Executive
Selection Process
The Search Committee Process
The current Chairman, Marie Christine Tseng is unfortunately
leaving us, a new Chairman has been selected and will be
presented at the Annual General Meeting. In the meantime though,
how does one go about becoming Chairman of the Indonesian Heritage
Society?
Any position to be filled on the Executive Committee requires
a nomination by a search committee. These Executive positions
include those of the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and the
Vice Chairs
of Museum, Community and Operation.
Who comprises the search committee? The Executive Committee
selects representatives from the areas listed below:
1 Council member from Museums
1 Council member from Community
1 Council member from Operations
1 Council member from the Explorers Section
1 Council member from the French Section
1 Council' member from the Japanese Section
1 Council member from the Membership Section
1 or 2 members at large, not necessarily on Council
Past Executive Committee members are asked to participate as
needed
The Executive Committee is included also as part of the search
committee.
How they go about it:
1. Job descriptions for the position to be filled are distributed
to search committee members and are discussed at the meeting.
They want no confusion about the job they’re trying to fill!
2. At the beginning of the meeting, the complete confidentiality
about all matters discussed is emphasized. This is vital as
the members are also reminded of the importance of being candid
regarding their feelings about a candidate's suitability for
a position.
3. The committee first tries to identify a candidate who has
held (or is holding) a Council position. If unsuccessful, the
focus turns to names from the general membership, with careful
reference to the job description for the position.
There is a possibility that it will be necessary to have more
than one meeting before a final nomination is made for a position.
Occasionally, a person present at the meeting will accept
consideration. In this case, the nomination could take place
then. At other times, the names of members not present will
be suggested as possible candidates. In that event, it will
be necessary for them to be approached after the meeting. The
following steps are then completed:
1. The candidates are ranked in order of qualification and
approached in this order.
2. When a candidate is approached, they are given the job
description for the position as well as a deadline for responding.
If a candidate gives a definite "no", the next name
on the list is contacted.
3. If the answer is “yes”, the nomination is presented to
Council and no further candidates are approached. Council must
ratify the appointment before a candidate can fill a position.
There it is! It may look easy, but it is a tremendous responsibility
for those on the search committee and often, tough decisions
must be made.
Now then, if a member would like to become more involved in
the Heritage Society but feels the Exec is a bit strenuous,
perhaps becoming a Council Member would be a nice way to start.
This is how that works:
The member’s name and background must first be submitted to
the Executive Committee for approval. This may be done either
by a member of the Exec or by an existing co-chair of a section.
Again, specific qualifications are discussed and compared with
the background information of the candidate.
If it is felt to be a good match, the Council must then ratify
the candidate. The candidate’s background is presented at the
next meeting for a vote.
I hope this clarifies our process of leadership selection
for the Heritage Society and that some of our general membership
will be tempted to become more involved. The jobs can be demanding
at times, but incredibly rewarding. (And you can’t beat the
people you’ll work with!)
Peggy Ball
IT Co-Chair (and past Chairman)
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