Membership Committee Charge:

Section I: Purpose of the Membership Committee
The Membership Committee is responsible for recruitment, retention, enrollment, and engagement of Maize Genetics Cooperation, Inc. (MGC) members and maintenance of a secure membership database. The Membership Committee is formed within the MGC and will work with the Board of Directors to contribute to annual budget development as it relates to membership dues rates, and to implement contracts and legal obligations related to management of the membership database.

Section II: Organization of the Membership Committee
The Membership Committee shall consist of six MGC members who are professionally involved in maize genetics research who will serve 3-year terms starting at the annual Maize Genetics Meeting and ending at the annual Maize Genetics Meeting. These members will have voting rights, which they will exercise as needed to support Membership Committee activities. Each year the Maize Community will submit member nominations to the Membership Committee. The Membership Committee will then select members with consideration of maintaining balance of membership (balanced representation of region, gender, industry and academia, etc.). In addition, one voting graduate student and one voting post-doc member will be nominated to serve on the Membership Committee via an election by their peer groups within the MGC membership. Each postdoc and graduate student member will serve a one-year term, starting at an annual Maize Genetics Meeting and ending at the subsequent annual Maize Genetics Meeting. Each year the Membership Committee will elect one of the 1st or 2nd year career scientist members as co-chair for the Membership Committee. The co-chair will assume chair responsibilities in the subsequent year. The outgoing chair will remain on the committee for 1-year to provide guidance to the chair and incoming chair.

Section III: Activities and Responsibilities of the Membership Committee
The activities assumed by the Membership Committee shall include:

1. Membership signup and membership database maintenance. Maintain the membership website, secure membership database, and secure transaction service.
2. Membership expansion. Recommend and implement programs for increasing the membership base, especially among groups historically underrepresented among MGC members.
3. Membership benefits. Identify the needs of members and recommend the development of services to meet those needs. Make prospective and current members aware of the resources, services, and membership benefits.
4. Membership engagement. Recommend and implement ways to acknowledge members and to encourage participation in MGC activities.

Other activities may be undertaken by the Membership Committee if needed and with an appropriate mandate from the MGC Board of Directors.