Bylaws

Fall Creek Falls State Park is a state park in Van Buren and Bledsoe counties in lower Cumberland Plateau region of Middle Tennessee. The 20,000-acre park is centered on the upper Cane Creek Gorge, an area known for its unique geological formations and scenic waterfalls. The park's namesake is the 256-foot Fall Creek Falls, the highest free-fall waterfall east of the Mississippi River.

BY-LAWS

PREAMBLE

Public Acts 2007, Chapter 42 charged the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, in consultation with others, to develop the Tennessee Institute of Public Health (TNIPH). Through a memorandum of agreement dated October 15, 2009 between THEC and East Tennessee State University (ETSU), ETSU assumed responsibility for the development and management of the TNIPH.

ARTICLE I NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Tennessee Institute of Public Health (TNIPH).

ARTICLE II VISION AND MISSION

Vision Statement

The Tennessee Institute of Public Health is a lead statewide convener of organizations, agencies, and groups to build and foster the collaborations necessary to improve the public's health.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Tennessee Institute of Public Health is to foster measurable improvements in the health and wellness of all Tennesseans through conducting and promoting statewide multi-sector initiatives, including data driven planning, health education and public awareness, and research and advocacy for effective health-related policy.

ARTICLE III GOALS

In all activities, TNIPH shall be governed by the goals outlined below. These goals and a strategic plan for addressing these specific goals shall be reviewed and updated annually by the TNIPH Advisory Board. These goals may be modified by a simple majority of the Advisory Board.

1. As a neutral convener, TNIPH will facilitate new and strengthen existing relationships among stakeholders interested in the health of Tennesseans. It will do so in order to create a model for effective collaborative response to health issues in Tennessee.
2. TNIPH will strive to become a self-supporting sustainable organization.
3. TNIPH will provide leadership in strategic thinking and analysis of issues impacting health and wellness of Tennesseans; it will provide guidance for statewide approaches for improvement.
4. TNIPH will highlight improvements in health outcomes and exemplary programs in order to share information about successful models.

ARTICLE IV ADVISORY BOARD

General advice and direction for the Institute will be provided by an Advisory Board. The Advisory Board shall consist of the following members:

1. Executive Director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or designee;
2. Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents or designee;
3. President of the University of Tennessee system or designee;
4. President of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association or designee;
5. Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health or designee;
6. Commissioner of Education or designee;
7. Commissioner of Economic & Community Development or designee;
8. President of the Tennessee School Boards Association or designee;
9. President of the Tennessee Hospital Association or designee;
10. President of the Tennessee Medical Association or designee;
11. President of the Tennessee Public Health Association or designee;
12. President of the Rural Health Association of Tennessee or designee;
13. President of the Tennessee Nurses Association or designee;
14. Chair of the Senate General Welfare, Health & Human Resources Committee or designee;
15. Chair of the House Health & Human Resources Committee or designee;
16. Executive Director of Tennessee Commission on Children & Youth or designee;
17. Representative of American Association of Retired People (AARP), TN Chapter;
18. Executive Director of the Tennessee Business Roundtable or designee;
19. Director of the Tennessee Division of Health Planning, Tennessee Department of Finance & Administration or designee;
20. One health science student representative from each Grand Division of the State elected by the Student Section of the Tennessee Public Health Association;
21. One representative from each higher education institution in the State offering a training program in Public Health or a closely related field.

The Advisory Board may, by simple majority, vote to extend membership to other organizations, in an effort to assure that all voices or organizations dedicated to improving health in Tennessee have a representation on the Board.

Board members shall receive no compensation for their services, though they may be compensated for execution against specific funded projects.

Members currently serving on the TNIPH Advisory Board may continue to serve by submitting a formal request to the Executive Director within thirty (30) days of the adoption of these By-Laws.

ARTICLE V MEETINGS AND QUORUM

The Advisory Board shall hold at least two (2) meetings per year, at least one of which will be a face-to-face meeting, to be held in a central location. Other meetings may be held by teleconference, videoconference, webinar, or at other locations throughout the State.

A quorum of the Board will be represented by half of the members, plus one (1).

No meeting of the Board shall be held or official action taken on any matters concerning the Board unless all members have been notified by mail or email at least two (2) weeks in advance of the time and place of such meetings.

Board actions may be taken electronically by unanimous written consent according to appropriate federal and state regulations.

ARTICLE VI BOARD DUTIES

Duties of the Advisory Board include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Seek to secure outside funding that will permit the continued operation of TNIPH;
2. Bi-annually review the funding and operation of TNIPH;
3. Identify priority areas for future TNIPH action;
4. Provide general advice and guidance to TNIPH administration;
5. Have the authority, by two thirds vote, to amend the TNIPH By-Laws to serve as guiding principles;
6. Set the time and place for the Annual meeting.

ARTICLE VII EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND OTHER COMMITTEES

The Executive Director, with Board approval, may appoint an Executive Committee.  Duties of the Executive Committee may include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Enhance TNIPH participation through recruiting and retention efforts to impact and improve effectiveness;
2. Assist with strategies for securing outside funding;
3. Advise the Executive Director and staff on TNIPH operations and activities;
4. Review recommendations for annual updates to the TNIPH strategic plan, goals, and By-Laws.
5. The Executive Director, with Board approval, may appoint other committees and sub-committees as necessary.

ARTICLE VIII PARTICIPATION

All Tennesseans shall be eligible to participate in TNIPH activities in accordance with the provisions of these By-Laws. Participation includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Participation includes notification of public meetings of TNIPH and, as appropriate, an invitation to comment on reports and other materials under development by TNIPH;
2. Participation does not include voting privileges or other actions of governance for TNIPH;
3. Formal participation may be initiated by contacting TNIPH staff or an individual board member or by referring to relevant information on the TNIPH website at www.etsu.edu/tniph.

ARTICLE IX FUNDS AND DISBURSEMENT

All TNIPH funds shall be managed by ETSU in accordance with appropriate State of Tennessee rules & regulations, and in a manner consistent with the requirements of the funding source(s).

ARTICLE X PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these By-Laws.