- Higher education leaders face unprecedented challenges, necessitating innovative and agile decision-making to safeguard their institutions. Board professionals play a crucial role in guiding institutions through these challenges, their impact is far-reaching and indispensable.
- Board professionals are characterized by a willingness to go above and beyond. They thrive in dynamic environments and excel in resolving challenges.
- The board professional’s responsibilities are evolving and complex. They include managing a wide range of relationships and navigating the dynamics between the president, the administration, and the board—often involving dual reporting structures and requiring the board professional to have a significant amount of emotional intelligence.
- To effectively leverage the role of board professionals, boards and presidents should follow some key practices: (1) establishing trust and open communication, (2) prioritizing transparency, (3) recognizing the importance of the board professional’s role, (4) fostering ongoing professional development, and (5) emphasizing succession planning and recruitment.
- Recognizing the evolving higher education landscape, colleges and universities should invest in supporting structures, professional development, and succession planning to appreciate and leverage the pivotal contributions that board professionals make to the success of their institutions now and into the future.
In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, higher education presidents and governing boards grapple with an array of unprecedented challenges. From state and federal policy mandates, technological threats, and campus political unrest to the enduring repercussions of pandemic-era policies, these hurdles loom large, threatening the reputation and sometimes even the sustainability of many institutions. Navigating this terrain demands a heightened level of innovation and agility in decision-making, thereby amplifying the pivotal leadership and collaborative roles of both boards and presidents. They must continuously adapt processes, policies, and structures to meet the evolving needs of their institutions. Amid these ongoing challenges, an often underestimated yet vital ally is the institution’s board professional.
Board professionals serve as a linchpin—acting as liaisons, planners, advisers—and offering vital support for both the president and the governing board. While the work of a board professional often occurs behind the scenes, the impact is far-reaching and indispensable. Beyond helping to foster and sustain vital board functions, board professionals must possess an understanding of the institution’s administrative, academic, financial, and political workings, as well as be well-versed in the ever-changing higher education landscape.
A board professionals’ myriad of relationships with key administrators and board members is critical to developing personalized approaches and social capital necessary to finding solutions in stressful situations. The networks they establish are crucial for forging proactive strategic collaborations between the president and the board when framing and resolving governance and policy issues. As the demands on institutions grow more challenging, boards and presidents must call upon the expertise of their board professionals more than ever and engage them as true partners in governance.
In conversations with AGB, board professionals from various institutional types and governance models have shed light on the realities of their roles. They have called for greater trust, recognition, and support, as well as a deeper appreciation for the demands and complexities of their work. Five illustrative practices have emerged to guide boards and presidents in leveraging the role of the board professional:
- Establishing a process that facilitates the trust and candid communications necessary for cultivating confidential relationships;
- Prioritizing transparency as an integral facet of trust-building;
- Recognizing the role of the board professional to afford them the latitude required for effective performance;
- Fostering ongoing professional development to equip board professionals with the knowledge and skills essential for their roles; and
- Emphasizing succession planning and the recruitment of future board professionals.
The Complex Role of Board Professionals
The role of the board professional began more than four decades ago, as a volunteer position held by a board member.1 Although a board may still have an officer whose title is secretary, the work has since evolved into a paid role, with nearly every institution employing at least one staff member dedicated to supporting the governing board.2 As the environment in which higher education institutions operate and the work expected of governing boards has grown increasingly complex, so has the role of the board professional.
Today, that role varies depending on each institution’s type, size, and traditions. Board professionals assume positions ranging from administrative assistant to vice president, general counsel, and even secretary of the college. In smaller institutions, a single individual may provide board support, whereas larger institutions and systems may have several board professionals, each with distinct titles and responsibilities.
Given the expansive nature of their responsibilities, board professionals possess a more comprehensive understanding of the institution and a broader grasp of governance than most board members. Often, board members come from corporate or nonprofit backgrounds and lack experience in higher education as well as governance. It falls to board professionals to impart the knowledge those board members need to perform their fiduciary duties, orienting and supporting them in their decision-making processes.
Varied Range of Responsibilities
Depending on their role, responsibilities for board professionals can include:
- Developing and updating board documents, such as statements of trustee responsibilities and expectations;
- Supporting board education/development opportunities;
- Maintaining a healthy board culture;
- Supporting reasonable turnover on the board;
- Bringing issues of concern to the board and president in a timely manner;
- Encouraging regular assessments of the board;
- Providing key metrics on a continuing basis to help the board stay informed and ask good questions;
- Making sure the board is regularly discussing issues around strategy and the institution’s long-term and short-term goals; and
- Encouraging appropriate board involvement.3
Board professionals also serve as strategic partners in developing the board’s understanding of key issues, updating the board on institutional accomplishments and events, flagging matters that could potentially garner attention from the media, connecting university administrators to the board, and offering insights in preparation for board meetings. 4
Navigating Relationships
The complexity of the board professional’s position arises primarily from the intricate relationships they must manage. Many institutions integrate the role with that of the chief of staff or a member of the senior leadership team to ensure alignment between the president’s and the board’s priorities. Others combine it with the general counsel’s position to provide legal support for the board. Such dual roles result in dual reporting structures, whereby some board professionals report to the board, some to the president, and most to both.
