STRUCTURE DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

A task force is a grouping of Chamber members from a particular sector or industry.

Goals

• Form linkages between U.S. and Mexican business people within a certain sector or industry (networking);

• Identify impediments to cross border commerce and recommend solutions (issue development).

• Promote processes to facilitate cross border commerce (bottom line profitability).

Responsibilities of Co-Chairs

Each task force will be directed by a few of its members who will co-chair the task force activities. At least one of the co-chairs for each task force will be from Mexico and one of the co-chairs will take the leadership role as chairperson. Co-chairs will be responsible for:

• Obtaining sponsorships for the annual NAFTA conference and other task force activities;

• Taking a lead role in the organization of the sectoral session for the NAFTA conference in Washington in May of each year, providing a focal point for that year’s activities;

• Organizing trade missions or sectoral workshops;

• Developing white papers to explain existing impediments or issues related to cross border commerce and recommend solutions;

• Organizing special binational projects.

Benefits

• Promote corporate identity and good business practices in order to make cross border trade and investment more profitable for participating companies;

• Increase the base of Chapter membership and financial support for Chapter activities;

• Broaden the base of financial support for binational Chamber activities;

• Facilitate the implementation of the NAFTA agreement leading to increased cross border commerce thereby improving the opportunities of the citizens of the United States and Mexico.

Organization

Each task force will be assigned either to a chapter or the binational headquarters office in Washington for administrative purposes. The Chamber will identify a task force coordinator (usually a chapter staff member) for each task force to assist the co-chairs in carrying out the task force functions.

Task forces are binational in nature. Staff from the binational office in Washington will manage task force activities.

Reporting

Task force coordinator is responsible for reporting on-going activities to the binational office.

Management and Distribution of Funds

Each task force is charged with raising funds for the annual NAFTA Conference in Washington and to support task force activities. Each task force has the goal of raising a minimum of $15,000 each year for the NAFTA Conference. This money will go directly to the binational office to offset the costs of hosting the conference and will pay for one table at the Good Neighbor Awards dinner for the use of task force members. Funds raised over and above the $15,000 will be shared as follows: 50 percent to the task force, 25 percent to the chapter hosting the task force, and 25 percent to the binational office.

Funds raised by a task force for specific task force activities (eg., trade missions) will be deposited into the chapter’s task force sub-account at the chapter or binational office where it is administratively housed. Expenses for that activity will be paid out of the task force sub-account. Any surplus from these activities will be retained to support future task force activities. Use of these funds will be at the discretion of the task force co-chairs but the task force coordinator must provide the binational office a quarterly report on the use of these funds.

Funding for task force activities from the task force funds held by the binational office may only be for approved expenses. These would include airfare and hotel accommodations for task force coordinator for a specific task force event; pre-approved airfare and hotel accommodations for a guest speaker from the government, academic, or non-profit sectors; pre-approved marketing costs; or other pre-approved expenses.