BOARD MEMBER

PROFILE & RESPONSIBILITIES

Thank you for considering being a candidate for the Board of Trustees of DTMA. The following information will help you understand the personal characteristics and commitment required of a board member. Board members’ commitment of time, effort, influence, and leadership is the key to DTMA’s continued success.

Board Member Profile

Commitment

Wholeheartedly believes in DTMA’s mission.

  • Desires to see DTMA grow and develop for the good of all it serves (member companies).
  • Unselfishly gives time, experience, and skills to advance DTMA’s goals.
  • Thinks as a visionary.
  • Supports the board team even when you disagree strongly with a decision.

Teamwork

  • Understands that the board is a team, not a collection of individuals
  • Focuses on:
  • The common mission of the organization
  • What’s best for all served, not special interests or personal interests
  • The big picture, not individual issues
  • Issues presented by teammates, not personalities of teammates
  • Understands that the association executive is one of the most important players on the team and should participate in all board business.

Willingness to learn the job

  • General rules and responsibilities
  • Specifics of how the board operates
  • Requires real effort to do the job in the most professional manner possible

Ethics

  • Understands that ethics begin with each individual board member
  • Works hard to maintain member trust

Board Member’s Responsibilities

The Board is a high level, strategic thinking leadership group that sets the direction for the association. Staff and committees execute tasks. Every effort is made to minimize your time spent on DTMA activities. However, your role as a board member requires active participation at Board meetings and prompt response to emails from staff. In other words, we don’t want “seat warmers” – we want strong, active leaders.

  • The following are examples of the Board’s responsibilities:
  • Attend 90% of Board activities per year; actively participate in Board meetings; respond promptly to emails from DTMA staff
  • Establish long-range plans for the Association; participate in two strategic planning meetings per year; perform a SWOT analysis on the Association
  • Establish policies that outline how the Association operates to accomplish its mission
  • Give direction to the executive director to carry out policies
  • Monitor finances
  • Monitor progress toward long-range goals
  • Be an advocate of the Association in the community
  • Offer expertise to the Association
  • Serve as Board liaison on one committee of the Association; accountable for carrying the Board’s direction to the committee and reporting committee activities to the Board.
  • Run meetings smoothly and efficiently
  • Term: 2 years
  • Time commitment: Board meetings are every other month for 2 hours (generally the fourth Thursday, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.). Most other business is conducted via email, so it’s very helpful to have a process in place at your office that allows you to promptly read and respond to emails.
  • The cost for Board meeting food and beverages are paid for by Board members on a rotating basis (approximately $75 per meeting, less than 2 times per year).

Revised9/2/04