2016 CALL FOR BOARD CANDIDATES

We’re pleased to announce the 2016 call for candidates to be considered for a seat on the Board of Directors of MCN. This year, MCN is looking to recruit five (5) Board members to replace those whose term will be ending in November.

WHY SERVE ON THE MCN BOARD OF DIRECTORS?

MCN is a welcoming and candid community of professionals passionate about empowering museums to address challenges and embrace opportunities within the evolving digital landscape.  

For many, serving on the board of MCN is a way to give back to an organization and a community that have helped them throughout their museum careers. Serving on the Board of MCN also gives you an opportunity to be part of a team of talented museum professionals who, together, shape the strategic direction of the organization and constantly think about new ways to better serve the needs of our community.

WHY APPLY NOW?

In 2017, MCN will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding, so this is an exciting time to be joining our Board. Not only are we looking for board candidates who will be able to help MCN plan this unique milestone but also to continue to execute the strategic priorities identified in the current 2016-2018 Strategic Plan. While all members of the community with an interest in serving MCN can certainly apply, we are particularly interested in candidates who bring specific expertise and experience in at least two or more of the following key areas:

• Programming and content around the annual conference
• Marketing, branding, public relations, and community engagement
• Professional development
• Fundraising / development expertise
• IT / program / developer

WHAT’S EXPECTED OF MCN BOARD MEMBERS?

MCN’s Board of Directors is both a governance and a working board. In addition to the fiduciary duties expected from Directors of a 503(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, MCN Directors are also expected to volunteer some of their time and efforts in managing the organization according to MCN’s mission as well as the needs and interests of our community.

As a working board, MCN Directors are expected to dedicate about 5-8 hours per month working on MCN business, including attending  a monthly conference-call board meeting and other committee meetings. Additionally, they are also expected to attend two (2) annual board meetings in person: one the week of MCN’s Annual Conference (typically in November), and another, generally in the spring, the week of the Museums and the Web conference wherever that location may be. Directors cannot be compensated and MCN does not pay Directors for travel or other related expenses.

Once appointed, MCN Directors serve a three-year term . For reference,  MCN’s By-Laws are posted on our website; feel free to familiarize yourself with them.

As a reminder, the following section from the MCN Governance Guidelines lists the key expectations from MCN Board members:

• 5-8 hours per month, depending upon activities
• Play an active leadership role in delivering on MCN’s overall business in general and on assigned strategic priorities specifically
• Attend and prepare for each Board meeting
• Be prepared and willing to lead the Board and/or a committee
• Join and participate actively in the activities of at least one committee
• Follow, participate and contribute to online Board discussions in a timely manner
• Make every reasonable effort to bring financial support to the Organization annually from external sources, e.g. identify and introduce sponsor prospects and secure sponsorships
• Leverage personal relationships with others (including corporations, professional service firms, vendors, foundations, and individuals) to assist the staff of the Organization with implementing fundraising strategies, including adding names of potential sources of support to the Organization’s mailing list
• Actively participate in the development of the annual conference
• Attend the annual conference
• Actively participate in MCN fundraising efforts
• Travel at their own cost (MCN doesn’t cover travel expenses for Board members) to attend two (2) annual board meetings in person: one the week of MCN’s Annual Conference (typically in November), and another, generally in the spring, the week of the Museums and the Web conference wherever that location may be
• Directors cannot be compensated and MCN does not pay Directors for travel or other related expenses

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. MCN does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression and identity, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

In addition, to ensure that a diverse range of institutions are represented on the Board, each individual institution may be represented by only one member of the Board at any given time. Candidates are encouraged to review the current Board members’ list below to check the institution that they are currently affiliated with.

WHAT’S THE NOMINATION AND APPOINTMENT PROCESS?

If you’re interested in putting your hat in the ring, all you have to do is fill out the Application Form. If you believe someone you know would be a qualified candidate, that person will need to apply for themselves if they’d like to pursue.

HOW DO I APPLY?

For the Nominating Committee to consider your application for Board candidate, kindly complete the following Form by Thursday June 30, 2016 at 11:59pm EST.  We will let you know if we require additional information about your application.

WHEN SHOULD I EXPECT TO HEAR BACK?

The Nominating Committee will review all applications in early July 2016, and prepare a slate of the top five candidates that it believes are best suited to serve the needs of MCN in the next 3 years. The slate will be then discussed in a full Board of Directors meeting in late August 2016, during which the Board will vote on the individual appointment of each proposed candidate for Director. We will then notify successful candidates the first week of September 2016. The newly appointed Directors will also be announced on this page and shared with the MCN community on MCN-L.

WHAT IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

If you have any additional questions, please contact Eric Longo, Executive Director, MCN at [email protected].

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We encourage all qualified candidates to apply or hope that you will refer someone you think would be a qualified candidate.

Thank you for being a part of MCN. #MCNLove

MCN 2016 Nominating Committee
Loic Tallon, President
Carolyn Royston, VP-President Elect
Jane Alexander, Director
Elizabeth Bollwerk, Director
Eric Longo, Executive Director