Poll: Association Boards Larger Than You Might Think
Early results of our unscientific reader poll show that association boardrooms won’t be downsizing any time soon.
More than two in five associations (43 percent) report having boards of 21 or more members. Nearly three in 10 respondents (29 percent) reported having boards of 11 to 20 members and another 29 percent had boards of 10 or fewer members.
While these early findings may be surprising to many in this do-less-with-more era, it’s worth noting that an earlier reader poll found that “Leadership/Consensus Building Skills” (cited by 33 percent) were the skills that our readers were most likely to say they wish they had developed more fully earlier in their careers.
How many members are on your board of directors?
| 21 or more | 43% |
| 11 to 20 | 29% |
| 10 or fewer | 29% |
Source: Association Adviser eNews and Naylor Association Solutions, 2016
“Our board has a big representation due to all the different segments we serve,” noted Michael Dunham, CEO of the Associated General Contractors of Georgia, Inc. in our recent Corner Office profile.
“I know the trend is toward smaller boards, but I like having a big board,” he said. “It’s 31 people with a different admiral to lead them every year. The management of that process — getting all those people up to speed so they are effective right from the beginning of their term — is quite an art form.”
