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TAICEP
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Conflict of Interest

TAICEP Conflict of Interest Policy for Board Members, Officers, and Leadership Candidates

1. Purpose

The purpose of this Conflict of Interest Policy is to protect the interests of The Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals (TAICEP) when contemplating any transaction, arrangement, or decision that might benefit the private interest of a director, officer, committee chair, chair-elect, or other leader. This policy ensures that all leaders act in TAICEP’s best interests and maintain the highest standards of integrity, objectivity, and transparency.

2. Applicability

This policy applies to:

  • All candidates for the TAICEP Board of Directors.
  • Committee chairs, committee chair-elects, and appointed task force leaders.
  • Executive officers and other elected or appointed leadership positions.

Upon nomination, appointment, or election, and annually thereafter, covered individuals must review, acknowledge, and comply with this policy.

The Board reserves the right to refuse a candidate’s nomination or service in any leadership position if it determines, in its sole discretion, that a significant actual or perceived conflict of interest exists that cannot be adequately managed or mitigated.

3. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when a leader’s personal, professional, financial, or organizational interests could potentially influence (or reasonably appear to influence) their judgment, decisions, or actions on behalf of TAICEP.

Conflicts may arise from, but are not limited to:

  • Financial Interests: Direct or indirect financial gain (e.g., employment, ownership, consulting fees, or investment in a commercial credential evaluation service, software vendor, or contractor doing business with TAICEP).
  • Competing Loyalties: Fiduciary duty, board service, leadership, or other roles in another professional association or entity with overlapping, competing, or conflicting missions or business interests.
  • Personal & Family Relationships: Relational ties that could compromise objectivity in TAICEP hiring, contracting, awards, or governance decisions.
  • Misuse of Position or Assets: Using TAICEP leadership status, confidential information, or organizational resources for personal, commercial, or institutional gain.

Note: Minor, non-material interests (such as standard individual memberships in related professional organizations or routine academic publishing) generally do not constitute a disqualifying conflict unless they directly compete with TAICEP’s operational or strategic directives.

4. Duty to Disclose

Covered individuals (and candidates upon nomination) must promptly disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest to the Committee for Governance, Finance, and Audit (or designated Executive Committee body) as soon as it arises.

  • Timing: Disclosures must occur prior to nomination acceptance, upon any change in professional status, and before any discussion, vote, or decision on a related matter.
  • Form: Disclosures must be submitted in writing and contain all relevant material facts.
  • Annual Affirmation: All serving leaders must submit formal disclosure statements annually.

5. Procedures for Addressing Conflicts

A. Candidate Vetting (Pre-Election / Pre-Appointment):

The Committee for Governance, Finance, and Audit, as informed by the Nominations and Elections Committee, reviews candidate disclosure forms during the vetting process. If the committee identifies a potential conflict, it evaluates whether it can be effectively mitigated (e.g., via recusal agreements) or whether it inherently impedes the candidate’s ability to fulfill their fiduciary duties to TAICEP. If the conflict cannot be mitigated, the candidate may be asked to resolve the conflict or withdraw from consideration.

B. Existing Leaders & Board Decisions:

  • Recusal: The interested leader must disclose the conflict and refrain from participating in discussions, deliberations, or voting on the matter.
  • Abstention from Room: The leader may be requested to leave the room (or virtual meeting) during deliberations, except to provide fact-finding information requested by the Board.
  • Determination: The remaining disinterested board/committee members determine by majority vote whether a conflict exists and whether the transaction or action is in TAICEP’s best interest.
  • Documentation: All disclosures, recusals, votes, and rationale must be recorded in the official meeting minutes.

C. Presidential and Officer Leadership: Unmitigable Structural Conflicts:

Certain leadership positions—most notably the President of the Board (and the presidential succession track, including President-Elect and Immediate Past President)—carry a heightened fiduciary duty and comprehensive executive responsibility for TAICEP’s strategic direction, external representation, member acquisition, and core revenue-generating programs. Unlike episodic or transactional conflicts of interest that may be resolved through periodic disclosure and recusal, a structural conflict of interest arises when an individual’s professional employment, business ownership, or governance role with an external entity directly overlaps or competes with TAICEP’s primary operational activities (including, but not limited to, credential evaluation training programs, publications, fee-based resources, or member recruitment).

Because the President must provide continuous, undivided leadership across board deliberations, agenda setting, and organizational strategy:

  • Inadequacy of Recusal: Routine or repeated recusal is deemed fundamentally incompatible with the duties and responsibilities of the office of President. Where an ongoing conflict would require withdrawal from strategic discussions or core operational oversight, the conflict cannot be mitigated.
  • Ineligibility: An individual who maintains a compensated employment relationship, material consulting engagement, or major fiduciary leadership role with a direct commercial or organizational competitor offering substantial overlapping products or services shall be ineligible to stand for election or serve as President or President-Elect of TAICEP.

6. Request for Review and Appeal Process

TAICEP recognizes that conflict determinations impact leadership opportunities and organizational trust. A candidate or current leader who disagrees with a conflict-of-interest determination may request an appeal under the following procedure:

A. Submission of Appeal: Within 14 calendar days of receiving written notice of an adverse conflict determination, the individual may submit a written Request for Review to the President of the Board (or the President-elect if the President is conflicted). The request must outline the specific grounds for appeal (e.g., new facts, evidence of procedural error, or proposed additional mitigation strategies).

B. Formation of Review Panel: The Board Officer receiving the appeal shall convene an Ad Hoc Review Panel within 14 calendar days of receiving the request. The Panel will consist of three (3) disinterested current or past Board members or senior leaders who were not part of the initial determination.

C. Review Procedure & Final Decision: The Review Panel will evaluate the written record, the Appellant’s submission, and any supporting documentation. The Panel may request a brief virtual hearing with the Appellant if it needs clarification. Within 21 calendar days of panel formation, the Panel will issue a written recommendation to the full Board of Directors (excluding any conflicted members). The Board will vote on the recommendation. The decision of the Board upon appeal is final and binding. TAICEP will promptly provide written notification of the final decision to the Appellant.

Note on Election Timelines: For candidates facing conflict determinations during an active election or nomination cycle, appeals will be expedited where feasible. However, TAICEP is not obligated to delay election schedules or ballot distribution if an appeal cannot be resolved prior to established nomination deadlines.

7. Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failure to disclose a known conflict, provision of incomplete information, or non-compliance with this policy may result in:

  • Disqualification or withdrawal of a candidate’s nomination or election ballot.
  • Formal reprimand or censure.
  • Removal from the Board of Directors or committee leadership position in accordance with TAICEP Bylaws.
  • Legal or administrative remedies if organizational harm or breach of fiduciary duty occurred.

8. Recordkeeping & Confidentiality

The Executive Director shall securely maintain annual disclosure statements, review panel reports, and related documentation for at least seven (7) years. Disclosures will be kept confidential, accessible only to Board members, legal counsel, and committee members with a legitimate need-to-know, except where disclosure is required by law or official governance auditing.

9. Adoption, Publication, and Review

The TAICEP Board of Directors formally adopted this policy on October 7, 2026. The adoption includes a provision that it will be incorporated by reference into TAICEP’s Elections Protocol Document and reviewed by the Committee for Governance, Finance, and Audit at least every two (2) years to ensure alignment with nonprofit governance best practices.

Questions? Email us at answers@taicep.org.