The Local Leaders Roundtable met on September 9 to discuss a topic that challenges almost everyone—Creating Effective Boards and Committees. Whether just starting out or working with existing boards and committees, it was an enlightening conversation.
We were fortunate to be joined by Ed Cortas, Director of Consulting Services at the Center for Nonprofit Studies in Louisville, KY. Ed brought fantastic insight, advice and direction to the group. He shared with us “Seven Things Every Board Must Do.” Ed elaborated on each of these providing a simple but illuminating view of board purpose and responsibilities.
- Envision the future: ensure the mission is being carried out within the context of a vision for the community
- Select, support, evaluate the ED/CEO
- Develop, adopt and follow a strategic plan; govern at the strategic level (not operational)
- Ensure the organization has resources (read: fundraising)
- Monitor progress: develop and review a dashboard of strategic metrics
- Maintain the integrity of the organization: legally, morally, ethically. Function within a set of core values. Provide fiscal oversight. Avoid conflicts of interest.
- Manage and renew. Conduct productive meetings; implement effective committee structure; enforce term limits; ensure diversity and inclusion; take time to regenerate and take the long view.
Ed also shared a paper on term limits for board members. This was a question attendees asked. Read “Term Limits—Thumbs Up? Thumbs Down?”
- Jennifer Rubenstein, Director of the Louisville IBA, added advice from her substantial experience at LIBA.
- Rebecca Melançon, Co-founder of the Local Business Institute, AMIBA Board Member and former Director of AIBA, shared tips from her experience as well.
Missed this event? You can see the video on YouTube.
The Local Leaders Roundtable is every second Thursday at 1pm ET. Our October Roundtable is What’s New at AMIBA: Shop Indie Local. Register for this and other AMIBA events here. (https://amiba.net/events) Hope to see you soon!