MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT

As voted by the GNCC Board of Directors on September 19, 2024

The Board of Directors and staff of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce are committed to a “Member’s First” philosophy that demonstrates a respectful and positive environment.  As a corollary of this commitment, we also expect our membership to honor our “Members First” philosophy whereby all members will treat one another with respect and courtesy and will conduct themselves in a professional manner at all Chamber-sponsored activities, including but not limited to attendance at Chamber events, participation on our committees or with our Chamber groups.

Unacceptable behaviors at Chamber-sponsored activities include but not limited to:

• intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, or demeaning speech or actions by any participant at the sole discretion of the Chamber president
• harmful or prejudicial verbal or written comments or visual images related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability, age, appearance, or other personal characteristics
• inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images
• deliberate intimidation, stalking or following
• sustained disruption of talks or other events
• unwelcomed physical contact

In recognition that occasionally the Chamber will be presented with situations in which a member becomes uncomfortable with an interaction with another member, the following course of action is recommended:

• When any member feels as though another member is disruptive, abusive, or inappropriate as outlined above, or if the interaction with that member is making the member uncomfortable, that member should notify the Chamber staff immediately, who will then notify the Chamber president & CEO.

• In an effort to resolve the complaint, the Chamber President & CEO will first meet with the member reporting the inappropriate conduct, followed by a separate meeting with the member whose conduct is in question.
• If the President & CEO feels as though he/she has exhausted all measures of resolve, the Executive Board would be briefed on the issues at hand.

Subsequent actions by the Executive Board would include:

• Contacting the member in writing summarizing the concerns of the Chamber, stating our position on inappropriate behaviors, and specifying the actions we feel are necessary for resolution.
• If the member refuses to cooperate with a written request to modify his/her behavior, the Executive Board would request a formal meeting with the member at which time effective solutions would be discussed and agreed to by both parties.
• If no resolutions to the behavior problem are established and agreed to with the above-suggested plan of action, at the discretion of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors the member will be expelled for conduct unbecoming of a member or for action detrimental to the interests and objectives of the Chamber. The Board of Directors would also determine if legal action against the member is an appropriate final step to conclude the difficult circumstances.

The sequence of actions detailed above is a recommended guideline for resolution of conflicts; nevertheless, each instance should be handled on a case-by-case basis and the evaluation of actual events should determine the best course of action.

All Chamber members acknowledge reading this Code of Conduct upon becoming Chamber Members or upon renewal of their Chamber membership as applicable.

All Chamber Members undertake to comply with the Code of Conduct. The member or organization so expelled will not be entitled to any refund of any fees or dues if removed pursuant to terms of this Code of Conduct. The Chamber reserves the right to take any and all appropriate action, the extent permitted by law, in response to the misbehavior of any member.