Revise the Bylaws Article V (Board of Directors) as indicated below:
Section 1. Composition.
The board will consist of no fewer than 12 members and no more than 15, including the four officers (specifically, the President, President Elect, Immediate Past President, and Treasurer). The board may appoint up to three voting Thought Leaders to serve on the board each year as needed, which will be in addition to the 12-15 elected Board members. The board has the authority to determine annually the number of board members necessary to fulfill the mission of the organization based on a needs assessment performed by the Leadership Development Committee. Of this number In addition, the CEC Executive Director serves as a non-voting member of the Board.
The board may, in its sole discretion, appoint not more than three Thought Leaders to serve on the board each year. A Thought Leader is an individual who is may or may not be a member of CEC and may be outside of the field of special education, education, or disabilities. These individuals may be recruited and selected by the board or LDC at the request of the Board. Thought Leaders bring in-depth knowledge and expertise in one or more areas that represent a pressing need of the board. Thought Leaders are voting members of the Board but are not eligible to become officers.
Section 3. Selection of Members of the Board of Directors.
Add:
Thought Leaders will be appointed by simple majority of the board.
Rationale:
By CEC’s definition, “Thought Leaders bring in-depth knowledge and expertise in one or more areas that represent a pressing need of the board.” If there are members with such knowledge and expertise, there should be no reason not to allow them to serve by being appointed by the board, rather than subject their service to the organization to completing  the application process and, than, placing the outcome in the hands of a member election. Further, their value as Thought Leaders would be enhanced by their knowledge of, and experience within, CEC.
As the number of board members decreases, it is increasingly difficult to ensure that there is a pool of candidates who can commit to apply for the position of president elect (applicants must have served on the board for at least two years or within the past five years). Having Thought Leaders as additional to other board members helps to mitigate that. In addition, if the board is at its maximum number of 15, the current bylaws would not allow for a Thought Leader position to be filled, even if the board determines a critical need for one or more.