Board evolution at Common Future: towards a new way of working
Leadership changes continue at Common Future, this time with our board. Miriam Warren and Anthony Chang, have transitioned from the board after four years and three years of service, respectively. Having supported stewardship of the organization through the pandemic, racial justice reckoning, and having supported major organizational changes that yielded a larger and strengthened organization, both were ready to clear a path for new board leadership to emerge/focus on other work/areas in their respective fields.
Our former CEO Rodney Foxworth joins the board as Secretary, Meadow Didier is now interim Chair and Treasurer, Jorge Blandón and Nicki Pieratos remain steadfast board members.
While board changes may seem business as usual, especially in light of executive transitions, we’re not approaching it as such. Instead, we’re intentionally making the most of this pivotal moment to reimagine the board. We are exploring a new model that holds the necessary legal and fiduciary responsibilities (e.g., including, but not limited to financial and audit oversight, approval of CEO compensation), and that demonstrates a new way of working. Here are a few questions we’re examining:
- What relationship should the board and co-CEOs have that reflects an ethos of sharing power: power with instead of power over?
- What is the right number, structure, and/or shape of the board and committees that best enables and understands experimentation and impact?
- What role do the co-CEOs, individually and collectively, have on the board? What do checks and balances look like in a co-leadership model?
Given the challenges boards face, as well as untapped opportunities, we believe more intentional governance is possible. To get there, we’ll take an experimental approach and share what we learn. In the meantime we’re excited about these changes and the work ahead.
