ballot process is occurring.

REQUEST for IMMEDIATE ACTION: (note: the ballot is finalized on 1/15)

Please write to the NCBTMB Directors to petition that the 2005 nomination process be repealed. Please share this letter with other colleagues and make the same request. The BOD needs to hear from certificants and stakeholders ASAP.

I appreciate you supporting the NCBTMB nomination process and insuring that it is fair and equitable. I also appreciate your support.

I would like the opportunity to continue serving as an NCBTMB Director because I want to advance the national certification credential in the US, to improved NCB’s services in meeting certificants’ and stakeholders’ needs, and to continue working on strategic NCB initiatives. I have the following credentials/experience:

Email the NCTMB Board