Article Executive Leadership 1 min read
Practical Steps Toward More Diverse Boards
As racial justice issues took center stage in 2020, many organizations reaffirmed commitments to board diversity. To make sure future boards are as diverse as the membership, associations can employ several forward-looking strategies.
Heads up: this content is over 5 years old, so some information may be out of date.
Last year, as social justice issues emerged in the wake of George Floyd’s death, a stronger spotlight was shone on the issue of diversity among association volunteer leaders. And while many organizations committed to diversifying their boards, that change doesn’t happen overnight. Building leadership diversity is a process, and it can start now, with some concrete moves toward that goal, experts say.
“Most boards do not reflect the diversity of their constituencies,” says Cie Armstead, director of diversity and inclusion at the American College of Healthcare Executives. “There is still a lot of work to do.”
The Credit Union National Association added diversity and inclusion to its guiding principles in 2019 and has been working to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) throughout the credit union sector, including on boards.
“The most effective way to approach board diversity is to acknowledge that it takes time. It is a continuous journey and has to mirror the evolution of our communities,” says Samira Salem, Ph.D., vice president for DEI at CUNA.
Comments
Comments are for ASAE members. Learn more about comments on this site.
Log in to your member account or join ASAE!