In a recent meeting of the AAO Board of Trustees (BOT), the BOT considered the current and future status of the At Large Trustees (ALTs). All members of the BOT agreed that, after adding Drs. Dale Anne Featheringham and Alex Thomas last June, they have made valuable contributions to the Board’s discussions, adding new and unique perspectives which were previously unrepresented on the BOT. In addition, they have “lightened the load” by serving on several important committees and task forces. The Board is in unanimous agreement that the addition of ALTs has been a resounding success.
Going forward, the Board would like to ensure that additional ALTs fulfill a desired need or missing attribute, as our current ALTs have done. As we look to update our Strategic Plan in the coming fiscal year, this will be a good opportunity to take a step back and re-evaluate the Board’s current makeup and identify where we are lacking in either experience or diversity. In short, the BOT does not want to add another Board member just to be adding another Board member.
Therefore, the BOT will not be planning on adding an additional ALT in FY 21-22 but will review the trustee positions as a part of our Strategic Planning process. To this end, the BOT passed a motion to postpone the search for a new At Large Trustee candidate. This will be discussed at the 2021 post-Annual Session BOT meeting.
