Qualifications Per Bylaws:
- Elected Directors – claim the District to be their principle place of business or residence throughout their term; no dual representation of a business or property owner by more than one Director.
- All Directors – continue to represent the sector indicated at nomination; attend board meetings (do not miss more than 3 consecutive or more than 3 out of 6 meetings); disclose any conflict of interest around a transaction involving Portland Downtown.
- Directors servicing as officers will have additional responsibilities as outlined in the Bylaws.
Additional Qualifications:
- Follow the Portland Downtown Code of Conduct.
- Participate in committees as appointed by the Chair.
- Participate in board self-assessment.
- Participate in training to enhance effectiveness on the board.
- Read and understand the mission and the strategic plan of Portland Downtown.
- Support the work of Portland Downtown.
- Be engaged and enthusiastic and contribute talent to the board and Portland Downtown
Training Policy:
All Directors will receive orientation to Portland Downtown and their role as Director at initial election/appointment and prior to their first full board meeting. Orientation will be provided by the Executive Director and the Board Chair. Refresher orientation for sitting Directors or re-elected Directors will be provided on request.
Directors will also receive periodic training on the various lines of work performed by Portland Downtown and other relevant topics via formal presentations by the Executive Director and via informal interactions and communications with staff and other Directors.
Directors should understand the core responsibilities of a board of directors and their role in fulfilling those responsibilities. They should also understand the three basic duties of a board – Duty of Care, Duty of Loyalty, and Duty of Obedience. One good way to ensure this understanding is for Directors to participate in trainings provided by others, such as the “Board Boot Camp” offered annually by the Maine Association of Nonprofits. Portland Downtown will support Director participation in such programs.
Directors are encouraged to enhance their leadership training to provide depth of leadership for committees and for officer roles.
Officers are encouraged to seek training relating to their specific roles. Resources for training might include prior officers, the Executive Director, third-party vendors (e.g., accountant), and other Directors with relevant experience.