Hi,The ED may sit as a voting member of the board, but many, if not most boards, do not allow this to occur. The reason is because the individual holding the office often runs into many opportunities for conflicts of interest. If the ED votes on the board, how is that person to vote on his/her salary, his/her raise. Boards should govern by policy and EDs should carry out those policies because they are directives from the board.
EDs should not be the chair of the board because the individual finds him or herself with way too much power over the organization. Governance (i.e. the board) and management (the ED) should operate as a partnership, a sort of check and balance through which good leadership may flourish and poor leadership may be corrected. If the ED is the board chair, who will oppose him or her? Political power is great in nonprofit organizations.
Carl
