• Serve as forum for industry participants to address opportunities/challenges, develop creative solutions, take action
• Promote change, position industry as consumer-responsive
• Advance deep, fundamental changes that need to take place in the market system of the industry
• Build industry-wide plan for future growth, profitability
• Serve as source of insight, knowledge for industry

1. The association will serve as the voice of the sheep industry to shape an exciting future by:

• Representing the industry on matters that affect profitability, stability and viability of the total industry
• Achieving substantial consensus on important issues
• Working with related agricultural groups

• Being a model of consensus building
• Advancing communication among segments
• Establishing alliances throughout the industry

• Develop an industry-wide vision for the future to drive an issues-oriented, adaptive strategy that focuses on the industry's needs and strengthens its long-term viability
• Facilitate industry-wide dialog on public policy issues/positions
• Facilitate business development within the industry
• Facilitate and implement an industry strategic plan
• Provide ways for individuals and industry organizations to "connect" with each other and with the Association itself

• Individual members - any individual interested in joining the association.

• Strategic Partners - any state, regional or other national organization interested in joining NSA.
• Affiliate members - individuals & organizations interested in the mission and goals of the association, e.g., related agribusinesses, suppliers, consulting firms, marketing firms, consumer groups

• Representation on industry issues, including but not limited to legislative and regulatory
• Membership & participation in a forum, providing an opportunity to voice concerns, explore issues, share information and participate in association governance
• Regional and national meetings, providing networking opportunities within industry and forums
• Business Development Services - Information, contacts & services to assist members
• Industry publication full of vital information, such as business development opportunities, market analysis, latest industry news
• Access to member-only information (examples: website, market analysis reports, etc.)
• Educational seminars, certification & training courses (e.g. wool classing, grading)
• Resource Center - materials, software & books offered at exclusive discounts

* Affiliate membership will include all of the above benefits except membership in a forum.

However, if interested, affiliate members may join a forum, but would not be eligible to

participate in association governance or vote on forum issues.

Producers - based on number of ewes (range, farm flock and seedstock forums):

* Additional forums can be joined at the minimum fee for that forum area. Refer to forum

description for membership privileges in additional forums joined.

• Consider issues of public/governmental policy
• Provide a venue for discussion of issues
• Recommend implementation of programs (to action teams or board of directors)

• Feedlot
• Range Flock
• Farm Flock
• Seedstock
• Post-Harvest Wool (manufacturers, processors, warehouses, buyers)
• Post-Harvest Lamb (packers, processors, retailers, HRI, livestock markets)

• Membership in the association includes voting membership in one forum. Members will be asked to select this forum when they pay their dues.
• Additional forums may be joined at the minimum dues charged for that forum segment. Membership in additional forums offers all benefits of the forum except there will be no voting rights.
• Fifteen percent of members' dues are allotted to the forum(s) they join.
• Each forum has the authority and responsibility to use this revenue as they deem appropriate, e.g., to address forum-specific issues / concerns, develop and implement programs specific to the forum segment, communicate forum-specific information to its members.

• Each forum will elect a chair, vice-chair and secretary. Terms will be one year in length with the option of re-election to a second term. Then they must be out of that office for one term before eligible to hold that office again.
• Each forum will elect their representatives to the board of directors from candidates nominated by a three-person forum nominating committee. At least two candidates will be nominated for each open position. The nominating committee will be elected at the annual meeting prior to the year they nominate candidates for election. Election of board representatives and nominating committee members will be by mail ballot of all paid forum members 60 days prior to the annual meeting.
• Breed association, state association and other organization paid executives will be eligible to vote, but ineligible to serve on the board of directors or be elected officers of the forum. The associations they represent must be members of the forum to vote.
• Officers and board of directors representatives must be members of the forum from which they are elected.
• Decisions of the forum must have the approval of 2/3 of the members voting. Election of officers / board representatives will be by majority vote.
• The same person can serve both on the board of directors and as a forum officer at the same time.
• Forum-selected board representatives must be from different states.

2 - Range Flock 2 - Feeder

2 - Farm Flock 2 - Post-Harvest Lamb

2 - Seedstock 2 - Post-Harvest Wool

3 - At-Large 1 - Strategic Partner (ex officio)

• Designated board members are selected by their respective forums. (Forum segment board members must be from different states.)
• At-large members are selected from candidates nominated by a board-appointed nomination committee. At least two candidates will be nominated for each seat up for election. Election is by mail-in ballot of all paid members as of 60 days prior to the annual meeting.
• The nomination committee will be made up of one member from each forum plus the past president. (The president will serve until there is a past president.)
• Ex officio strategic partner member will be selected by a caucus of all strategic partners at the annual meeting.

• Officer positions will be President, Vice President and Secretary / Treasurer.
• Officers will be elected by the board from voting board members.

• Board members will be elected for a two-year term, can be re-elected to a second term and then must be off the board for two years before being eligible to serve again.
• Officers will be elected to serve a one-year term and can be re-elected to a second term.

