Dear ICSB Family,
On December 17, 2019, I sent an email was to all ICSB active members about the board meeting that was to take place, under my Presidency, in Macao (Special Administrative Region, China) on December 11th.
The objective of this meeting was to closely follow up on the work agenda, discussed at the Board meeting in Cairo, and review the work delegated to each committee and their members. The ICSB Board approved a new set of bylaws for ICSB to be presented to the membership. It reflects a new business model, covering our four (4) pillars of membership; teaching, research, policymakers, and practitioners. In the email sent on December 17, 2019, I reported on the following:
1. The new bylaws are built on a framework that recognizes the need for a new and sustainable business model.
2. This model was validated by the success we have achieved in 2017 with our work in partnership with the United Nations-led by Past President Dr. Ki-Chan Kim and our dynamic Executive Director Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy and many countries and partners in the declaration of the UN MSME Day celebrated on June 27th of every year.
3. This new business model will allow for sustainable growth for ICSB in terms of a footprint and financial growth strategy which develops a newly developed product called “ICSB Knowledge Hubs.”
4. Since 2015, it has been clear to the successive boards that the affiliate model needed to be readdressed, modified, improved, or abolished. Built upon the work done by previous ICSB visioning committees (2020 and 2030), the Bylaws committee, led by President-Elect Winslow Sargeant, was charged to work on new Bylaws to match the new business model. This new model should address the concerns for a newly established framework for partnerships. With local groups rather than the chapter/ affiliate mode, it is desired to have local or regional groups as “partners of ICSB” rather than “subordinates” of ICSB. This clear recommendation was also received from Ms. Vicki Stylianou, ICSB SVP Development.
5. The new bylaws and business model put the small business owner and entrepreneur at the heart of what we do: whether it is education, research, or policy advocacy. Without small business owners, there would be no supporting ecosystem.
6. The new business model gives special attention to certain groups, with women and youth playing a major role to play in the future of ICSB.
I want to follow up on the progress we have made and a summary of all the actions the ICSB Board has taken so far:
October 4, 2019: The ICSB Bylaws Committee presented in Washington DC to the ICSB Board the new ICSB framework for feedback.
November 10, 2019: President of ICSB, Ahmed Osman, sent to the entire board the draft of the new Bylaws for review and comment.
December 11, 2019: The ICSB Board met at the Mid-Year Board meeting in Macao (SAR) and approved the new ICSB bylaws for membership voting. The ICSB board vote was in the majority for YES.
December 17, 2019: The new ICSB Bylaws were submitted to the ICSB active membership for approval/disapproval via email and posted on the ICSB public site.
February 7, 2020: ICSB receives legal notice from the Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont, Division for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) not to certify the results until February 20, 2020.
February 15, 2020 (60 days exactly): ICSB Voting ends with 1155 YES votes and 28 No with all regions voted. The results not certified as per the TRO still in effect.
February 27, 2020: The Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont, Division dismisses the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).
March 9, 2020: ICSB Board certifies the membership voting results. Seven (7) Board Members voted Yes for certification, and two (2) Board Members voted in the negative. Motion passed, vote Certified.
March 9, 2020: ICSB New-Bylaws takes effect.
I would like to thank all active ICSB members that participated in the voting process and the ICSB board members for the hard work and dedication. An ICSB Transition Committee led by Dr. Rita Grant, ICSB SVP of Finance and Control, has been formed to start immediately working on the next steps. We will now move forward with an exciting new future to build a stronger ICSB.
Sincerely,
Ahmed Osman
ICSB President