NATO is seeking to fill 10 positions on its board of directors.
The National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) board of directors is once again is inviting its members to consider being a candidate to join the board. Nine manufacturer directors, 12 retail directors and three wholesale directors make up the current NATO board.
The board is seeking to fill five retail board seats and five manufacturer board seats through an October election.
Each newly elected director will serve a two-year term beginning on January 1, 2016 and ending on Dec. 31, 2017.
NATO states that its purposes and principles include improving the business conditions for retailers that sell tobacco products, informing association members about local, state and federal laws and regulations regarding the sale, advertising, promotion and taxation of tobacco products, assisting association members in responding to proposed tobacco legislation and regulations and conducting an annual trade show.
According to NATO, serving as a member of the board is a serious commitment. The NATO board of directors sets the overall policy direction and goals for the association and has direct input into which tobacco-related issues the association becomes engaged in on the local, state and federal levels. NATO is the only national retail organization that monitors and responds to local, stat, and federal tobacco legislation and FDA tobacco regulations, NATO reported. All of the issues that NATO acts upon have a direct impact on the retail tobacco industry and the association’s efforts are focused on protecting the right to sell legal tobacco products without undue regulation or over taxation.
The NATO board meets in person twice a year with one meeting in Las Vegas the day prior to the annual NATO Show and the other meeting in November. A director must also serve as a member of one or more NATO Committees that include the Government Affairs Committee, Public Relations Committee, Trade Show Committee, Membership Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, By-Laws and Governance Committee or Finance Committee.
To be eligible as a board of director candidate, an individual needs to be an owner, partner, shareholder, officer or employee of a NATO member in good standing. If you would like to be a board of director candidate, know of an individual who would be well suited to be a board candidate, or have additional questions about the qualifications or responsibilities of NATO board members, please contact NATO Executive Director Tom Briant at 1-866-869-8888 or via e-mail at [email protected] by Oct. 9, 2015. The NATO board of director election ballots will be sent to all NATO members in mid-October