Your ASHI

Membership News
Safeguard Your Member Benefits: Renew Today

If you haven’t already renewed your ASHI membership, do so now to continue your benefits:

• Ensure your name appears without interruption in Find an Inspector.
• Continue to receive the ASHI Reporter.
• Have access to free SmartTrack™ and to the e-Learning catalog, convenient ways to satisfy continuing education requirements.
• Be represented in Washington, D.C., and promoted through major media outlets via an aggressive public relations program.
• Communicate with colleagues on LinkedIn and at chapter meetings and the annual conference.
• Promote yourself as a member of the only professional home inspection community recognized by a third-party accreditation organization.

Dues renewal notices with continuing education claim forms have been sent electronically and by mail.

ACIs: Update Website Verification Button

You have your ACI badge with the gold logo, but have you updated the member verification button on your website? Go to the Members-Only Extranet, Downloads and Forms and ASHI logos to download the updated logo. Or email judyd@ashi.org.

Find an Inspector: Consumers Get Options, You Get Feedback

Consumers have two ways to use Find an Inspector on the ASHI website. They can search for an inspector by entering a full address or they can search by entering a zip code — it’s their choice. ASHI wants to be sure consumers find this search function user-friendly. In addition, all ASHI members who have email addresses on file with ASHI will receive a quarterly report on how many consumers have used the search function to view their contact information.

Profile Updates

In an effort to ensure updates to your member profile are done correctly, chapter designations must be sent to Russell Daniels at HQ, russelld@ashi.org.

Awards
Accepting Award Nominations Until October 1

The Phillip C. Monahon Award goes to an ASHI Certified Inspector who has made outstanding contributions to the society and the profession over a long period of time. Take some time to think about who might deserve the award, then download the form from the ASHI website’s Downloads and Forms page and follow the directions on the form for nominating an ASHI Certified Inspector.

The John E. Cox Award is ASHI’s annual tribute to a member whose service to a chapter has been exemplary. If someone from your chapter deserves this award, discuss it with your chapter members and submit the nomination form available on the ASHI website on the Downloads and Forms page.

Nominations for both awards must be received by Oct. 1, 2012.

Elections
ACIs Get Ready to Vote

The Officers Nominating Committee is slating candidates for the 2013 positions of President-elect, Vice president, Secretary and Treasurer. It also functions as the nominating committee for the Certification Committee.

The slates, along with the names of any members who have requested petition forms, will be published in First Thing, the electronic newsletter distributed September 30, 2012.

Last year, minor changes were made to the policies governing petitioning and the makeup of the Elections Committee.

2. Petitions

a. All Petition Candidates are to complete and submit the official Nomination Matrix Form prior to the official election. ASHI will provide the official petition to the member requesting the petition. ASHI will notify the ASHI membership by email of the member who is requesting the petition. The notice will be sent out two times by ASHI (the last week of September and the 2nd (second) week of October) and shall include the names of those candidates chosen by the nomination committees. If the official petition form is changed in any manner, the petition will NOT be accepted, with the exception of a change to the fax or phone number and email of the candidates. The candidate will be allowed to only purchase the ASHI mailing list of addresses. Email addresses and fax numbers will NOT be provided to nominated or petition candidates. The mailing list may be used only for the current election cycle. Revised 7/30/2011

b. A valid petition containing the names of a minimum of 10% of the then in good standing ASHI Certified Inspectors submitted to ASHI headquarters shall cause the name of the qualified Member to be added to the ballot as candidate for a specified (named) office.

c. Petitions must be presented upon a special form available only from ASHI Headquarters and requires the name (printed) and the signature of each petitioner, as well as the office in which the petitioner would serve, if elected.

d. The form must be received by mail or fax at headquarters at least 10 days prior to the distribution of the ballots.

e. Staff will verify the validity of the petition prior to placing the name of a Candidate for office on the ballot.

3. Official Instructions for Those Obtaining Petitions for the Officer

Elections

a. All petitions must be received on or before October 19, 2012, at noon (CT) at ASHI Headquarters, 932 Lee Street, Des Plaines, Illinois 60016 by physical delivery, U.S. mail, email or FAX at 847-759-1620 directly from the candidate. Postmark dates or mail “stored” at the post office will not be counted.

b. An ASHI Certified Member may sign more than one candidate’s petition for the same position, but only one signature per individual candidate.

c. If the Official Petition Form is changed or altered in any manner, the petition will not be accepted, with the exception of the insertion of the fax or phone number or the email of the prospective candidate.

d. All fields on the petition shall be filled in. The signature and printed name of the signer must be original.

e. All petitions must be submitted directly from the prospective petitioning candidate to Headquarters, not from signers. Petitions faxed, emailed, sent by U.S. mail or delivered by anyone other than the petition candidate will not be counted.

f. Qualified ASHI voting members (ACIs and retired members) also may sign petitions.

g. ASHI will inform members twice by email that they have requested a blank Official Petition Form.

h. You may purchase and use mailing labels from ASHI. You may not purchase email, fax or telephone number lists from ASHI. ASHI will not sponsor or send email blasts for any prospective or actual candidate.

The campaigning rules remained the same.

15.9A

1. Campaigning positively by or about any candidate is permissible as long as no ASHI assets are used.

2. Staff, Nominating Committee and Election Committee members shall not participate in campaigning.

3. Nominees or Petition Candidates for an Officer or Board of Director position may purchase mailing labels or lists of qualified voting members’ contact information from Headquarters at cost. Revised 10/22/05

4. Negative campaigning (against candidates or nominees) is not permitted. The Election Committee should preview campaign statements or materials in advance if there is any uncertainty about the appropriateness of their contents.

5. Election and Campaign policies shall be published in the Reporter for three (3) consecutive months prior to the formation of a slate for an election.

Council Considers Directors

The Directors Nominating Committee met and submitted for consideration by the members of the Council of Representatives a slate for five director positions. Representatives elect ASHI’s Directors. Chapter rosters are used to verify the number of council representatives each chapter is entitled to have, therefore the number eligible to vote. This is based on the chapter rosters that were received at ASHI headquarters by August 10, and confirmed by ASHI staff.

The Policy and Procedures Manual covering director elections can be found online in the Member Extranet, under Publications.

ASHI Event Calendar

• Oct. 18-19, 2012, Leadership Training Conference, Rosemont, Ill.
• Oct. 20, 2012, ASHI Board Meeting, Rosemont, Ill.
• Jan. 15, 2013, ASHI Board Meeting,  Las Vegas, Nev.
• Jan. 13-16, 2013, InspectionWorld , Las Vegas, Nev.
• Jan. 16, 2013, Council of Representatives Meeting, Las Vegas, Nev.
• Jan. 12-15, 2014, InspectionWorld, Nashville, Tenn.

Current ASHI Membership

ASHI Certified Inspectors: 3,407
Associates/Logo: 110
Associates: 1,544
Retired Members: 100
Affiliates: 68
Total: 5,229

ASHI Mission Statement

To set and promote standards for property inspections and to provide the educational programs needed to achieve excellence in the profession.