Board of Directors

At the General Body Meeting at BANA 2009, an ad hoc committee was formed to discuss the possibility of establishing a Board of Directors for BANA. This committee is charged with discussing the issue, formulating a concrete proposal, and presenting our recommendations at the BANA 2011 meeting in D.C.

What is a Board of Directors?

In the non-profit setting, a Board of Directors is responsible for acting as trustees on behalf of the membership. Typically, a Board of Directors is involved in long term strategic planning, general oversight of programs, and fundraising for the organization. The Board of Directors does not get involved in the daily operations of the non-profit organization, which is typically left to the officers.

Why does BANA need a Board of Directors?

Based on the discussion at the general body meeting at BANA 2009, a Board of Directors could serve to fill a crucial gap that currently exists in our organization. Our elected officers work extremely diligently to plan and run the biannual BANA meeting, but each term lasts only two years, after which the responsibilities are passed to a completely different group of volunteers. There is currently no one in the organization who is responsible for considering a long-term vision for BANA that extends 5, 10, or 20 years. The Board of Directors could take on longer-term projects, dealing with issues such as membership, fund-raising, and expansion. In addition, the Board of Directors could provide increased continuity in leadership and fill a monitoring and supervisory role to protect the interests of the members. The Board could also act on behalf of the membership between general body meetings as necessary.

How will the Board of Directors be chosen?

What responsibilities and powers will it have? These are still open questions that are being actively discussed by the committee. We look forward to sharing our proposal in the next few months.

How will this change be enacted?

Our goal is to draft a set of recommendations based upon our understanding of the needs of BANA, including careful consultation with past leaders and other members. We plan to present a recommendation for approval by the membership at BANA 2011, possibly in conjunction with a set of bylaws changes that would codify these new roles. It will then be up to the members at the general body meeting to decide whether to approve the proposal to create a Board of Directors.

Suhana Rai (VA) - Committee Member Karthik Sheka (PA) - Committee Member Sakaram Shetty (NJ) - Committee Member Sanjay Shetty (MA) - Committee Member

Satish Shetty (MD) - Current BANA President and Committee Member