Visit Huntington Beach

“Changes made to the bylaws include the following: -clarified visit huntington beach as a private non-profit corporation. -clarified board member tenure and the waiting period between board terms. -clarified that vhb is a non-membership based organization and its board of directors are its de facto members. -updated the board criteria as follows: -expanded the hb chamber representation to allow others aside from the hb chamber president to be on the board. -clarified the four permanent positions for the general managers of the four large group meeting hotels. -expanded the lodging accommodations criteria to allow for short term vacation rental owners in addition to small hotel/motel representatives. -expanded the criteria for a board member with a dedicated interest in eco-tourism to the broader niche tourism. -updated the brown act meeting requirements to reflect the recent changes to the brown act law.”

“Visit huntington beach (vhb) contracts an outside tax firm to prepare its 990 each year. The same firm has been used for at least 8 years. Vhb staff, including the vp of administration & community engagement and the executive operations assistant work with vhb's cpa to compile the information necessary to complete the 990. The draft 990 is reviewed by vhb's president & ceo, the vp of administration & community engagement, and vhb's outside cpa to confirm all information is correct. The tax preparer provides the final 990 and staff file on behalf of the organization., vp, and outside bookkeeper.”

“The bureau's board members, including its president/ceo, are required to file a form 700-statement of economic interests with the city of huntington beach on an annual basis. Conflicts of interest our employees are expected to devote their best efforts and attention to the full-time performance of their jobs. A conflict of interest exists when the employee's loyalties or actions are divided between the bureau's interests and those of another, such as a competitor, supplier, or client. Both the fact and the appearance of a conflict of interest should be avoided. Employees are expected to use good judgment, to adhere to high ethical standards, and to avoid situations that create an actual or potential conflict between the employee's personal interests and the interests of the bureau. Employees unsure as to whether a certain transaction, activity, or relationship constitutes a conflict of interest should discuss it with the president of the bureau who will make the ultimate decision. Employees may engage in or have outside business or personal interest or activities that do not constitute or have the potential of creating a conflict of interest with their employment by the bureau. The bureau requires that these activities or interests do not adversely affect an employee's capacity to perform his/her functions or result in conflicting loyalties. While it is not feasible to describe all possible conflicts of interest that could develop, some of the more common conflicts that employees should avoid include the following: - accepting personal gifts or entertainment from competitors, guests, suppliers, or potential suppliers (see policy "gifts"); - working for a competitor, supplier, or customer; - engaging in self-employment in competition with the bureau; - using proprietary or confidential company information for personal gain or to the bureau's detriment; - having a direct or indirect financial interest in or relationship with a competitor, customer, or supplier, except that ownership of less than 1% of the publicly traded stock of a corporation will not be considered a conflict; - using company property or labor for personal use; - acquiring any interest in property or assets of any kind for the purpose of selling or leasing it to the bureau; - committing the company to give its financial or other support to any outside activity or organization; or - developing a personal relationship with a subordinate employee of the company or with an employee of a competitor, supplier, or guest that might interfere with the exercise of impartial judgment in decisions affecting the bureau or any employees of the bureau. If an employee or someone with whom an employee has a close relationship (e.g., a family member or close companion) has a financial or employment relationship with a competitor, guest, supplier, or potential supplier, the employee must disclose this fact in writing to the president. Employees should be aware that if they enter into a personal relationship with a subordinate employee or with an employee of a competitor, supplier, or guest, a conflict of interest may exist, which requires full disclosure to the bureau. Failure to adhere to this guideline, including failure to disclose any conflicts or to seek an exception, may result in discipline, up to and including termination of employment.”

“The executive committee negotiates and approves the employment contract for the bureau's president/ceo based on comparability data. The compensation for all positions within the bureau were benchmarked and adjusted to be in line with the results of a 2021 independent compensation study of california visitor bureaus.”

“The governing documents, policies, and financial statements are available upon request. The monthly financial statements are also available during the board meetings, which are open to the public.”

“The audit oversight process hasn't changed since the prior year.”