Governance is the process of governing and controlling an association. Its foundation is the association’s constitution and bylaws, and the policies that amplify and explain them. It receives structure from a formal organization of officers and committees, with relative authorities, responsibilities, and delegations of same.
MEI provides support for the association’s governance and its structure in several ways.

Board of Directors and Executive Committee
Between formal meetings, MEI communicates regularly with association officers, keeping them current with developments and matters of interest, both to the association generally and to their leadership responsibilities and roles. For formal meetings (at dates and times selected by the association), MEI “staffs” each meeting by making arrangements (e.g., site recommendation, selection and negotiation, food functions, sleeping room reservations, travel arrangements); assists in conduct of the meeting by preparing and distributing meeting notices, agendas and “board books” of reports and other materials (prepared in consultation with the president); takes notes and prepares and distributes minutes (including follow-up “to do” lists and assignments).
MEI also acts as custodian of the association’s official governance records, making sure that they are complete and filed as necessary and appropriate with governmental agencies of jurisdiction; recommends and/or prepares modifying resolutions as necessary; and attends such other meetings, on the association’s behalf, as are needed to receive information for and represent the interests of the association and its members.

Committees
As with officers, MEI communicates regularly with committee chairs. For formal meetings, MEI provides the same services of site arrangements, meeting preparation, minutes and follow-up specified for the Board of Directors.

Honoring the Association Governance Structure
MEI never seeks to wrest control of the association. Instead, it provides management services within the existing governance structure, honoring constitution and bylaws; formal organization of officers and committees; their relative positions, responsibilities, and authorities; and the delegation of such responsibility and authority.
MEI will never attempt to replace, usurp, bypass or substitute for the formal and proper location and exercise of authority. Nor will MEI attempt to “leverage” decisions into being, no matter how “right” it may believe those decisions to be.