Job Description: Board Member

Job description adopted by the Board on April 5, 2012.

Position described: Director

All members of the Board of Directors.

Authority and Responsibility

The Board of Directors is the legal authority for the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society (EBC). As a member of the Board, a Director acts in a position of trust for the community and is responsible for the effective governance of the organization.

Qualifications

A Director must:

• be able to participate in board discussions conducted in English, both verbal and written
• have an understanding of the needs of Edmonton's cycling community

Additional skills and experience in one or more of the following areas is beneficial, but not required:

• Finance and accounting
• Non-profit or corporate management
• Human resources management
• Advocacy or Activism

Requirements

Requirements of Board membership include:

1. Commitment to the work of the organization.
2. Knowledge and skills in one or more areas of Board governance: policy; finance, programs, personnel, and advocacy.
3. Willingness to serve on committees.
4. Attendance at monthly Board meetings.
5. Attendance at meetings of assigned committees.
6. Attendance at Annual General Meetings.
7. Attendance at membership meetings.
8. Support of special events.
9. Support of, and participation in, fundraising events.
10. Financial support of EBC; for example, in the form of buying a membership.

General Duties

A Director must seek to stay informed on organizational matters, and participate in decisions on matters of policy, finance, programs, personnel, and advocacy. A Director must always act on behalf of the best interests of EBC and its members.

A Director must:

1. Approve, where appropriate, policy and other recommendations received from the Board, its standing committees, and senior staff.
2. Monitor all Board policies.
3. Review the bylaws and policy manual, and recommend bylaw changes to the membership.
4. Review the Board's structure, approve changes, and prepare necessary bylaw amendments.
5. Participate in the development of EBC's organizational plan and annual review.
6. Review monthly financial statements and approve EBC's annual budget.
7. Approve the hiring and release of the executive director, including the executive director's employment contract, based on the recommendation of the Human Resources Committee.
8. Support and participate in evaluating the executive director.
9. Assist in developing and maintaining positive relations among the Board, committees, staff members, and community to enhance EBC’s mission. Promote EBC’s mission in the community.
10. Revisit the organization’s mission, vision. values and approach, in collaboration with staff, to ensure that they are still relevant and that the organization’s programming is in harmony with its mission.
11. Engage in organization-wide evaluations, in collaboration with staff.
12. Engage in strategic thinking and planning, in collaboration with staff.

Expected time Commitment

An estimate of the minimum monthly time commitment which Board members undertake:

1. Attend a monthly board meeting: 3 hours.
2. Review and respond to governance related emails: 4 hours.
3. Chairing a committee, or alternate governance/management tasks: 3 hours.
4. Committee attendance: 4-6 hours.

Members of the Executive Committee have an additional three to six meetings per year.

In addition to a monthly commitment, Board members are expected to attend two annual events:

• The board retreat (approximately 8 hours) to bring new board members up to speed, and set the direction for the year.
• The Annual General Meeting (approximately 3 hours).

Note that operational work is not expected of Board members, but may be undertaken in addition to the duties listed above.

Term

Directors are elected at each Annual General Meeting to two year terms, beginning December 1 of the year in which they are elected. Directors are released at the end of their term, or through resigning or removal in accordance with the EBC's Bylaws.

The Board is required to hold a meeting, within one calendar month of the AGM. At this meeting, the Board shall elect a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. No person who has held any combination of these positions during each of the previous four years shall be eligible to hold any of these positions for a fifth consecutive year. Directors may be released at the end of the elected term, by formally resigning, or removed according to EBC's bylaws.