Some members have asked me some questions about the near-term future, things like the timing for a new president to take office and how we’ll continue to involve the members and what we’ll do about operations. A few thoughts, with, I expect more to come. First, though, a preamble.
My term expires on December 31. What the new president and the Board do will be up to them. But, I am working, with the Board, to lay some groundwork to provide at least a general direction and slightly smoother ground roads ahead.
Which governance model are we adopting? The Board agreed to adopt a seasonal governance model. I’m working with some members of the Board to hammer out the details of that model. Currently, this looks like the following, roughly:
- A leadership team (aka the Board of Directors). The exact size and composition of the leadership team will be determined.
- Five seasonal teams: fall, winter, spring, summer, and High Holy Days. Each team will own all operational aspects and most of the decisions around the events occurring during their respective season. Stay tuned here for more on the seasonal allocation of celebrations and events.
- A few support teams that cross seasons: for example, the Outlook editor and the BLL speaker coordinator.
What’s the plan with the Board? The current Board stays on, pending any changes in its size or constitution. We’re near the minimum Board size allowed by our bylaws, so any big change would require an amendment. (The bylaws addressed conditions from about a decade ago. Those conditions have changed.)
When will the new president take office? January 1st, unless he or she and the Board want that to happen sooner. I hope to have a candidate for the December Board meeting, to avoid having to call a special meeting of the Board to vote on a new president. At the last meeting, the Board asked me to work on finding a candidate for my successor. The goal: at the December Board meeting, the Board will vote to approve that recommendation (per our bylaws). Then, at a meeting of the members in January or February, the members will be asked to ratify the selection (not required by the bylaws, but thought to be a good idea by the Board, and I concur).
How will the congregation be involved in the future? Further congregational engagement will take the form of comments to blog posts, responses to surveys, and what I hope will be some time for open discussion at a meeting in January or February. Again, once I leave office, it will be up to my successor and the Board as to how to proceed.
Based on the previous congregational meeting, I think Keddem has two core constituencies: committed Reconstructionists and Jews who fear feeling marginalized in any other congregation. These groups do not necessarily overlap. Future success will depend on finding a way of functioning that works for both.