The Governance Committee should lead the board through the following recommended steps:

Unless there is an unexpected vacancy to fill, officers are elected at the board’s annual meeting. The best time to hold the annual meeting is late spring, May or June, so that the new officers can begin at the beginning of the school’s fiscal year.

The process should begin two or three months before your annual meeting.

Each officer should have a clear stated job description that is approved by the full board.
Samples are included in this section of the resources.

3. Evaluate the performance of current officers

Compare current officers performance against the stated job description.
Provide feedback to the officers as necessary.

4. Make sure you are clear on officer term limits

Clarify when officers’ term limits are up.

5. Ask the full board for nominations

Allow the full board to weigh in if they feel the current officers are doing a good job or if it is time for a change in leadership.

6. Seek input from the CEO and senior staff, if appropriate

The Governance Committee should have a lengthy discussion with the CEO about the various candidates. The CEO should not have veto power on the chair (or any officer), but the Governance Committee and the full board should STRONGLY take into consideration the CEO’s thoughts. It is essential that the CEO have a collegial, trusting relationship with the board chair. The chemistry, personalities, and complementary skills may be a better fit with one person than another. Careful attention should be paid to this aspect of the nominating process.

In addition, if there are senior staff in addition to the CEO that work closely with the officer, it is advisable to solicit their opinion.

 7. Submit a slate of officers for consideration

Submit a slate, and let the full board weigh in on final recommendations.

It isn’t the job of the Governance Committee to winnow down the list, if there are multiple candidates for one position the Governance Committee should lead the full board in a deliberation of the candidates and ultimately reach consensus about who should be on the slate. The Governance Committee should certainly make recommendations, but it is not their ultimate decision. It is important, if there are multiple candidates for a position, that the Governance Committee and the full board reflect on the job descriptions and determine who would be a good fit. For example, the most essential skills for the chair are: time for the job, group facilitation skills, and the ability to work well with the CEO.

If two people a vying for the same officer position, the full board should vote, with the candidates recused, out of the room.