Maybe even nations. That s why strategic decisions should be the top concern of a CDC board. CDC boards are typically composed of community residents, business and civic leaders and outside professionals. Sometimes boards conflict with staff or try to micromanage. Other boards ossify.
Continuity is a strength in managing an organization.
But boards need turnover, too, to infuse new energy and ideas. As the CDC grows, the board needs to have the know-how to assist the executive director and bring sophistication to the policy decisions and monitoring of the corporation, says Anita Miller, former director of the Comprehensive Community Revitalization Program initiative in the South Bronx. The key is to keep adjusting. Most successful CDCs spend a great deal of time figuring out how to identify and solicit potential board members whose service could help the organization. If a board member misses two meetings, he or she is subject to being replaced.