2021 ESA Governance Redesign: Proposed Committee Structure and Processes
ESA’s standing committees support the Society by providing leadership, oversight, programs. Committees operate at the intersection of the Governing Board, professional staff, and membership. Some committees are directly tied to the fiduciary oversight, some committees are tied directly to core Society programs, and some committees are tied to specific program administration. Their composition, leaders, and reporting vary from committee to committee, with certain requirements established in the bylaws.
While the purpose and value of committees remains unchanged, this structure has created challenges as the Society has grown:
- The committee reporting structure has created gaps between the Society’s business needs and Governing Board responsibilities.
- Because Vice Presidents also chair committees, this structure places a heavier burden on Vice Presidents and limits the engagement of Members-at-Large. It also limits committee leadership (chair) opportunities.
- Because the committee structure is prescribed in the Bylaws, it is more difficult for the governance structure to adapt to changing circumstances.
Current ESA Committee Structure
| Vice President for Finance | Vice President for Science | Vice President for Public Affairs | Vice President for Education and Human Resources | Secretary | Governing Board |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science Committee | Public Affairs Committee | Committee on Diversity and Education | Tellers Committee | Audit Committee | |
| Meetings Committee | Awards Committee | Historical Records Committee | Nominations Committee | ||
| Publications Committee | Committee on Professional Ethics and Appeals | Long-range Planning Grants Committee | |||
| Vegetation Classification Panel | Board of Professional Certification | Executive Review and Compensation Committee |
Recommendation 2. Align committees into board, program, and administrative committees with appropriate reporting and supervising lines.
The Governance Subcommittee has proposed that:
- Standing committees be reorganized into three channels:
- Board committees that provide leadership and oversight
- Program committees that support strategy and implementation of core programs
- Administrative committees that implement specific programs
Detail of new committee structure into three lines of reporting and responsibility; click to enlarge
- Standing committees are all authorized by and accountable to the Governing Board. They continue to be supported by the CEO and professional staff.
Recommendation 3. Refresh committee processes—how committees are charged, who creates committees, committee report out to the Council
- The process by which committee chairs and members are appointed be restructured in keeping with their different channels:
Proposed Committee Leadership and Membership Structure
| Board Committees | Program Committees | Administrative Committees | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair | Board Member Nominated by ESA President Approved by Governing Board | Non-Board Member Nominated by ESA President in consultation with others | Non-Board member Chair appointment depends on specific rules of committee |
| Members | Mostly Board members Nominated by chair Approved by ESA President | Mostly non-Board members Nominated by chair Approved by ESA President | Non-Board members Members depend on specific rules of committee |
At its May 2021 meeting, the Governing Board made two other changes to standing committees. It established a Finance Committee, and it split the Committee on Diversity and Education into two committees (The Diversity Committee would be a board committee, and the Education Committee would be a program committee).
Once the Bylaws revisions have been approved by Council, an Ad Hoc Leadership & Governance Committee will review and update all committee charters and the Committee Leadership Manual to reflect these changes.