Serving on Nonprofit Boards is the #1 Key to Career Enhancement:
Of course, you’re busy–juggling your pressure-packed day job, along with family priorities at home. Time is precious. There is no such thing as work/life balance–just integration. But giving back to the community is good for your heart and your resume. It’s never too early, nor too late, in your career to start volunteer board service. It’s essential to being a well-rounded executive. Volunteer board service helps you:
- Build strategic networks of business contacts.
- Become visible in your community and your company.
- Learn governance and fiduciary responsibility. Board members are stewards of the nonprofit’s financial management and strategic direction.
- Gain “board experience” required to someday serve on public company boards.
How to find the ideal nonprofit for your career?
- Find out what nonprofit organizations your company supports, and become your company’s representative on one of those boards.
- Join your industry or professional organizations, and ask to be on the board.
- Serve on the largest board available to you, in order to learn about the finances, budget management and board dynamics.
- Choose an organization with a mission you care deeply about–such as community health, hospitals, universities, arts, youth sports, education, etc.
Crystal Stairs, Inc. Board Placements
Our most recent nonprofit board-building engagement was for Crystal Stairs, Inc., a high-functioning $110 Million agency, founded in 1980, that connects low-income parents with reliable, quality child care services, enabling mothers and fathers to work outside the home, with the confidence their children are in good child care.
Crystal Stairs CEO Jackie Majors, and Dr. Karen Hill-Scott, co-founder and board chair, wanted to recruit corporate executives to their board. “We had already secured several new members from our own networks, but engaged Berkhemer Clayton to attract corporate executives who would be passionate about our mission. A strong board provides valuable advice regarding strategy, finance and innovation.”
Berkhemer Clayton sought executives with unique expertise, who were then interviewed by the Crystal Stairs search committee. Four candidates met the full board and were invited to join–three are corporate executives, one is from higher education–all were attracted to the mission. Most had not known about Crystal Stairs previously. For some, Crystal Stairs is their first large nonprofit board.
Please meet the new board members of Crystal Stairs:
(Alphabetical Order and Left to Right in the Cover Photo)
Gil Borok, CBRE, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, downtown Los Angeles: “Any time I can bring value, that’s the most rewarding to me. And the Crystal Stairs mission is critical to people’s lives. This is a great group of board members.”
Eva de la Rosa, American Express Senior Client Manager, National Client Group, Los Angeles: “The opportunity to advance my leadership capabilities and learn about board governance in a well-established, large nonprofit was very appealing to me.”
Dr. Anupama Joshi, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Professor and Coordinator of the Child Development Program: “I look forward to seeing how the high-level expertise of many will blend to benefit Crystal Stairs. It takes special skills to oversee an organization as board member.”
Heidi Roth, Kilroy Realty Corporation, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller, Santa Monica: “As a working mother, I appreciate the importance of accessible child care which is why joining the Crystal Stairs board was a natural fit for me. It is gratifying to work with an organization that helps so many families.”
