call for nominations

I've been asked why the "Letter from the Secretary-Treasurer" in the Jan. "Proceedings and Addresses," with the information that members may email the Sec-Treas with nominations for the Nominating and Program committees, does not suffice as a public call for nominations.  My concern is that the nominating committee, once established, does not make an independent call for nominations for divisional officers and the Executive committee. How do they come up with names for these offices? Does the current Sec-Treas gather these too, and would this inhibit someone from nominating another person for this position?

In this year's report from the Nominating committee, some of the terms of office vary from those stated in the by-laws. Is the Nominating committee authorized to make these changes?

"11. Report of the Pacific Division Nominating Committee Keith Lehrer (Chair), Rebecca Copenhaver, and Cynthia Stark served as the 2005/06 Nominating Committee. They have nominated the following APA Pacific Division members for terms beginning July 1, 2006:
For Vice-President: Nicholas Smith
For Executive Committee (three-year term): Joan MacGregor
For Executive Committee (one-year term): Sharon Lloyd
For Secretary-Treasurer (two-year term): Anita Silvers
They have nominated the following APA Pacific Division member for a term beginning July 1, 2008: For Secretary-Treasurer (one-year term): Dominic McIver Lopes"

Nicholas Smith was part of the Executive Committee (04/05) that appointed this year's (05/06) nominating committee, which includes his junior colleague Rebecca Copenhaver and which is now nominating him for VP. Lopes and Silvers also participated (as EC members 04/05) in appointing the nominating committee that is now nominating them for office.

Does this tell us anything about how names are selected for Pac. Div. officers?