The role of the board secretary is critical for the smooth operations of the board. Most commonly, this individual ensures that board members are given appropriate notice of meetings and proactively records these meetings. Some of the responsibilities of the board secretary are as follows:
- Assures that an agenda has been prepared by the board president and/or CEO and that the agenda is distributed in advance of the meeting
- Oversees the distribution of background information for agenda items to be discussed
- Prepares the official minutes of the meeting and records motions, discussions, votes, and decisions
- Prepares and provides the previous meeting’s written minutes to board members before the next meeting and records any changes or corrections
- Assures that documents (bylaws, Form-990, roster of board members) are are accessible to members.
- Schedules and notifies board members of upcoming meetings
- Holds members accountable for their tasks
- Actively participates/volunteers in the programs and services provided
Some desirable qualities for this position include a fluid set of skills such as strong communication skills and the ability to organize and prioritize tasks. This extremely driven and detail-oriented individual should also be well-versed in administrative work. Those who apply should be able to learn quickly and juggle many things.
