--- title: "The Evolution of Board Selection" id: "61544" type: "post" slug: "the-evolution-of-board-selection" published_at: "2021-01-25T12:00:58+00:00" modified_at: "2026-07-11T18:10:09+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2021/01/25/the-evolution-of-board-selection/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2021/01/25/the-evolution-of-board-selection.md" excerpt: "A once-stodgy process mired in secrecy and old-school tactics, board selection done well is now focused on competencies, diversity, and skills. It’s not about who you know, it’s what you know—and can effectively bring to the table." taxonomy_category: - "Executive Leadership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » The Evolution of Board Selection Part of the Deep Dive[Lead2021](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/lead2021/) The board nomination process has evolved from a legacy model of board members paying their dues to climb the ladder to one focused on diversity and competency in leadership. That represents a shift from a previously secretive and mysterious process, says Mark Engle, FASAE, CAE, principal at Association Management Center. “Boards were often viewed as an old boys’ network” steeped in cronyism, he says. Finally, boards are evolving past that, a critical step toward improving organizational performance and achieving high-functioning boards. In choosing a board, “whatever you decide to do, have a very good reason for doing it,” says Beth Gazley, Ph.D., professor of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University and coauthor of *[What Makes High-Performing Boards (opens in a new tab)](https://www.asaecenter.org/publications/107628-what-makes-high-performing-boards-effective-governance-practices-in-member-serving-organizations)*and *[Transformational Governance (opens in a new tab)](https://www.asaecenter.org/publications/108206-transformational-governance-how-boards-achieve-extraordinary-change)*, which describe findings from ASAE Research Foundation governance research. Board selection needs to be “compatible with the organization’s sense of representativeness and member engagement,” she says, and investing in the process is key. “The best board member is the one who never serves,” Gazley says, because that means they were told enough about the position from the beginning that they realized before it was too late that they were not the right person for the job. [Lisa Boylan](https://associationsnow.com/author/lisa-boylan/) Lisa Boylan is a former senior editor of Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/lisa-boylan/) Tags: [#Associations Now](https://associationsnow.com/tag/associations-now/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## More in this Deep Dive - [Strategic Planning in 2021: The Same, but Different](https://associationsnow.com/2021/01/25/strategic-planning-in-2021-the-same-but-different/) - [What Should You Keep From Your Pandemic Pivot?](https://associationsnow.com/2021/01/25/what-should-you-keep-from-your-pandemic-pivot/) - [Reinventing Association Business Models](https://associationsnow.com/2021/01/25/reinventing-association-business-models/) - [Beyond Data: How to Decide What’s Next](https://associationsnow.com/2021/01/25/beyond-data-how-to-decide-whats-next/) - [A Reckoning With Ethics and Injustice](https://associationsnow.com/2021/01/25/a-reckoning-with-ethics-and-injustice/) - [Keep Your Board Focused on Strategy](https://associationsnow.com/2021/01/20/keep-your-board-focused-on-strategy/) [View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/lead2021/) ## You Might Like - [VideoAmerican Geophysical Union: Standing Up for Science: AGU’s Year of Action for Scientists and SocietySeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-geophysical-union-standing-up-for-science-agus-year-of-action-for-scientists-and-society/) - [VideoInt. 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