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You've been elected to the board, and now you can individually direct staff, hire personnel, alter the way the community center is organized and implement the many other changes you'd like, right? Wrong. Only the full board can act on behalf of the agency. Also, the duties listed above are those that a board hires an executive to fulfill. As an individual board member, you have no authority apart from the board. And it may be unethical for you to act as though you do. Check Your Ethics The fact that something is legal (or not illegal) does not make it ethical. Ethics involves personal judgment and decision-making. Leadership fosters awareness and understanding about the importance of ethics in our lives. Board members must work hard to maintain public trust. This means their ethics must go beyond the simple letter of the law to its spirit. You and your board can make ethics the anchor of your public service by developing and using a Board Member Code of Conduct, a public document that spells out your board's commitment to working with the highest integrity.
The Board Member Code of Conduct The Board Member Code of Conduct is a public statement that your board should develop and that all board members should sign. It is an instrument that provides a framework so discussions regarding whether a particular action is ethical or unethical can go beyond an airing of individual opinions. A sample Board Member Code of Conduct is reproduced on the next page. If your board has not already formally written and adopted its own Board Member Code of Conduct, I urge you adopt this one, or modify it with additional items or substitutions or develop your own code of ethics. Once adopted, make sure the Code of Conduct is in your board manual and review it and all other items in your manual at least once a year. With a written and approved Board Member Code of Conduct, you will not only foster an ethical climate on the board, but you will also assure the public that they have elected a board of trustees that is committed to doing the public's work with the highest integrity. You and your board can make ethics the anchor of your public service by developing and using a Board Member Code of Conduct, a public document that spells out your board's commitment to working with the highest integrity. 6 Illinois Parks and Recreation www.ILipra.org
The _______ Board recognizes the need for decision-making and public responsiveness, which requires a commitment to ethical, business-like and lawful conduct including proper use of authority and appropriate decorum when acting as a board member. Accordingly, each board member will: 1. When outside of board meetings, avoid making individual pronouncements and public conjectures about agency matters not yet decided by the board. 2. Represent all the people of the community while avoiding partisanship based on special interests. 3. Engage in no self-dealing or the conduct of any private business of personal services between any board member and the organization except as procedurally controlled to assure openness, competitive opportunity and equal access to "inside" information. 4. Recuse him- or herself from discussing or voting on an issue about which he or she has an unavoidable conflict of interest. 5. Not promise in advance of a meeting how he orshe will vote on any issue, reserving judgement until all facts have been presented. 6. Not use his or her position to obtain employment for him- or herself, for family members or close associates. (Should a member desire employment, he or she must first resign.) 7. Make decisions involving the welfare of the agency based on study and evidence/recognizing that personal feelings, opinions and other such factors are not conducive to sound decision-making; and understand that respecting the opinions of fellow board members is vital. 8. Accept the principle of board unity by supporting majority decisions of the board. 9. Respect the board's commitment to work with the executive by: a. requesting desired information about the agency's programs directly from him or her 10. Recognize that the individual board member has no more authority over agency policies or operations and shall speak or act for the board only when specifically authorized to do so by action of the board. 11. Understand and respect the separation of board responsibilities and functions from those of the executive and staff. The board's responsibility is to ensure that the agency is well managed— not to manage the agency. 12. Consider unethical and thus avoid "secret" sessions of the board held without the presence of the executive. 13. Respect the confidentiality appropriate to issues of a sensitive nature. 14. Commit to regular attendance at board meetings and be properly prepared for board deliberation. 15. Understand and follow all provisions of the Illinois Open Meetings Act, as well as any other applicable statutes that govern the conduct of elected officials. 16. Evaluate the executive at least annually. 17. Participate in community activities. 18. Participate in board development opportunities. 19. Develop productive relationships with other elected officials at the state, local and national levels. 20. Be available and responsive to residents by interpreting the needs of citizens to the agency and by interpreting the actions of the agency to citizens without favor of any particular geographic area or interest group. 21. Keep the best interests of the agency in mind by considering him- or herself a "trustee" of the agency and doing his or her best to ensure that it is well maintained, financially secure, growing and always operating in the best interests of those the agency serves. 22. Respect, listen and communicate with fellow board members and the executive. 23. Make a committed effort to continuing education and to be well informed about issues and trends that could affect the agency.
www.ilparks.org July/August 2005 7 |
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