Within those dual structures, board professionals must make sure that the president and board chair are in accordance with each other regarding mission, goals, and priorities, as well as acting in the best interest of the institution. Such dynamics require continual monitoring and attention. Several board professionals have remarked that you need to be comfortable sitting on the fence to be successful in the role.
Lynnette Heard, former executive director of foundation board relations and secretary of the board at the University of Cincinnati Foundation, serves as the ambassador for AGB’s Board Professionals Council. She described the dual role of the board professional as being “a third leg of the stool between the chair and the board, where board professionals can raise questions and ideas, helping provide another set of lenses and context that the two leaders may not have considered.”
Managing these complex relationships necessitates a high level of emotional intelligence. Board professionals are required to remain impartial, holding the trust of both the president and the board chair. To build that trust, they must develop strong personal relationships and exercise a certain level of judgement.
Heard likened board professionals to servant leaders, describing them as humble, strong, inquisitive, anticipatory, visionary, sensitive, and discerning. “Board professionals really listen, and they listen well,” she said. “They’re able to listen with criticality and objectivity.” That enables them, according to Heard, to identify issues of concern as well as moments of opportunity for the institution.
The board professional’s distinct position as a bridge between the president, the board, and the administration means managing complicated relationships and dynamics is a fundamental aspect of their work. This reality requires that a high level of confidence and trust be placed on the board professional. An unintended consequence of holding a position that necessitates such a high level of impartiality and confidentiality is that it can be solitary and lonely at times.5
“You feel a responsibility to make sure you’re accurately reflecting what’s being said and thought about,” Sheree Drummond, secretary of the governing council at the University of Toronto, shared. “… you really want to have a sense of knowing when not to talk about certain things because there are certain things that are actually meant for you only from a governance perspective and not necessarily something to be shared with the administration and vice versa.” According to Drummond, the ability in this position to reach out to colleagues for advice “is quite limited, because that would in and of itself potentially risk violating the trust that people have in you.”
Managing relationships across the various constituencies, trying to build and sustain their trust while also exercising discretion, can be challenging. When describing this dynamic, Denise Nelson Nash, vice president and secretary of the board of trustees at Scripps College, said that the complexities are often underestimated. “There are times when you have to hold information in confidence,” she noted. “Safeguarding sensitive information can create suspicions. The trust earned can paradoxically give rise to mistrust.”
Brent Schrader, associate university secretary at the University of Delaware, described how the balancing act can sometimes undermine the board professional. “We have an obligation to protect the institution, but we also do our best to protect our board members and our colleagues in the administration,” Schrader explained. “Those loyalties can sometimes be in conflict, and the discretion that it takes to move conversations forward tactfully can sometimes be perceived as sloppiness or a lack of assertiveness.”
The Hidden Work
In addition to its isolated nature, the work of board professionals often occurs with minimal supervision and recognition. According to Carlos Garcia, chief of staff and director of institutional relations at CETYS University, “This is a profession in which part of your success is working behind the scenes and making sure that your chair and your president shine.” Garcia explained that even if the board professional is visible when making calls, managing relationships, and moving the board forward, it’s the president, the chair, and the committee chairs who need to achieve and move forward to advance the mission of the institution.
Drummond said board professionals often prefer to operate behind the scenes. “It’s important that people realize that those of us who are doing this work are used to being the back-room people and have made an active choice in many ways to be in those kinds of environments,” she explained. At the end of the day, it’s about building relationships and connecting people to ensure that good decisions result. “It’s very much a people-centric type of work,” Drummond added. “And the satisfaction comes in creating an environment of respect and collegiality so that the best possible decisions are being made in the interest of your institution.”
Going Above and Beyond
Board professionals are often lauded for their willingness to go above and beyond in fulfilling their responsibilities. A distinctive trait of board professionals is their proactive approach to taking charge and getting things done.
Garcia recounted his experience when he first joined CETYS University. He was initially informed that supporting the board would consume about 50 percent of his time, but it now requires significantly more in addition to his other responsibilities. Despite the increased workload, Garcia wouldn’t have it any other way. He emphasized that people in this role flourish in dynamic environments and excel in resolving challenges. “We thrive in chaos,” said Garcia. “We thrive on being able to put out a fire. Give me a cell phone, and my staff and I will take care of things.”
