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BY-LAWS & MISSION STATEMENT

CPIA

Connecticut Private Investigators Association

Acronym

The Connecticut Private Investigators Association shall also be known as “CPIA”.

 

Mission Statement

The Connecticut Private Investigators Association is a professional fraternity, focused on education, sharing and support, forging relationships in a professional environment based on respect and comradery.

 

Corporate Registration

CPIA shall be incorporated as a non-stock domestic corporation in Connecticut in the name Connecticut Private Investigators Association, Inc.

 

Representation

The CPIA shall represent its members.

 

Membership

To maintain CPIA membership, a CPIA member must maintain active licensure in Connecticut as a private detective and/or be the named individual in a private detective corporation license. To be considered for CPIA membership, perspective members must agree to and sign this document, which will serve as the CPIA bylaws.

 

Board

The CPIA shall operate under the governance of a board of directors (the Board”) consisting of nine CPIA members, including (1) four officers, consisting of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary and the Treasurer, (2) up to five Directors and (3) all Past Presidents in good standing.

 

There shall be no term limit for any Board member.

 

Any retiring or deceased Board members will be replaced by a member of the CPIA membership, to be elected by the CPIA membership at the CPIA meeting immediately following the death of the Board member or the announcement of his retirement. Names of prospective Board members (“nominees”) shall be presented in writing to the Board prior to the election meeting. Nominees may nominate themselves. The CPIA Board will announce to all CPIA members in writing and in advance of any and all Board elections prior to the election meeting. Election of the new Board member(s) shall be determined by a show of hands at the CPIA meeting (in the event of two or more members vying for one seat etc) or, if there is only one nominee for one open seat, a show of hands that results in at least 50% in favor.

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The initial Board shall consist of the following CPIA members:

 

·  Don DiStefano (President)

·  Matthew Heim (Vice President)

·  George Lemieux (Treasurer)

·  Paul Cicarella (Past President)

·  Adam & Terri Dornfeld (Co-Directors)

·  Kevin Porter (Director)

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In consideration for their service and management of the association, active Board members are exempt from paying annual membership dues.

 

Any Board member may be reimbursed for expenses paid on behalf of association business. Requests for reimbursement must be presented to the Board in writing and approved by the Board.
 

Inspection

Any licensed private Investigator member of the association, may, request (with or without cause) to inspect the association's financial records.  The requesting member shall make their request in writing to the Board.  The association treasurer will make available all association financial records to any member upon written request within five working days of the date of request.

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CPIA Purpose

The CPIA began its life unofficially in 2016 in the form of the Connecticut Investigators Forum (CIF), which consisted of unofficial forum meetings, attended by licensed Connecticut private investigators, whose joint mission was to share information, educate each other, learn from each other and develop a fraternity of respect and comradery in a professional environment. The success and format of the CIF meetings remain the core backbone of the CPIA and its bylaws.

 

Meeting Frequency

CPIA meetings will be held at locations agreed by the Board no less than two times per calendar year and no more than three times per calendar year. This frequency may not be reduced and may only be increased in increments of one meeting per calendar year, and ONLY with unanimous Board support.

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CPIA Meeting Rules

CPIA meetings will be conducted in the following format and under the following rules:

 

1. Meetings are open to any CPIA member and their direct employees, if those employees are registered as investigator under the CPIA member’s Connecticut license.

 

2. The President shall be the Master of Ceremonies (MC) for each meeting.

 

3. In the event the President cannot attend, the Vice President shall assume duties as  MC for the meeting.

 

4. Every CPIA member is strongly encouraged to attend and participate in every meeting, and to be prepared to bring some information of value to the membership at each meeting.

 

5. No member may stand to address the CPIA membership during any meeting – including guests or guest speakers. All discussion must be conducted from a seated position.

 

6. Members shall dine at tables that are not circular. That is, tables may only be set up in a square format (facing in) or trestle format (facing each other). This is to ensure that members do not break off into groups; that each member can see the face of every other member; and that members’ backs are not facing other members’ backs.

 

7. No profanity of any form shall be accepted from any member during any CPIA meeting. The MC reserves the right to remove offending members and/or their guests from any CPIA meeting due to their profanity. The Board reserves the right to rescind CPIA membership of any offending member and/or their guest(s) due to their profanity. Membership may only be rescinded after one verbal warning from the President OR by one written warning from the Board.

 

8. No discussion of CALPI or the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles may be held at any CPIA meeting unless itemized on the meeting agenda by the MC, and/or introduced as an additional item for discussion at the end of a CPIA meeting. Such discussion may only be held upon the completion of all items of discussion on the meeting agenda.

 

9. The discussion of hourly rates charged by members, or industry rates in general, is strictly prohibited during CPIA meetings.

 

10.  Only one member may speak at any given time during any CPIA meeting. The MC shall have sole discretion as to who has the floor at all times during a CPIA meeting.

 

11.  The MC shall determine the agenda and course of discussion at every CPIA meeting and will manage the discussion throughout. The MC has sole discretion on how much time to spend on each topic or in one area of discussion, and when to move on to another item or subject on the agenda.

 

12.  Members may provide limited examples of RELEVANT case studies during any CPIA meeting, at the sole discretion of, and with the permission of, the MC. This is to eliminate the possibility of the regaling and/or repetition of tired, off-point “war-stories” that have been heard before and have little or no relevance to the conversation at hand.

 

13.  In its initial year, 2019, there will be no membership fee charged to CPIA members, as the initial Board will pay any and all fees incurred and as agreed by the Board. Any subsequent decision to implement, increase or reduce CPIA membership rates will be at the sole discretion of the Board, by a majority vote. The Board shall have sole determination of what fees, if any, will be charged for CPIA membership.

 

14.  During each and every CPIA membership meeting, the Treasurer and Secretary will provide a report of the CPIA budget, books and applicable CPIA business.

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Food and Drink

Dinner will be served at each CPIA meeting for a reasonable, fixed fee and will be paid by each member on the date of the meeting at the meeting location. Amounts due or owed will be determined by the Board, dependent on location. At all CPIA meetings, efforts to maintain reasonable and affordable pricing will be maintained by the Board.

 

All CPIA members will be responsible for paying for their own alcohol. Alcohol may not be included in the general cost for food at any CPIA meeting.

 

Website

The CPIA will develop and operate an association website for the purpose of sharing information about and to the members of the organization.  Certain information on the association website will be accessible to active members only through log in access.  No active members should share their log in credentials with any non-member for any reason.  Any active members can request to share information on the association website and these requests will be reviewed by the board.

 

Logo

Official use of the CPIA logo is allowed by any member of the association for purposes of displaying on their company site and displaying in their email signatures.  Any use of the CPIA logo above and beyond these purposes shall be approved by the Board.  No member should alter or manipulate the logo in any way from the original design.  No member should share the logo with any non-member or give permission to any non-member entity to use the logo for any purpose.

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