The Natural Products Association (NPA) announced the results of its six proposed membership bylaw amendments. The nation's leading trade association for the natural products industry embarked on a successful campaign to mobilize the membership to vote on the recommended changes, achieving a quorum necessary for the votes to pass.

Of the six proposed bylaw amendments, the NPA membership voted to pass the following five:

- To allow for an electronic voting process. All member communications surrounding the voting process, as well as the ballots, can be transmitted electronically to members.

- To change the terms for board members to allow three consecutive board terms instead of the current limit of two terms.

- To change voting and board terms so they happen at a fixed time annually instead of being linked to the NPA trade show, which was suspended this year, and annual business meeting, which was moved to September.

- To clarify determination of winner of elections in certain circumstances where more than the required number of candidates gets the majority of the vote.

- To clarify intent of the bylaws to specifically state that the NPA president must be off the board for one year before being eligible to run again.

The proposed bylaw amendment to change the definition of a retail member to remove the restriction of a self-contained store and the restriction that 75 percent of a retailer's sales come from natural products failed by just 11 votes.

"With these changes, NPA will be better suited to serve the entire natural products industry, from concept for consumer, as the top trade association," said John Shaw, NPA CEO and executive director. "The membership has demonstrated the direction it wishes to steer this organization, and we'll ensure NPA evolves in new and unique ways, expanding our membership and achieving our mission of access to natural products for all."

NPA also announced the names of members who were elected to the association's board of directors. The two retail directors include Ben Henderson of Bare Essentials Natural Market in Boone, N.C., and Emil Mahler of Southtown Health Foods in Chicago. In addition, the following members were selected as new supplier directors: Robert Agnew of Bob's Red Mill, Frank Jaksch of ChromaDex, Michelle Lobo of Presence/Dynamic Presence, and J.R. Rigley of J.R. Watkins. Mark LeDoux of Natural Alternatives International was elected to a second term on the board.

"These individuals are incredibly passionate and dedicated to the natural products industry," Shaw said. "They have already made substantial contributions to both NPA and the industry, and their involvement in this association will be very valuable as we move forward."