Best Practices for Leveraging the Board Professional Role
1. Establishing Trust and Open Communication. Strong relationships among the president, board, and board professional are built upon a bedrock of trust. The following recommendations serve as pillars for constructing that foundation: taking the time to acquaint one another, gradually nurturing trust through consistent interactions, and purposefully orchestrating effective conversations with a well-defined communication plan.
Nelson Nash underscored the significance of transparency, consistency, emotional intelligence, and authenticity in fostering a strong connection. She recommended that the president and board chair invest time in getting to know the board professional on a personal level. That involves sharing a meal, engaging in informal discussions, and celebrating small victories together.
In situations with complex power dynamics, consistency in actions and communication proves paramount for trust-building. “Maintaining consistency is crucial,” Garcia affirmed and further explained that as relationships develop with each board member, a point arrives when the board professional must take a firm stance and express dissenting opinions. While that can be uncomfortable in the moment, it is at that level of mutual confidence, he said, that board chairs, presidents, and board professionals can engage in deeper conversations and work together more effectively.
Heather Fehn, chief of staff and secretary to the board of trustees at The College of New Jersey, underscored that trust-building is a reciprocal process. “When I engage in confidential conversations with a board chair, I need assurance that the board chair will uphold that confidence,” Fehn emphasized. If the board chair were to divulge sensitive information that could jeopardize her position, Fehn’s effectiveness would be compromised.
Open, candid conversations about roles and expectations provide a framework for navigating challenging situations. Schrader suggested a proactive approach that he likened to emergency preparedness. He proposed that the board, president, and board professional collaborate to simulate various scenarios, discussing how communication should unfold in emergencies or uncomfortable situations. “It’s about being proactive rather than waiting to navigate it when something arises,” Schrader advised.
2. Prioritizing Transparency. Withholding crucial information from board professionals hinders their ability to perform effectively. When a foundation of confidence and trust is in place, boards and presidents can be open and transparent with their board professionals, enabling them to make informed decisions for the institution. For board professionals, being kept in the dark about important matters poses a significant challenge. As Fehn aptly put it, “If things are happening at the institution that I am not aware of, then I can’t be as effective to the president and to the board.”
Given that they are often not on the campus, board members naturally have some gaps in their understanding of their institution. Involving board professionals in closed sessions can yield invaluable perspectives. As Fehn put it, “Trustees come to campus six to seven times a year. Some are more engaged than others, but they are all missing some context because they are not here 24/7. That is not the role of the trustee.”
Schrader echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the board professional is uniquely dedicated to board-related work on the campus. “Not fully engaging and including the board professional in discussions is a missed opportunity,” he asserts.
3. Recognizing the Importance of the Board Professional. With substantial responsibilities, many of which are time-sensitive and confidential, board professionals grapple with the challenge of exerting influence without formal authority. To perform effectively, they require the flexibility to execute their tasks efficiently. Board professionals emphasized that some heightened recognition of the importance of their role would elevate its status, ensuring that others in the institution’s community understand the value and sensitive nature of their work.
Heard recommended integrating the board professional into the president’s leadership team, cabinet, or chief executive council. Such integration allows the board professional to grasp the institution’s key concerns and strategies and be seen both as part of leadership as well as raising the importance of the liaison responsibility of the position. Members of the leadership team often support board committees and prepare board meeting materials. Having a seat at this table provides the board professional with relationships and information essential to supporting board work. According to Heard, being part of this group gives the board professional a comprehensive understanding of what’s transpiring at their institution. In addition, including board professionals in leadership discussions highlights their expertise in organizational structure and development, particularly in relation to the board.
The president and board chair should acknowledge the pivotal role that the board professional plays, Nelson Nash said. This acknowledgment validates the board professional’s position within the organization and affirms that they are a trusted repository of knowledge and a central point of contact. It conveys the message that “this is a person to engage with,” Nelson Nash explained.
Garcia underscored that, beyond formal recognition, board professionals need support and structure to act effectively. According to Garcia, if a board professional is trying to address an urgent issue and constrained by bureaucratic processes, it hinders progress. Recognizing them and granting them the authority to bypass those channels enables the board professional to act more swiftly and precisely.
4. Fostering Continuing Professional Development. During an AGB panel discussion, board professionals shared the challenges of the increasing demands placed on them. They are now expected to possess a much broader range of expertise, aligning with the skills of both the board and the president. They must also be attuned not only to their own institution but also to the broader landscape of higher education—which encompasses diversity, equity, inclusion, government oversight, and numerous other issues.
This demands agility and a deep understanding of various domains, including the legal and regulatory environment, legislative process, academic priorities, and financial strategy. Moreover, board professionals must be capable of distilling complex information. This skill is essential for conveying the significance of these topics through a governance lens. Their roles extend beyond mere administration; the board looks to the board professional for guidance, input, and assistance in formulating strategy, demanding a higher level of critical thinking.
