At their best, board members can be amazing advocates who bring expertise and support. A successful board provides structure and oversight and ensures that the mission of the organization is being fulfilled. Learn the important policies, systems and tricks of the trade to create highly functioning boards.
Board Leadership
Sub Topics: Board Leadership
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Placemaking: Reimagining How Business Improvement Districts Use Their Power
Diversity, equity, and inclusion have become an even more important and timely issue in 2020 for many cities and organizations. We have an obligation to look inwardly at ourselves, our organizations and at our peers who, knowingly or in ignorance, perpetuate systemic racism and inequality. During this time of necessary and overdue reflection, we will discuss how BIDs and other place management organization can reimagine the way they use their power.
Eliminating Redundancy: Interlocal Agreements to Define Roles
Downtown El Paso’s interlocal agreement, which is similar in content and format to the agreements signed between different public agencies, is renegotiated every five years, providing an opportunity to re-assess existing programs or address new problems. The final document is what Downtown El Paso Executive Director Joe Gudenrath calls “a give and take” between the City’s and the BID’s priorities for downtown on projects ranging from community outreach and marketing to sanitation.
Quality of Life Building Blocks Worksheet
The following table offers a side-by-side comparison of Santa Ana’s and Delray Beach’s downtown nightlife economies. By examining various quality of life building blocks and how they affect issues and solutions in these two emerging downtown nighttime economies, you will see how every district faces different challenges and devises different solutions. Using these examples as a guide, you can then use the questions provided to dissect your own emerging nighttime economy.
Mastering the Art of Building Your Board
You face multiple challenges meeting your community’s needs, and your board can be your greatest asset or your biggest obstacle. This interactive session will share tips, proven tools and real-world examples that will help you attract and engage the right board members. Each member brings skills and motivations, and you’ll learn key strategies to get them all playing from the same sheet of music.
Effective Leadership and the Toolkit to Get it Done
This workshop will explore ways to maximize your staff and productivity, manage pressure and make decisions about new projects and priority setting. We will focus on Board development, strengthening the effectiveness of committees and ways to support and bolster the Executive Director and staff of your organization. You will leave with the tools to help explain the role of the Board versus the role of the staff and discuss some of the challenges of leading in today’s business climate.
Big Spring Partners Advisory Panel: Renewed Mission and Leadership
IDA’s Advisory Panels are a time-tested way to explore new ideas, solve difficult problems, and rally the board, staff and community around priority projects or topics. This panel focused on tailoring a fresh mission and vision for the downtown organization while also providing guidelines for how to hire and lead the organization. The report detail’s the panel’s findings and recommendations.
South Side Pittsburgh Advisory Panel: Mission Update and Solving Community Challenges
IDA’s Advisory Panels are a time-tested way to explore new ideas, solve difficult problems, and rally the board, staff and community around priority projects or topics. This panel focused on creating a strategic framework for the South Side Local Development Company, assessing the viability of an improvement district, and providing expert insight on best practices for economic vitality. The report details the panel’s findings and recommendations.
Things You Should Have Asked Before Saying Yes to Being a Board Member
Congratulations! You are on the Board of your downtown or neighborhood district association and about to begin a fascinating journey. The journey is not without its challenges, however, and this session is designed to help you successfully navigate the most common issues Board members face, including the strategic planning process, fiduciary obligations, and roles and responsibilities.
Good Governance: It may not be sexy, it’s the key to success
Governance is a constant work in progress, evolving and responding to changes in policy, regulation and the needs of volunteer Board/Commission members. NYC, Toronto and Chicago will share best practices of their BIDs/BIAs. While each city has approached governance differently, the three municipalities recognize that success of the districts relies heavily on good governance.