Regional Directors

[Senusret I]

I am learning more about nonprofit governance and administration from a 501(c)(7) and 501(c)(10) point of view due to having run for a national office in APO, my activity in APhiA, and my conversations with friends who are active in their respective GLOs.

One of the things we've all been discussing in our circle lately is board structure, and in particular, the role and duties of regional directors on the board.

One NPHC, for example, has a board of directors which consists of a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and regional directors. There is an executive director who has about a ten-person staff which deals with communications, finance, and membership services.

One NIC org has a president, secretary, treasurer, and several members at large. They also have an executive director who has a staff of about 35, which includes what they call regional directors. Their RDs are more like traveling consultants. The other paid staff deal with the usual HQ issues: finance, communications, risk management, etc. In my opinion, it functions as a traditional 501(c)(3) charity would, making the board exclusively responsible for strategic planning and the staff responsible for chapter operations.

While every organization is different, I would say that most NPHCs place a lot of day-to-day responsibilities with the volunteer regional directors, with everything from approving membership intake to being the lead on risk management issues.

So my questions to you, oh brilliant and wise people of GreekChat:

1) Are your Regional Directors volunteers/national board members? Or are they paid staff?

2) What do your regional directors do?

and the bonus question for our advanced Greek Chatters:

3) What would you define to be the ideal job description for a regional director, whether paid or volunteer?

[KSUViolet06]

We have:

Executive Director
Director of Chapter Services
Assistant Directors of Chapter Services (2-- one for Regions 1 & 2 and one for 3 & 4.)

They are all full-time paid staff.

In a nutshell, the ED = oversees ALL HQ staff.
DCS = oversees ALL of our collegiate chapters.
ASCS = oversees the operations of the chapters in their regions, regional volunteers and Regional Consultants report to their assigned ADCS, a lot of day-to-day collegiate ops things.

You can find their specific job descriptions here: http://trisigma.org/MeetUs.mvc/Our%2...dquartersStaff

[Senusret I]

Hi there,

I am specifically trying to start a conversation about whether it is preferable to have regional directors serve as national board members, or if their duties would be best performed as members of the national staff.

[mccoyred]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Hi there,

I am specifically trying to start a conversation about whether it is preferable to have regional directors serve as national board members, or if their duties would be best performed as members of the national staff.

While I see the wisdom of having RDs be elected volunteers, I like the idea of them being paid staff which would leave the politics out of membership-related decisions.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by mccoyred

While I see the wisdom of having RDs be elected volunteers, I like the idea of them being paid staff which would leave the politics out of membership-related decisions.

Absolutely.

There are many, many double standards in this field. I'm sure we've all heard of the small chapter with a single intake violation who was suspended until they ceased to exist, as well as the large, "prominent" chapter which could put somebody in the hospital and have a probate the same semester.

Further, I would argue that the elected nature of regional directors could have the adverse effect of politicizing all of the volunteer roles below it, whether it's area and district directors, state/cluster coordinators, or even people who get certified as a chapter advisor as a stepping stone.

This create a false set of qualifications to become a national officer. I, for one, don't care if my national president or treasurer served as a regional director first -- it's a totally different skill set. Regional directors aren't even afforded the time to consider strategic and governance issues in their organizations.

[KSUViolet06]

^^^Hmmm. I never actually thought about that question to be honest.

[knight_shadow]

Our regional directors answer to our NEC (read: HQ), which is separate from our BOD. Without going into TOO much detail, our HQ is mainly concerned with undergraduate affairs. BOD provides strategic insights, NEC implements them within the undergraduate population, and the RDs ensure that the collegiate chapters are taking care of business (and advising, when the need arises -- I'm assuming this is how the traveling consultants in other organizations work).

That way, NEC is "in the loop," but still has time for the "HR" functions.

All of our boards are volunteer.

ETA: Also, the RDs are members of our "extended NEC," but aren't on the executive committees.

[Senusret I]

I don't really understand what you're saying (because I am trying to compare it to what's on your national website), so I will send you a PM.

[knight_shadow]

Got it.

[Senusret I]

Thankies.

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

I am learning more about nonprofit governance and administration from a 501(c)(7) and 501(c)(10) point of view due to having run for a national office in APO, my activity in APhiA, and my conversations with friends who are active in their respective GLOs.

