After the recent by-election, CREB®’s Board Development and Leadership Standing Committee (BDLSC) conducted a comprehensive review. Recognizing the importance of transparent governance and member engagement, the committee saw an opportunity to shed light on its purpose and highlight the requirements for serving on the board.
Enhancing board performance
The primary purpose of the BDLSC is to enhance the performance of CREB®'s boards and committees through a "best person" approach to developing and implementing director composition practices.
The process involves various stages, including recruitment, screening, selection/election, training, and succession planning. The committee works closely with the board of directors and the CEO to ensure seamless integration of the CEO's succession planning process with the company-wide leadership development strategy.
Responsibilities of the BDLSC
The BDLSC holds a range of responsibilities to strengthen the board and committee structures of CREB®. These responsibilities include:
- Skills matrix development: Developing and maintaining a skills matrix to guide board recruitment efforts.
- Gap analysis: Conducting an annual gap analysis of board skills, utilizing the skills matrix to identify recruitment priorities across CREB®’s boards, committees, and affiliated organizations.
- Election rules: Developing and recommending rules for the election of board candidates.
- Recruiting strategy: Ensuring the development and implementation of a targeted recruiting strategy for volunteer leaders and monitoring its effectiveness.
- Candidate screening: Screening candidates against established criteria to ensure their suitability.
- Informing candidates: Providing candidates with comprehensive information about the responsibilities and commitments of volunteer leaders.
- Leadership development: Developing and recommending leadership development courses for individuals considering volunteering with CREB®’s boards and committees.
- CEO recruitment: Designating a representative to participate in any Board-recommended CEO Recruitment Committee and reporting the committee's progress.
- Work plan: Developing and executing an annual work plan to support the committee's objectives.
- Terms of reference: Conducting an annual review of the committee's Terms of Reference and recommending updates to the Board of Directors.
- Evaluation: Participating in an annual evaluation of the committee and its work.
Committee accountability and membership
The BDLSC is directly accountable to the board of directors. It possesses the authority to recommend items for approval by the board and to implement approved initiatives. The committee is composed of at least one board director and an additional seven to nine volunteers. Members are appointed to the committee by the board of directors and can serve for a maximum of four consecutive years.
The CREB® members who currently sit on the BDLSC are:
- Ian Jones
- Jeremy Hart
- Karen Salmon
- Kay Sharma
- Lori Olijnyk, Director Liaison
- Matthew Wiebe
- Norma Robertson
- Patrick Krause
- Valerie Konechny, Chair
More information about the BDLSC can be found here.
Promoting transparency and member engagement
In the wake of the by-election, the BDLSC has examined a policy requirement related to disclosing the nominators of board candidates. Currently, the committee ensures transparency by noting BDLSC nominees as such. However, the policy could be amended to align with member expectations.
To gauge the importance of this information, the BDLSC would like to poll members with the following questions:
- Do you want to see the identity of the nominator(s) for Board of Directors candidates?
- Do you want to see posts indicating that the BDLSC nominated a candidate?
By collecting member feedback on these questions, the BDLSC aims to ensure that policies align with the expectations and preferences of CREB® members.
Please click here to provide your feedback.
Take the lead
CREB® depends on a group of dedicated volunteer members to sit on boards, committees and task forces and support governance and operational initiatives.
Our industry is constantly evolving, so it's crucial that we recruit a strong mix of talent to successfully take CREB® into the future.
We’re always looking for members to fill various governance roles. To learn more about these opportunities, click here.
Most opportunities on the Board require members to complete Leadership 100, 200 & 300. CREA offers these courses, and more information can be found here.
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