The demands on a Board President are considerable, and the second-in-command can do much more than stand ready to take the reins in the President’s absence. Other than waiting in the wings to assume the President’s position when absent or disabled, what tasks logically fall into the Vice President’s purview?
- The Vice President is an appropriate keeper of “action minutes.” These adjunct minutes keep track of commitments and implied tasks that are often buried in the discussion at Board meetings, ensuring that assignments are made and deadlines set.
- The Vice President can serve as the President’s designated “diplomatic emissary.” For example, the Vice President might follow through with delinquent members: “Bill, I notice you’ve missed the last five meetings. Are you finding it a problem to attend? Is there any way we can help? We appreciate the work you’ve done and we don’t want to lose you. However, if serving is creating difficulties for you, we can look at approaching another candidate and possibly adding another dimension to the Board.” This process also gives members who have complaints or issues about their roles on the Board an opportunity to express them. Such “filtered concerns” can help the President maintain and enhance Board morale.
- During meetings, the Vice President can encourage reticent members to share their views. Because the second-in-command does not lead each discussion, he or she has a better perspective on the level of participation and where input might be needed.
- The Vice President can serve as Chair of the Committee on Trustees. Based on knowledge of the range of existing members’ participation, the value of each Trustee, and the desired Board profile, the Vice President is often ideal to direct the nominating process charged to this committee.
- The Vice President can proactively support the Board President. For example, the Vice President may be a capable writer who can do a more effective job of drafting letters or turning the President’s thoughts into an interesting article for the school newsletter.
- The Vice President can attend subcommittee meetings on the President’s behalf. The President cannot be expected to participate in all the small-group meetings that should be occurring in an active Board, and there is often a need for more detailed communication than committee leaders provide.
Consider your Board’s Vice President as more than a back-up for the President. Build a team that will serve both the Board and the school well.
For more on building a strong Board and the roles of Trustees, see ISM’s The Trustee Handbook.
Additional ISM articles of interest
ISM Monthly Update for Trustees Vol. 10 No. 3 Characteristics of the Ideal Trustee
Additional ISM articles of interest for Gold Consortium members
I&P Vol. 33 No. 12 Board Leadership: ISM Research Report
