We are working to expand and strengthen our Board of Directors. Five new members joined the Board over the past year, deepening our leadership bench with varied talents, backgrounds, and interests. Our Board includes a CPA, two MBA’s, three attorneys, and two health care specialists. All are deeply committed to our mission to promote the independence of people with developmental disabilities. Two-thirds of our Board members have a child with special needs, including two with adult children who receive services from Greater Opportunities. For more information, see our Board member bios.
We make sure that Board members receive thorough orientation and training in their roles and responsibilities, drawing on best practice materials developed internally and in consultation with outside experts. One of our partners, Heritage Bank of Commerce, recently sponsored two in-house training sessions on Board fundraising and governance, led by nonprofit consultant Ervie Smith. Ervie coached participants in how to be an Ambassador talking about Greater Opportunities to family, friends, and community; how to be an Advocate, acquainting people with our programs; and how to be an Asker, asking people to support Greater Opportunities with their dollars.
Our intention is to engage and grow our network of supporters through expanded Board member contacts, advocacy, and ambassadorship. Board fundraising for services helps our consumers live in the community with independence and dignity. And we welcome Board governance oversight and engagement to fulfill our mission in an efficient, effective, compassionate, and transparent manner so that we can achieve maximum results with limited resources.
Board recruitment efforts continue. We’re particularly interested in candidates who bring backgrounds in marketing, public relations, IT and human resources. Please contact Craig King at [email protected] if you or someone you know may be a good fit.