Panel participants emphasized that the board professionals of the future will need a degree of foresight that enables them to anticipate needs before they arise and have solutions ready. In all likelihood, tomorrow’s board professionals will need to exercise this skill more extensively due to the increasingly rapid pace of change. The balance between administrative tasks and those focused on strategy and thought partnership will shift significantly. Many people can handle the position’s administrative aspects, such as ensuring board minutes and committees are well managed, but the profession is rapidly progressing towards a more strategic role. A wide spectrum of expertise can be required in this field, and presidents and boards will need to assess where their institutions fall along this continuum.
To enhance the role of the board professional for future growth, the panel recommended integrating courses on board professional careers into higher education degree programs, shedding a greater light on the role, and offering opportunities for shadowing seasoned board professionals. They also suggested leveraging higher education resources and programs for board professionals like those of AGB, which provides a wealth of conferences, publications, and online training.
Among its latest offerings is the AGB Board Professional Certificate program, a resource that Heard was instrumental in developing. “This program significantly elevates the role,” noted Heard. “Presidents can rely on the certificate program to bring in individuals, whether they’re new to the profession or have some familiarity with the work and the role.” Heard emphasized that the certificate program serves as both an educational and developmental tool, enhancing board professionals’ proficiency in various aspects of the job.
Beyond its annual conference dedicated solely to board professional training, AGB provides forums such as leadership groups, councils, and online communities where board professionals can convene and learn from one another. Heard underscored the significance of these forums, stating, “Where else can you find colleagues who have authentic and shared experiences? Where else can you connect with a group of individuals who can confidentially confide in each other, seeking solutions to pressing questions that might otherwise be extremely challenging if left unanswered?” Other AGB publications, meetings, and virtual events provide current information on higher education trends and tools and enhance the value of board professionals to their board and administration.
5. Emphasizing Succession Planning and Board Professional Recruitment. Given the distinct and pivotal nature of the board professionals’ role, each institution should proactively prepare for the future. Schrader suggested that institutions could take a more intentional approach to identifying the essential skills and attributes required for the role and nurture them within the organization. “Is the institution mindful of individuals who can operate independently, communicate and write with discretion, pay attention to detail, and think ahead? Getting intimately acquainted with the institution is crucial. In this regard, it often makes more sense to develop these individuals from within the organization rather than seek external recruits.”
Drummond also advised being observant and actively identifying potential candidates within the institution. She noted that the position demands a specific skill set, and not everyone with extensive university experience may be well-suited for it. She actively looks for individuals within her institution who may not have considered governance as a career path, recognizing that few people set out with it as a career objective, and helps them identify how their current skills and traits could be applied in a governance position.
The Evolving Role of the Board Professional
While the board, board chair, and president are the focal point of effective governance, the board professional’s partnership and dedication are also vital for successful institutional progress. In navigating the ever-changing landscape, board professionals empower boards to adeptly assess and respond to growing challenges and institutional risks. As this evolves, so does the role of the board professional. They stand ready to adapt board processes and structures to meet the dynamic needs and challenges of the institution. It’s time to acknowledge and appreciate the pivotal contribution of board professionals by recognizing their wealth of expertise, while providing them with the support structure to succeed.
Elizabeth Alvarado, EdD, is a consultant for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), a senior advisor to the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF), and a research associate at AGB Search. Elizabeth also serves as a career and wellness coach for first-generation college students, emphasizing a holistic approach to supporting individuals in navigating challenges and finding purpose in their careers.
Author’s Note: The author recognizes and appreciates the following board professionals for their contributions to this article: Chris Burford, university general counsel and board secretary at Eastern Oregon University; Sheree Drummond, secretary of the governing council, University of Toronto; Heather Fehn, chief of staff and secretary to the board of trustees, The College of New Jersey; Carlos Garcia, chief of staff and director of institutional relations, CETYS University; Lynnette Heard, former executive director of foundation board relations and secretary of the board, University of Cincinnati Foundation; Kathryn J. Herschede, vice president for strategic initiatives and chief of staff, Widener University; Denise Nelson Nash, vice president and secretary of the board of trustees, Scripps College; Sabrina Prud’homme, university board secretary at Southern Oregon University; Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar, vice president for strategic initiatives and secretary to the board of trustees at Colgate University; Brent Schrader, associate university secretary, University of Delaware; and Richard Uchida, vice president, general counsel, and secretary of the college, Colby College.
Notes
1. Anne Shaw, Who Are Board Professionals? [Blog post]. (AGB.org, December 17, 2015); retrieved from: https://agb.org/category/blog-post/.
2. David Rubenstein and Richard Riddell, “Board chairs and Board Professionals: Partners in Governance” Trusteeship, January/February 2014, 34–39.
3. Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, Board Professional Certificate Program, [Certificate Program, AGB, 2022].
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