This week we are joined by Chair Emeritus of The Bay Park Conservancy, Cathy Layton. Cathy has a tremendous amount of experience on nonprofit boards and have been the chair of several organizations, most recently, The Bay Park Conservancy. Cathy elaborates on “contributors” versus “placeholders” on a nonprofit board, shares her life lessons from being on a board, how she operates as a board chair, and more! We are extremely appreciative of Cathy joining us and sharing her insights from 20+ years of nonprofit service.
Key Takeaways:
- When thinking about joining a board, take inventory of your strengths and make sure that is what the organization needs.
- Boards need to tell board members what is expected of them.
- Be a contributor to a board, not a placeholder.
- If you say “yes” to too many favors and would like a graceful way to say “no”, Cathy offers this phrase: “I love what you are offering, but I am fully focused on this effort for the foreseeable future.”
Timestamps:
00:40 – Interview Starts
01:00 – Cathy introduces herself
02:10 – What are your life lessons when reflecting on your nonprofit board service?
04:20 – “I love what you’re offering, but I am fully focused on this effort for the foreseeable future.”
06:20 – How did you evolve to become a board chair?
08:20 – Placeholder vs contributors on a board
11:20 – As a board chair, how do you deal with placeholders?
12:25 – Board need to tell board members what is expected of them
13:20 – Being on a board is “service”
14:55 – Criteria for finding the right board
17:57 – Should you meet with the CEO before joining a board?
20:05 – The dynamics between board, board chair, and CEO
23:50 – Annual meetings are a great time to review board expectations
25:05 – Frequency of communication between board chair and CEO
26:30 – What is Cathy’s style of leading the board?
29:40 – When you are doing work you care about, it is personally enriching
31:20 – Recapping with Read
Join us every week as we release a new podcast with information about how you can be the best board member and provide great service to your organization.
Listen to the podcast on any of the following platforms:
Visit us at: www.thecorleycompany.com/podcast
Follow us on: