The Role of Chapter President
The role of the president is critical to the success of the board. Effective presidents are a balance of moderator, cheerleader, administrator, delegator and visionary. A president provides governance, leadership and strategic direction. The TU chapter president sustains the work of the chapter by providing governance, leadership and strategic direction. The president is expected to review and understand the organization’s bylaws, policies and procedures, financial and legal situation, and strategic plan. As the board ambassador, the president acts as a spokesperson to the larger community. By modeling appropriate behavior, the president sets high standards for board conduct and intervenes if conflicts arise. Anyone taking on this role should have demonstrated community leadership, feel comfortable delegating, have good group dynamic skills and have the ability to communicate well, listen and seek input from others. This simple checklist is intended to help new presidents understand the key functions of the role, but please keep in mind that every chapter is different so it’s critical to cater a comprehensive checklist to those realities. Specific responsibilities include:
When first taking over as chapter president:
- Ensure the outgoing chapter president lists you as the president in the Leaders Only Tools section of tu.org.
- Review the position description in advance of discussing your role with the board
- Confer with the previous chapter president to ask for lessons learned.
- Make sure the signatories on the chapter bank account are current.
Set the Vision, Culture and Expectations of the Board
- Develop and/or implement the chapter’s strategic plan
- With the Executive Committee, develop, approve and track a budget of chapter expenses and revenues each fiscal year.
- Assist the nominating committee in recruiting board members and aid in new board orientations.
- Appoint committee chairs and serve ex officio on committees.
- Periodically consult with board members on their roles, help them assess their performance, and plan for leadership development and succession.
- Mentor and train your chapter vice president. Consider delegating projects like organizing a leadership recruitment committee, leading the strategic planning process or other projects of interest to build and foster leadership with your support.
- Lead by example and prepare an agenda for each month’s board meeting and distribute it out to the board well in advance of each meeting.
- Review outcomes and metrics created by the chapter for evaluating progress against its strategic plan
Serve As the Face and Voice of the Chapter
- Serve as the spokesperson for the chapter at public gatherings and hearings.
- Develop and manage relationships and communicate with partners, the media and other stakeholders.
- Represent the chapter on the state council, attending regular council meetings.
Manage and Delegate the Administration of the Chapter
- Ensure that elections are carried out regularly in accordance with the chapter’s bylaws.
- Ensure that board resolutions are carried out.
- Ensure that the chapter is meeting all legal and fiduciary responsibilities.
- With the chapter treasurer, ensure the Annual Financial Report and required IRS Forms are filed annually and on time. See TU’s online resources for financial management and reporting
- Read and become familiar with TU’s risk management and insurance limitations and ensure the chapter is in compliance.
- Ensure donations to your chapter are properly acknowledged.
Chapter President Position Description
The board president performs a variety of tasks to advance the coldwater conservation mission, maintain board health and manage administrative functions of the team. The president serves as chair of the Board of Directors and supervises chapter operations, aiding whenever necessary.
Key Responsibilities
The chapter president must be a current Trout Unlimited member who will ensure that the following responsibilities are completed (directly or by delegation):
- Act as chief executive officer of the chapter
- Review, understand and example the organization’s bylaws, policies and procedures, conduct ethics, finances and strategic plan
- Ensure that the chapter is meeting all legal and fiduciary responsibilities.
- With the chapter treasurer, ensure the Annual Financial Report and required IRS Forms are filed annually and on time. For more information on TU’s online resources for financial management and reporting, visit the Tacklebox.
- Read and become familiar with the Policy on Financial and Property Controls and TU’s risk management and insurance limitations and ensure the chapter is in compliance.
- Ensure donations to your chapter are properly acknowledged.
- With the Executive Committee, develop, approve and track a budget of chapter expenses and revenues each fiscal year.
- Act as the chapter spokesperson at council meetings as well as in the community
- Facilitate appreciation for volunteer leaders
- Be a two-way conduit of communication between the council and the chapter
- Organize leadership recruitment to bring potential leaders into committees and positions
- Facilitate leadership development by bringing information and training opportunities to leaders (e.g. TU regional meetings, council meetings, planning retreats, etc.)
- Model appropriate behavior for board conduct and intervene if conflict arises
Elected By/ Reports To
Board of Directors/Board Chairperson
Term Length
Per by-laws
Time Commitment
Monthly meetings; additional time required for committee work and other board commitments.
Budget Support
Limited
Task Calendar
January
- Ensure the online leadership roster is current in the Leaders Only Tools section of tu.org
- Confer with the past president to ask for lessons learned
- Confirm signatories on the chapter bank account are current
- Draft and circulate board meeting agenda with previous meeting minutes
- Plan, preside over, and facilitate board and executive committee meetings
- Confirm February IRS filing deadline with Treasurer
- Prepare list of officers terming out to discuss leadership opportunities and recruitment plan
- Review strategic plan and metrics created by the chapter for evaluating its effectiveness
- Review important documents to keep chapter compliant (bylaws, financials, TU’s risk management and insurance limitations)
February
- Confirm donations to your chapter are properly acknowledged
- Draft and circulate board meeting agenda with previous meeting minutes
- Plan, preside over, and facilitate board and executive committee meetings
- Confirm February IRS filing deadline is met with Treasurer
- Review leadership opportunities and recruitment plan with board
- Review strategic plan and status with board
- Orchestrate appreciation plan for volunteer leaders
March-September
- Draft and circulate board meeting agenda with previous meeting minutes
- Plan, preside over, and facilitate board and executive committee meetings
- Review leadership opportunities and recruitment plan with board
- Review strategic plan and status with board
- Check-in with board members individually to gauge status and interests
October
- Prepare election process in accordance with chapter bylaws
- Mentor and train chapter vice president for taking on the presidency in the future
- Draft and circulate board meeting agenda with previous meeting minutes
- Plan, preside over, and facilitate board and executive committee meetings
- Prepare for filling the Annual Financial Report with Treasurer
November
- Update Leaders Only Tools section’s online leadership roster
- Draft and circulate board meeting agenda with previous meeting minutes
- Plan, preside over, and facilitate board and executive committee meetings
- Confirm filling of the Annual Financial Report
December
- Facilitate new board member orientation
- Appoint committee chairs and serve ex officio on committees
- Draft and circulate board meeting agenda with previous meeting minutes
- Plan, preside over, and facilitate board and executive committee meetings