One of the things we've all been discussing in our circle lately is board structure, and in particular, the role and duties of regional directors on the board.

One NPHC, for example, has a board of directors which consists of a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and regional directors. There is an executive director who has about a ten-person staff which deals with communications, finance, and membership services.

One NIC org has a president, secretary, treasurer, and several members at large. They also have an executive director who has a staff of about 35, which includes what they call regional directors. Their RDs are more like traveling consultants. The other paid staff deal with the usual HQ issues: finance, communications, risk management, etc. In my opinion, it functions as a traditional 501(c)(3) charity would, making the board exclusively responsible for strategic planning and the staff responsible for chapter operations.

While every organization is different, I would say that most NPHCs place a lot of day-to-day responsibilities with the volunteer regional directors, with everything from approving membership intake to being the lead on risk management issues.

So my questions to you, oh brilliant and wise people of GreekChat:

1) Are your Regional Directors volunteers/national board members? Or are they paid staff?

2) What do your regional directors do?

and the bonus question for our advanced Greek Chatters:

3) What would you define to be the ideal job description for a regional director, whether paid or volunteer?

So true. Our regional director is in my chapter and let's just say, she might as well have a second job.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

So true. Our regional director is in my chapter and let's just say, she might as well have a second job.

RIGHT.

Not to mention the great liability involved when it comes to risk management issues.

Yes, there is usually some sort of insurance for board members, but still....

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

RIGHT.

Not to mention the great liability involved when it comes to risk management issues.

Yes, there is usually some sort of insurance for board members, but still....

I know and I meant to say, a second "full-time" job. I like the part about chartering new chapters because I like bringing new members in but the rest of it... I will not be running for that position any time soon.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

RIGHT.

Not to mention the great liability involved when it comes to risk management issues.

Yes, there is usually some sort of insurance for board members, but still....

I seriously could not IMAGINE our ADCSs (Sigma version of regional directors) NOT getting paid.

My volunteer position answers directly to one of them and I'd say I am in contact with her everyday whether it's by phone or email, and there are like 20 other peeps in the same position as me who are doing the same PLUS our Regional Consultants.

They are responsible for a WHOLE LOT (ex: they make the final call on a lot of collegiate chapter things that are not in the control of the local advisors) and are pretty much on call for any regional volunteer/advisor/collegiate officer in their region at any time when they REALLY need something. I'd imagine that the same is true for the NPHC director peeps?

[Senusret I]

It's going to be very challenging to imagine a paid position becoming a volunteer one. I'm also not certain that you can consider an Assistant Director of Chapter Services position in an NPC to a Region Director position in an NPHC.

What I am discovering is that the NPC (and to an extent, APO) have a "chapter services" model that the NPHC doesn't seem to have. In the case of Alpha, our day-to-day membership services are outsourced to a company which specializes in it. For us, that means receiving our membership card in a timely manner after paying dues, receiving our magazine on time, getting pins, history books, and chapter supplies, and other operational aspects of chapters. There are no representative or governance responsibilities.

In APO, our Director of Chapter Services is more or less the accountant of service capital: maintains membership records, processes paperwork, sends out membership cards. Maintains record of submissions for awards and such. She might field risk management issues but they are always given to the proper volunteers to handle.

In APhiA, if a chapter needs "help"* then they have a volunteer/elected chain of command: chapter advisor, area director, district director, regional vice president (our equivalent of Region Director). None of these people are paid. My area consists of six chapters. My district is all areas (about seven) in DC, Maryland, and Delaware. My region is all states from Maine to Virginia.

I would say that your ADSCs may do the work of area directors and district directors, but the governance of our chapters is in the hands of the regional vice president.

I can't speak for rhoyaltempest, but I am guessing that NPHC have many more alumni volunteers to handle the day-to-day work that our chapters may need, yet that still doesn't negate the near-impossible load which our region directors (or equivalent) must do. They are serving in administrative capacities as well as governance capacities.

ETA: And just because there may be area and district directors in a region, the region director still must have knowledge of all of these issues, particularly risk management issues, because they would be held liable.


*I am defining "help" to include the administration of national programs as well as risk management issues.