During the fourth quarter of 2021, the Chamber conducted a Member Survey to gain input and feedback from our membership to ensure we were focusing our organizational efforts on the right things and are poised to make powerful contributions throughout 2022. Survey results indicated that 78% of our members believed the Chamber should examine our governance structure and engage more senior leadership in order to be most effective. As a result, the Chamber’s 2022 Chair of the Board and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. Phil Green led a discussion on the Chamber’s governance structure at our January Board Meeting and recommended the establishment of a Governance Task Force to take a deep dive into the issue and determine if there are any changes the Chamber should undertake with the goal of making us more effective. The Board voted unanimously to approve the creation of the new Governance Task Force, and the small group of business leaders has been meeting regularly to review data and formulate a proposed governance structure to best fit the organization.
The Task Force has reviewed the structure of several of the Metro 8 Chambers, which are the largest Chambers of Commerce in Texas, and uncovered some common themes. While board size, composition, and authority varied, several Metro 8 Chambers have very large advisory boards and a smaller executive committee/board of directors that guide policy, direction, and focus of the Chambers. This is consistent with research conducted by the American Society of Association Executives regarding the size and structure of Chamber Boards that shows small boards are generally more effective.
As a result of this analysis and research, the Governance Task Force is considering a framework for new governance with a large Board of Advisors, that will provide feedback on Chamber direction and be more informational in nature, and a smaller Board of Directors, that will assist in setting policy and serve in a fiduciary role.
In addition, as an important element of the governance review process, Richard Perez, President and CEO of the San Antonio Chamber, is leading the Chamber in undertaking a values-based strategic plan development process to guide the staff and inform the Board’s direction. This collective work by the task force and the staff will help us enhance our voice for business as a force for good.