One of the interesting trends in governance identified at the 2009 Board Source Leadership Forum was the Board Secretary as Chief Governance Officer. As the Chief Governance Officer, the Board Secretary would help the Board Chair manage the Board and serve as the Chair of the Governance Committee.
Michael Daigneault, a Senior Governance Consultant with BoardSource, pointed out the the historical role of the Board Secretary was to oversee and manage the official organizational records such as the articles of incorporation, bylaws, and minutes and perform other internal governance functions. Since many of the record-keeping functions have been assumed by staff, the new role of the Board Secretary could be to take a much larger role in managing the internal functions of the governing authority. In this new role the Board Secretary would work closely with the Board Chair as well as the Chief Executive.
I think this new trend is a great idea. Governance leaders should consider re-activating or recommissioning the Board Secretary to take on a larger and active role as the Chief Governance Officer. With this shift in focus, the Board will have a key officer that will focus at improving the overall functioning of the Board of Directors. Now you know what I think….what about you? What do you think about this new trend?