Board Member Roles

Roles of Main Street Enid Board Members

Purpose of Position:

Collectively, the board of directors assumes legal and philosophical responsibility for all Main Street activities. The board of directors is solely responsible for establishing program policy, approving the annual budget and determining the goal of the program.

Job Requirements:

Each board member should have or provide one or more of the following:

A demonstrated interest in the program’s purpose and its goals.
Specific experience in and/or knowledge of administration, finance, program development, advertising, public relations, downtown business activity, communications, design, or economic development.
Representation of a public or private organization in the community or a segment of the community.
4-10 hours per month of available time

Major Responsibilities:

Policy Administration

Establishing and/or continuing the legal existence of the program.
Ensuring that the program fulfills legal requirements in the conduct of its business and affairs.
Adopting and administering bylaws.
Setting and administering policies governing the program.
Developing a long-term mission and vision to guide the organization.
Approving committees’ annual work plans of goals, objectives and activities to implement the mission.

Finance

Developing short and long range funding strategies.
Raising sufficient funds to carry out program goals (every board member should contribute financially to the program)
Approving and monitoring the annual budget.
Authorizing and approving an annual audit.
Assuming responsibility for all expenditures necessary for the operation of the program.

Public Relations

Giving sponsorship and prestige to the program and inspiring confidence in its activities.
Understanding and interpreting the program’s work to the community.
Establishing partnerships with other organizations.

Evaluation

Regularly reviewing and evaluating the program’s operations and maintaining standards of performance.
Counseling and providing good judgement on plans adopted by committees and the program manager.

Personnel

Selecting, hiring and evaluating the program manager.
Participating in the recruitment, selection and development of volunteers to serve on the board of directors as advised by the nominating committee.
Participating in the recruitment, selection and development of committee chairpersons.

Individual Standards:

A responsible Main Street board member…

Supports board decisions, even when he/she disagrees with majority decision.
Understands the mission of the Main Street program and promotes its goals and activities.
Attends board meetings.
Attends as many as possible of the training programs and workshops held each year by the state program and the National Main Street Center.
Contributes knowledge, financial resources and labor to the Main Street program.
Respects the need for the program manager to report to only one “boss”
Offers opinions honestly, without reservation and in a constructive way.