Bylaws Amendment Approved: Update to Trustee Eligibility

The Board of Trustees has approved an amendment to Article II of the Institute’s bylaws updating the eligibility requirements for service on the Board of Trustees. The amendment was adopted following the required 30-day notice period and vote of the Trustees.

Previously, the bylaws required that a Trustee be a “property owner in good standing.” While straightforward, this language proved to be overly restrictive in practice. In recent years, many Institute properties have been held in trusts, LLCs, or other legal entities, and in some cases individuals who are deeply involved in the Institute are not technically listed on the deed despite living at and actively contributing to the community. As a result, committed and engaged residents were unintentionally excluded from eligibility.

The amended bylaw expands eligibility in a defined and intentional way.

Individuals are now eligible for election if they are:

• An Institute property owner;

• An individual who maintains a common household with an Institute property owner;

• A named beneficiary, member, or manager of a trust, LLC, or other legal entity that holds title to Institute property and who resides at the Institute; or

• An individual with substantive involvement in the Institute, as determined eligible by the Board of Trustees. Substantive involvement includes demonstrated, ongoing connection through long-term residency, volunteer service, committee work, program participation, or other direct contributions to Institute operations or governance.

  
  

Additional safeguards were also added. No more than one individual from the same household may serve on the Board at the same time, and all Trustees must maintain Resident in Good Standing status.

Importantly, the election process itself has not changed. All Trustees will continue to be elected by property owners at the annual July meeting. The amendment simply broadens who may stand for election, while preserving community oversight and approval.

In a separate but related clarification, the formal bylaw amendment process has now been incorporated directly into the bylaws for ease of reference. This does not change the amendment procedure; it mirrors the language already contained in the Institute’s Charter and was added solely for clarity and accessibility.

The revised bylaws are now in effect and are posted in the Institute Handbook for review

We appreciate the community’s engagement and ongoing commitment to thoughtful governance.