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they are interested. This query can include a questionnaire (see side-
bar) and a resume request, which the nominating committee can
review. “This is the time to weed out candidates who want to run
because they’re upset about a single issue, such as not getting a
reservation they wanted,” Gallagher says. “If their one issue is that they
want to make sure the budget is balanced, that’s a good thing.”
2. Provide a Job Description
Interested candidates (including those identified by the board and
management) should be provided with a detailed job description that
lists expectations and duties. “There are many responsibilities that
boards can hand off to a management company, but the board must
approve the budget and set policy,” Wood says. “Potential board mem-
bers need to know how often the board meets, what travel is required,
and if they would have a conflict of interest. Often, finding out what’s
entailed will lead some candidates to withdraw their name.”
3. Create an Audition Process
All three experts recommend that resorts create committees to advise
the board. In addition to being a valuable resource, the committees
become a proving ground for potential board members and an essen-
tial part of the board-development process. “You can see if someone
will be a good fit,” Siegert-Free says. “Do they fulfill their responsibili-
ties? Are they respectful of others? You learn a lot this way.”
Keeping watch during interactions with owners is also a good idea.
“We monitor annual meetings with an eye toward identifying owners
with a genuine concern for the well-being of their association and those
who offer meaningful suggestions,” Gallagher says.
4. Vary the Targets
In a perfect world, enough qualified candidates would step forward on
their own to ensure that your board is diverse and representative of your
owner base. In the real world, resort management and/or the nominat-
ing committee will need to recruit candidates to achieve this goal.
Including attorneys, accountants, real estate experts, and other
professionals can be helpful, but it’s also wise to include other back-
grounds. “You get better ideas that way,” Siegert-Free says. “We have
a board member who has arranged to have students at the University
of Colorado at Boulder come up with designs for our resort. We hadn’t
thought of doing that.”
In addition to careers, differing ages and family status are impor-
tant to meeting the needs of all owners. “Older board members may
not see the value of having Wi-Fi everywhere at the resort, but a
younger board member may deem it crucial,” Wood says. “Just hav-
ing that different opinion at the table can prevent the board from mak-
ing a bad decision.”
5. Sweeten the Offer
Your best candidates may not initially be interested in the job. Although
the vast majority of boards don’t pay members, there are perks to the
position. “Most will reimburse reasonable travel expenses [for board
meetings] and provide accommodations and a per diem,” Gallagher
says. Since resorts are in desirable locales, that’s an incentive.
Siegert-Free advises that resorts consider applying for scholar-
ships for their members to attend ARDA conventions. “Board members
learn a lot about the industry, but they also enjoy the opportunity to net-
work in nice places,” she says.
Is it a good idea to provide salaries? “There would be advantages
and disadvantages,” Wood says. “You would expect more of people
who are paid and could probably attract younger owners. On the other
hand, most resorts are already financially stressed, and board mem-
bers are participating to help others, not themselves.”
6. Stagger and Limit Terms
Most boards stagger member terms so that the entire board isn’t
replaced at once. This provides continuity, which can also be enhanced
by a professional management company. New members learn how
things work from the more experienced members. Eventually, though,
it’s time to say good-bye to longtime members, a process made easier
when term limits are in place. At the Christie Lodge, board members
can have two consecutive three-year terms. This means there are more
former board members. “If something happens, such as the death of a
board member, you have a pool of trained people who can step in to
help,” Siegert-Free says.
Bringing in new members helps prevent boards from just continu-
ing to do everything the way they always have, Wood says. “There are
so many challenges facing the industry today, we need strong boards
with new ideas and new ways of looking at things.”
Judy Kenninger is a Brownsburg, Indiana–based writer and
communications consultant who has worked in the shared ownership
industry for nearly two decades.
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Blend/Image Source
You’ve Got Questions
Finding the best-qualified potential board members can
require a little digging into experience and motivations.
Here are a few questions our experts suggest for
screening applications. Which answers are best will
depend on your resort’s needs.
1.
What professional experience
do you have?
2.
What prior board or leadership
experience do you have?
3.
If you have been on other boards,
how long did you serve?
4.
Have you attended
annual meetings?
5.
Do you have a special skill or area
of expertise that would be
helpful?
6.
How long have you been
an owner at this resort?
7.
How many weeks do you own?
8.
Do you usually come to this
resort each year?
9.
How often do you exchange
your week?
10.
Do you own at any other
timeshare resorts?
11.
Are you on any other
timeshare resort HOA board?
12.
Have you paid your
maintenance fees on time?
13.
What do you like about
this resort?
14.
What would you like
to see changed?
15.
Why do you want to serve?
16.
Will you be available to
travel to board meetings?