By Laws - ISSCA™. International Society for Stem Cells Applications

CHAPTER 01: MEMBERS

I. Categories and qualifications of membership:

Fellow Member

Fellow members must hold an M.D., D.O., or Ph.D. degree and have demonstrated competence in the field of Regenerative Medicine, as determined by the ISSCA Board of Directors. It is essential for Fellow members to be board-certified by the International Society for Stem Cell Application (ISSCA) and in their primary specialty. Fellow members are entitled to membership benefits and full voting rights. Membership dues for Fellow members are determined by the Board of Directors.

Active Member

Active members must hold a D.P.M., Ph.D., D.O., or M.D. degree. Additionally, at least 10% of an Active member's practice must be devoted to Regenerative Medicine. Active members are entitled to full voting rights and membership benefits. The Board of Directors determines membership dues for active members. If an Active member has made extraordinary contributions to the field of Regenerative Medicine, they may petition the Board of Directors for Fellow member status. Active members in good standing with ISSCA are also eligible for Diplomat status.

Associate Member

Associate members shall hold PA, MA, LPN, RN, D.C., or non-Ph.D. science degrees and work in science fields or healthcare related to Regenerative Medicine. Associate members are entitled to membership benefits; however, they do not have eligibility for Diplomat status with the ISSCA nor voting rights. The Board of Directors also makes decisions regarding membership dues for associate members.

Corporate Member

Corporate membership is essential for any organization with products related to Regenerative Medicine. Corporate members do not have voting rights but are entitled to all membership benefits. The Board of Directors also decides on corporate membership dues. Corporate members must be in good standing with their respective Better Business Bureau. Additionally, they have the opportunity to advertise on the ISSCA website, at meetings, and in publications.

II. Membership Election:

Anyone aspiring to become a member of ISSCA is asked to submit a formal application to the organization. The Board of Directors is responsible for reviewing and approving all applicants.

III. Resignation of Membership:

After fulfilling all outstanding obligations to the ISSCA, any member may withdraw their membership. Such member must provide a written notice of intention to withdraw membership addressed to the Board of Directors. If the application for withdrawal is approved, the membership will be terminated at the first meeting scheduled by the Board of Directors following the submission of the withdrawal application.

IV. Termination of Membership:

ISSCA membership termination is determined by the Board of Directors. Following the decision to terminate membership, the member in question will be notified in writing within 10 business days.

CHAPTER 02: OFFICERS & ELECTIONS

Officers

The officers of the ISSCA shall include a membership office, advocacy officer, education officer, research officer, secretary/treasurer, and a president.
All officers assume their respective posts through a simple majority vote by the Board of Directors.

Terms of Office

Except for the ISSCA president, who is elected for a one-year term, all other ISSCA officers are elected for a two-year term.
ISSCA meetings are held annually, where elections take place each year. Immediately after voting, the election results take effect.

President

The president is the official spokesperson of the ISSCA and presides over all Board of Directors’ meetings.
Without a majority approval by the Board of Directors, the president may not incur debt or other financial obligations to the ISSCA.
Following the end of the term as president, he/she must serve on the Board of Directors for 1 year, and also, may not be elected for more than 3 consecutive terms.
The president is elected by a simple majority vote by the Board of Directors. A run-off election decides the presidential election if a tie occurs.

Secretary/Treasurer

The secretary shall be a member of all ISSCA committees and shall be elected to a durational term.
The secretary is responsible for maintaining records of all ISSCA members and notifying members in delinquent status regarding membership dues.
Also, the secretary shall attend all ISSCA meetings and keep minutes of the respective proceedings.

Research Officer

If there are any proposed research projects to be conducted by or in collaboration with the ISSCA, the research officer shall serve as the contact person. Additionally, the officer will liaise with the Board of Directors for any updates on ongoing or proposed research.
All research proposals will be screened by the research officer and presented to the Board of Directors for approval.

Education Officer

The ISSCA sponsored educational activities will be overseen by education officer.
For all proposed education activities, the education officer serves as the point of contact.
The education officer assists in coordinating all educational activities.

Advocacy Officer

All ISSCA advocacy activities are delegated by the advocacy officer, who serves as the point of contact for all questions related to advocacy by ISSCA members.

Membership Officer

All ISSCA membership applications are collected and screened by the membership officer and presented to the Board of Directors for approval.
Additionally, the membership officer serves as a point of contact for any membership withdrawal or termination procedures.

The officers, president, and board of directors are elected through a simple majority vote of the eligible ISSCA voting members.
Runoff elections will be held in case of voting ties.

CHAPTER 03: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

I. Composition

The board of directors shall be composed of 4 directors elected by the membership, secretary and the president.
The term of the director shall be years in length (3 years).
The secretary is a non-voting member of the board of directors.
A director shall be eligible for reelection for a maximum of two additional consecutive terms.

II. Responsibilities and Powers

The Executive Director is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the ISSCA and shall report to the board of directors.
The board of directors shall be in charge of all property related to the ISSCA.
The ISSCA directors constitute the main policy-making body of the organization.
This includes amending, proposing and terminating policies. All votes and actions of the board of directors are approved through simple majority decision.

III. Meetings

Meetings shall only be held by the board of directors at locations, intervals, and times deemed appropriate by the board. With the approval of the president, special meetings can be called by any member of the board of directors.
If a director is absent from two consecutive board meetings without any excuse acceptable to the majority, he/she is considered resigned from the board.

IV. Reports

An annual report about the status of the ISSCA is published by the board of directors at the annual meeting.
This report shall be made available to all ISSCA members.

V. Resignations

Any director may inform the board at any time of their intent to resign. The resignation will be effective upon receipt by the board.

CHAPTER 04: DISCIPLINE

Discipline

Following due process and notification by the board of directors, any member of the ISSCA may be suspended for the following circumstances:

Loss of licensure to practice osteopathy or medicine in any state.
Conviction of a felony by a criminal court proceeding.
Misconduct detrimental to the ISSCA or the medical profession at large.
Violation of the ISSCA Code of Ethics.
Violation of ISSCA Bylaws.
When the board of directors initiates disciplinary proceedings against a member, the member shall receive written notification of such action by certified mail.

The time and place for a hearing by the board of directors shall be chosen by the board.

At the discretion of the board of directors, the accused member and the board may have legal counsel present at the hearing.

However, the board shall make the decision, through a simple majority voting, to either terminate the ISSCA membership and any related ISSCA certifications or acquit the member.

CHAPTER 05: FUNDS AND DUES

FUNDS

ISSCA funds shall consist of capital raised from sales, donations, memberships, and any other revenue sources approved by the board of directors.

No private person or individual member shall benefit from any portion of ISSCA funds.

Regardless of any other provision of these bylaws, ISSCA shall not engage in activities that are not permitted for a nonprofit corporation exempt from federal income tax.

DUES

The Board of Directors determines any fees or dues.

Annual dues are calculated per calendar year starting from the day membership was granted.

Members will have their membership terminated if they are delinquent in their dues for 90 days following the renewal date.

At the discretion of the Board of Directors, dues may be waived or amended.

CHAPTER 06: MISCELLANEOUS

I. Order of Business for board of director meetings:

Call to order
Approval of minutes
Agenda
Reports from the Secretary
Reports from Officers
Reports from the Executive Director
Other business per agenda
Adjournment

II. Books and Records

ISSCA shall keep complete records and books of any expenditures, scheduled activities and meeting minutes. Board directors shall be able to access all books and records at any time.

III. Amendments

ISSCA bylaws are subjected to amendments through a simple majority vote by the board of directors.