Board Development Committee
by Charlotte Klaar, IECA Member (Maryland) and Chair, Board Development Committee
Each year when I receive my membership renewal from IECA and make the decision not only to renew but also to continue to be actively involved in the organization, I am amazed at the strides IECA has made in the preceding year. Now, some 15 years after I first became associated with IECA, I look back and see a transformed organization whose efforts have also transformed an industry. This transformation has come about through the work of our Executive Director, Mark Sklarow, and his staff and the efforts of the many involved members of the organization.
This past year has been a particularly meaningful one for me since I have seen efforts that I have been periodically involved with come to fruition, and others that began later show progress. This year, sets of competency documents for each of our constituencies have been finalized. The committees (College, Schools, Learning Disabilities, and Special Needs) each decided on these competencies, which were necessary to properly do the work of each specialty. This was an idea that began with the Education and Training Committee, and using the model that the Special Needs Committee had begun, under the leadership of Tom Callahan, asked that the other disciplines put together their competency documents. This is a huge step forward for the organization and for our members who will soon be able to look at the competencies to decide if they are truly up-to-date in the services they offer. More training will be available to those who want it.
The Board Development Committee (BDC) is another group that is working hard at adding to the professionalism of the organization, with particular focus on the Board of Directors who set the direction of IECA. Last year, under the leadership of Tim Lee, the BDC created instruments by which the Board can assess its own work, and for each Board member to assess his or her contributions to the Board and to the organization as a whole. In addition, a protocol was created to provide advance information on the responsibilities of a Board member, so that those asked to stand for election to the Board know the level of commitment required. This year the BDC created a debriefing document for former Board members and also distributed talent surveys to the sitting Board and committee chairs to create a database of existing member talents. Our next steps will be to examine the qualities required for each of the Executive Board positions, and to assess each position and its relevance in the changed environment that is IECA today.
There is no doubt in my mind that we are a more professional organization today than when I began 15 years ago. I am honored to be part of this changed organization and thank all those who came before me who sowed the seeds for this transformed profession.
Related posts:
