Associate Members and Pathway Associate Members
Associate Members and Pathway Associate Members. Associate Membership in the Council shall be open to an affiliated estate planning professional (not including para-professionals), such as a planned giving or development officer holding the Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG) designation, a business valuations consultant holding the (MA) Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA), or a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, and an investment advisor with a CTFA, JD, or CPA designation and who meets all other criteria, including ongoing active involvement in estate planning as a substantial share of the applicant’s practice for at least five years (immediately prior to application). Associate Membership is also open to a member of a Professional Membership Discipline who is not eligible for Professional Membership because of (i) the maximum membership limitation provided in Section 3.K., below, or (ii) he or she is working toward, but has not yet received, the appropriate professional designation but has had ongoing active involvement in estate planning as a substantial share of the applicant’s practice for at least five (5) years, or (iii) he or she has received the appropriate professional designation and has engaged in continuous estate planning practice for at least two years immediately prior to application for Membership in any one or more of the Professional Membership Disciplines, but has not satisfied the five year requirement set forth in paragraph E.(2) above. Applicants who qualify under the preceding sections (i) through (iii) shall be referred to as Pathway Associate Members. Pathway Associate Membership shall be granted to any applicant who meets the criteria set forth in any of sections (i) through (iii) above, and the applicant for Pathway Associate Membership must be recommended by one sponsor and a minimum of two endorsers who are current members of the Council and who have personal knowledge of the applicant’s professional status and estate planning experience. Associate Members and Pathway Associate Members shall have all the rights and privileges of Professional Members, but may not vote or serve on the Board of Directors. A Pathway Associate Member who qualifies under section (ii) or (iii) above shall have three years from admission to the Council to acquire his/her appropriate professional designation (in the case of section (ii) above) or to satisfy the five (5) year requirement (in the case of section (iii) above) and to apply for admission as a Professional Member. In the event such Pathway Associate Member does not qualify for Professional Membership within such three (3) year period, then such Pathway Associate Member’s membership shall terminate. With respect to any Pathway Associate Member whose admission as a Professional Member is denied because of the maximum membership limitations provided in Section 3.K., below, in the event the number of Professional Members drops below the maximums set forth in paragraph 3.K. below, such Pathway Associate Member shall be entitled to reapply for Professional Membership. Such application shall be given first priority by the Council over other applicants in such membership category for review by the Board of Directors.