CASA Board Guide: Hiring & Supervising an Executive Director

The purpose of this management guide is to provide guidance to the Boards of Directors of CASA programs in Texas on the critically important recruitment, selection and management of the Executive Director/CEO position. The relationship of the board with the Executive Director (ED) is unique. Boards and the ED work very closely together, and it is the board’s responsibility to guide, direct and verify what an ED is doing. That is not to say that the board has responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the program — that oversight lies squarely with the ED — but the board is responsible for understanding and overseeing the role of the ED. Additionally, every board has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure the assets and activities of the program are protected. Each Board member should understand that responsibility and be aware of the liability of the board for failure to appropriately manage the ED. Management and direction of the ED should follow a life cycle of the position, from recruitment to retirement/resignation or termination of an ED. The board is responsible for every aspect of managing that life cycle. This guide will support you in doing so.