About Board Candidates
School board members need to be a specific kind of person. They must be passionate for public education and are determined to improve educational opportunities in their community. They must be able to commit the time and effort necessary to serve as a member of an elected public board. They should also have expertise in leadership and business to contribute to the board.
A board member’s background should include a substantial amount of business experience and the ability to understand complex financial reporting and accounting processes multi-tiered supply chains, an array of strategic M&A transactions, as well as risk management and cybersecurity issues. A good board member should have substantial experience in the fast-moving industry of consumer goods or in a related field with a background in the field of technology and innovation. A board member must have extensive experience in leadership for enterprises in the form of a CEO or another senior-level executive in a large publicly traded corporation or in Board Candidates a similar role within the non-profit sector or the government.
The CEO, independent board leader and nom/gov committee chair should define together the skill set, professional knowledge and experience they’re looking for in a director candidate. This clarity of goal will ensure that the board is aware of what “great” means for each position and how these traits can be applied to the board’s governance functions.
