Suzanne Rothwell
Bylaws/Resolutions Chair

The AAUW of Virginia Bylaws and Virginia branch bylaws contain governance policies and procedures for managing the organization, and information to conduct AAUW state and branch affairs.  Suzanne Rothwell is the AAUW of Virginia Bylaws/Resolutions Chair.

Below you will find

• links to the AAUW, Virginia, and Virginia Branch bylaws,
• an explanation of procedures for state/branch bylaws amendments and proposed resolutions,
• and a short biography of Suzanne Rothwell.

AAUW National Bylaws
AAUW of Virginia Bylaws 
Virginia Branch Bylaws

Amendments to Branch Bylaws  — Any branch that proposes to revise its bylaws must submit the proposed revisions via email for review and approval to Suzanne Rothwell prior to approval of any revisions by the branch board and membership.  See below for the format and explanation of the amendment that should be submitted. Also, branches may contact Suzanne Rothwell for assistance regarding bylaws implementation and interpretation and other branch compliance with AAUW requirements.

Amendments to the AAUW of Virginia Bylaws and Resolutions – Proposed amendments to the AAUW of Virginia Bylaws and proposed resolutions may be submitted to Suzanne Rothwell via email for consideration by branch members and by the AAUW of Virginia Board of Directors for consideration at the AAUW Annual Business Meeting. The deadline for submission by members of proposed AAUW of Virginia Bylaws amendments is December 1st of the year before the Annual Business Meeting.  The deadline for submission by members of proposed resolutions is 60 days before the date of the Annual Business Meeting. The Bylaws/Resolutions Chair presents accepted proposed bylaws amendments and resolutions at the AAUW of Virginia Annual Business Meeting, which must be held by May 15^th, and are then voted on after the meeting under the One Member, One Vote procedure.

Form of Bylaws Amendments and Resolutions

A member that submits a proposed bylaws amendment must include a copy of the current section of the bylaws being amended, a marked-up version showing the specific wording of the amendment, and a clean version showing the language as it would be revised. The bylaws amendment proposal must include a statement of the rationale for the amendment. Each proposed resolution must include the specific wording of the resolution, a statement of the rationale for the proposed resolution, and a proposed plan for the implementation of the resolution.

Suzanne Rothwell has been a member of the Vienna Area Branch since 1995, where she twice served as President, as well as Branch Secretary and AAUW Funds, Educational Foundation, Public Policy, and Bylaws Chairs. She directs the on-going Branch community project for residents of Artemis House, the Fairfax County shelter for women fleeing domestic violence and human trafficking. Suzanne has served on the AAUW of Virginia Board, first as the Bylaws/Resolutions Chair from 2016-2020, then as Co-President from 2020-2022 and has now returned to the Bylaws/Resolutions Chair position.

Suzanne is a securities law attorney with a specialty in broker/dealer regulation. She served for 20 years as a regulator of the securities industry with the Financial Industry Regulatory Association and 10 years as Counsel with the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP— where she continues as a consultant despite being “retired.” Suzanne also speaks at legal education programs, is an author of numbers of legal treatises, and an active member of the American Bar Association.  Suzanne graduated from George Washington University in Washington, DC with the following degrees: BBA in Marketing, MBA in Finance and Investments, and Juris Doctor.