• The Board of Directors will establish overall direction for the association, including:

1. Develop and update the strategic plan
2. Set program priorities and allocate resources (develop and approve budget)

• Industry communications
• Appoint action teams, standing committees and industry-wide task forces.
• Conduct issues management discussions
• Manage the Research and Education Foundation
• Manage the Business Development Council
• Interact with strategic partners
• Make staff employment decisions
• All legislative and regulatory issues will be handled in an issues management format. The board of directors will not vote on these policy decisions, but rather will hold discussion to:

1. Identify position of each segment
2. Discuss/negotiate differences
3. Build consensus
4. Determine best options

Each segment is then responsible for carrying their legislative/regulatory positions forward.

• All decisions by the board other than legislative and regulatory will require the support of 2/3 of a quorum of the board members (quorum = 11 board members).

Issues management provides the opportunity for all industry segments to discuss public policy issues for the purpose of identifying the position of each segment and finding a common position on issues whenever possible. The NSA board of directors will not take a binding policy position vote or action as an association on these issues. Carrying policy positions forward will be the responsibility of each industry segment.

• After discussion of public policy issues, each segment of the industry is responsible for carrying its legislative/regulatory position forward (individually or jointly).
• Representation of each segment's position will be carried forward by the following entities:

1. Pre-Harvest: Sheep Policy Council
2. Post-Harvest Lamb: NMA, NAMP, AMI, others
3. Post-Harvest Wool: ATMI, others

• Funding of the political action arms would be derived by designating 25% of the membership dues collected in each forum to the appropriate political action arm representing that forum.

1. Membership dues paid to the range flock, farm flock, seedstock and feeder forums will go to the Sheep Policy Council.
2. Dues paid to Post-Harvest Lamb Forum will go to the member's designated group.
3. Dues paid to Post-Harvest Wool Forum will go to the member's designated group.

The Sheep Policy Council's (SPC) purpose is to represent the pre-harvest segments' legislative and regulatory position.

• The policy position of SPC will be determined by a caucus of the eight board of directors members from the range flock, farm flock, seedstock and feeder forums. Decisions to move forward on a policy issue will requice a substancial majority of 75% of eligible voting members (6 out of 8 perharvest forum representatives).
• SPC operates independent of the NSA
• Representation on legislative and regulatory issues would likely be carried out by a combination of the following methods:

1. Hired staff
2. Contracted lobbying firm
3. Citizen lobby

• Issues Management
• Industry communication and dialog

1. Keep members informed about and involved in industry-wide developments
2. Best source or resource for information members need in a variety of delivery formats
3. Where members get substantive information that makes a difference

• Business services and business development
• Food safety and stewardship
• Consumer growth - lamb (products, segments, marketing)
• Production and cost efficiencies
• Consumer growth - wool (products, segments, marketing)

The Board of Directors will establish industry action teams with the authority and responsibility to develop and implement programs in their area. Action teams are recommended in the following areas:

1. Business Development
2. Food Safety & Stewardship
3. Consumer Growth - Lamb (products, segments, marketing)
4. Production & Cost Efficiencies
5. Consumer Growth - Wool (products, segments, marketing)

• Each industry action team will develop an annual budget and work plan through a collaborative process with the board of directors.
• Industry action teams may appoint short-term task forces, subcommittees, etc., as needed to work on special issues and address their area of responsibility.
• Action teams will meet as necessary, often through conference calls.

• The number of individuals and the composition of each team will be determined to fit the specific team. It will be important to have broad, industry-wide representation on each of the teams. Teams will likely range in size from 8 to 12 members and may include strategic partners.
• Members of action teams may include individuals from outside the membership of the association.
• Benefits of the industry action team structure: leadership development, opportunities for individuals to work in their areas of interest / expertise, industry-wide participation.

• The association will seek to establish strategic partnerships with state associations, breed associations and other industry organizations.
• A strong relationship between NSA and strategic partners is seen as particularly important in the areas of membership and communication. NSA will explore, develop and implement a variety of ""business agreements" & informal arrangements with strategic partners, including but not limited to:

1. Joint membership recruitment & membership incentives for joining both associations
2. Annual (or more frequent) workshops with state leaders and meetings with strategic partners to share information, explore issues & ensure good two-way communication
3. Meetings with strategic partner executives and national staff
4. Newsletter to the partners, internet service to post information for distribution among partners with e-mail hotline
5. Joint programming opportunities, e.g. educational or regional meetings
6. A role in identifying leaders able to contribute to national efforts
7. Shared services, e.g. computer services, convention planning, information clearinghouse, resources for speakers, media training, etc.

• Enhanced communication with these partners will be achieved by selection of a representative to an ex officio position on the board of directors. This representative will be selected through a caucus of all strategic partners at the annual meeting.

The foundation will:

• Provide vision and leadership to the industry through research and education
• Raise and distribute funds to conduct research
• Share research findings through educational outreach efforts

Funding of the foundation may include:

• Grants -- may be treated as business expenses or as charitable contributions
• Contributions -- with different levels of contribution recognized
• Sales of publications and research
• Capital campaigns on specific issues or initiatives