Committees

The Business Practices Committee is responsible for maintaining the association's Operational Manual, which includes internal control policies and financial procedures. The Committee ensures that all content is accurate and current. Selected members form an Audit Subcommittee to conduct an annual internal audit of the previous year's financial records, assess ongoing financial practices, and advise the Board on budget matters. The Committee's internal control policies focus on proper transaction authorization, segregation of duties, documentation, safeguards for account access, and independent performance checks.

The Bylaws Committee serves as an advisory body to the Board, chaired by the Vice President. Its primary responsibilities include identifying areas of the Bylaws that require changes or revisions, drafting proposed amendments for Board consideration, and ensuring that any approved changes are communicated to the membership 30 days prior to the annual business meeting. The Committee also prepares a report for the Board one week before meetings, prepares educational grant applications, and maintains a copy of the most recent approved Bylaws for posting on the Association's website.

The Communications Committee is responsible for clearly defining and creating the methods for effective communication both internally among members of the Association and externally with parties that are of fundamental interest to our overall vision and mission. The key activities of the Committee will be to communicate and promote the Association in an effort to maintain visibility, credibility, accountability and growth.

The Conference Committee is tasked with planning and overseeing the annual conference and other educational forums. Key responsibilities include coordinating hospitality and social events, gathering materials for conference bags from local tourism boards, and coordinate meals and dietary restriction menus. The Committee assists with various tasks, ensures smooth operations during the conference, and researches gift ideas for Board members to present at the annual meeting.

The Membership Committee assists the Treasurer with financial matters related to the Association's conferences and aims to engage current and prospective members, striving for representation from each state in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Responsibilities are evenly distributed among members through three subcommittees: the General Subcommittee updates the demographic survey and develops a Benefits Brochure; the Recruitment Subcommittee focuses on diversifying membership and creating a new member orientation package; and the Registration Desk Subcommittee establishes guidelines for registration responsibilities and manages volunteer schedules at conferences.

The Immediate Past President serves as Chair of the Past Presidents’ Committee, which meets as needed to work on projects and provide advisory opinions for the Board of Directors. Membership is open to past presidents with regular membership status. The Committee will establish a subcommittee to review conference site contracts, assisting the President-Elect by ensuring contracts meet MAACM’s needs. Additionally, the Immediate Past President also chairs the Nominating Committee, appointing at least four members with Board approval. This Committee reviews all nominations and makes selections no later than 30 days before the annual conference. The Past Presidents’ Committee will also consider nominations for the John Neufeld Award.

The Professional Development Committee consists of court professionals dedicated to personal and collective growth, coordinating the educational curriculum for the Annual and Midyear Conferences with a focus on trends and challenges affecting courts at both national and state levels. The committee values input from all members to create impactful and relevant programs. The Mid-Year Conference Subcommittee develops educational goals, curates the curriculum, procures speakers, and forwards workshop descriptions to the Conference Committee Chair at least 45 days before the event. Similarly, the Annual Conference Subcommittee has the same responsibilities, ensuring that educational objectives are met well in advance. The Chairpersons of the Professional Development Committee prepare reports for Board meetings and tabulate workshop evaluations to present at the December Board meeting.

The Vendor Committee is responsible for maintaining the Association's vendor database and recruiting vendors to attend or sponsor activities at the annual conference through mass mailings and direct outreach. The committee collaborates with the Conference Hotel to create a vendor floor plan and develops listings with cost projections for sponsorship opportunities, which are submitted to the Board for approval. They compile vendor advertising information for the Conference Program Book and ensure it is forwarded to the Conference Publications Coordinator. Additionally, the committee sends conference registration and hotel information to all vendors, organizes schedules for the Vendor Registration Desk, and assists vendors during the conference. They also print and provide name badges for vendors, distribute and tabulate Vendor Survey forms to report findings to the Board after the conference, submit the list of attending vendors to the Treasurer for badge preparation, and host a vendor luncheon.