1. PURPOSE
The President is responsible for the overall direction and facilitation of MODS’ board of directors, and for serving in the same capacity with respect to MODS’ Personnel Committee.
2. RESPONSIBILITIES/DELIVERABLES
Areas of responsibility include, but may not be limited to:
- Be an expert in how MODS makes decisions and steer the board accordingly. (e.g. What function is served by policy/protocol? By committees and working groups? What are the respective roles of staff and board? How is policy enacted?)
- Ensure all others – board and staff, plus committees & working groups by extension – have clarity as to their roles and how they fit into MODS’ decision-making framework. As necessary, monitor and take steps (support, follow-up, accountability etc.) to ensure successful execution of peers’ deliverables.
- Be knowledgeable in MODS’ policy/protocol framework, readily able to identify what tools already exist to answer questions as they arise and/or what steps are to be followed in cases of official protocol, and/or where to find information on such policy/protocol. Also, be well versed in what matters require board review/approval (including a strong sense of how to navigate the grey area in between) and align board & staff accordingly.
- Identify and remove barriers to the effective functioning of the organization (e.g. Work to bridge gaps in understanding of how decisions are made, and/or align people on process to be followed where common understanding breaks down).
- Set overall direction for the board’s activities - ie. identify or confirm administrative priorities, and/or questions to be answered by the board. (e.g. What are the board’s objectives for the year? What would the board like to see as operational priorities? What is the organization’s stance on [policy issue]?) Facilitate the work of the board in addressing those questions or administrative tasks.
- Unless an alternate owner of the function is specified, lead all board-development activities, including education (assisting the board and its members in learning their roles), candidate recruitment, ‘onboarding’ of new board members.
- Play an analogous role to the above, with respect to MODS’ Personnel Committee. (ie. Be an expert in Personnel Committee’s function, facilitate its work, etc. in accordance with the Committee's terms of reference.)
- Serve as first point of contact and support for MODS’ staff, for matters requiring board/Personnel involvement.
- As applicable, serve as first point of contact for matters escalated to Personnel Committee by membership or other MODS stakeholders.
- Build and maintain positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders to MODS. Be prompt and professional in communicating on behalf of the organization.
Deliverables include, but may not be limited to:
- Own the creation of the agenda for monthly board meetings, exercising discretion as to what does/doesn’t warrant inclusion in the agenda. Ensure that the board’s activities are aligned with its mandate (being mindful to avoid overlap with responsibilities of staff, committees, etc).
- Circulate agenda and all relevant materials to board and staff with as much notice as reasonably possible, in advance of board meetings (ideally 48 hours at minimum).
- Unless absent, chair all meetings of the board and MODS’ Annual General Meeting. Be familiar with Robert's Rules of Order for conducting meetings and group decision-making. Ensure efficient and effective use of meeting time, in alignment with the board’s intended function.
- Unless absent, chair all meetings of the Personnel Committee and take the lead in execution of its deliverables, as outlined in the Committee’s terms of reference.
3. TERM
- The President is appointed, following the AGM, by way of majority vote among the board of directors.
- The President’s term is one year in length, such that a second year in the role requires re-appointment by the board even where the person’s two-year term as a director has not yet elapsed.
- The President is strongly encouraged to serve a full year at minimum and to be prepared to serve a two-year term (subject to board re-appointment).
- The maximum consecutive term is four years.
- Subsequent to relinquishing the President role, the individual is strongly encouraged to serve at least one additional year as ‘past President’ on the Personnel Committee, in accordance with the Committee’s terms of reference.
- All aspects of the Member at Large’s prescribed term – as outlined in the terms of reference for that role – apply equally to the President as a member of the board.
