Board of Directors - Roles

All Board members are expected to attend monthly board meetings and provide a brief written report of any actions taken since the previous meeting.  Board members also attend the annual meeting (April) and the Board retreat (May/June).  All Board members are encouraged to submit articles for “The Voter Newsletter”.   Board members are expected to abide by the bylaws and support the League positions.

Director of Action and Advocacy

The Director of Action and Advocacy is the LWVHC’s representative in the legislative world of Howard County and, in certain cases, the State of Maryland. 

• Monitor proceedings and legislation related to LWVHC priority issues from the Howard County Council, Maryland General Assembly (as pertains to specific Howard County legislation), and County Executive by watching/attending public meetings and hearings and reading reports on proposed legislation. 
• Monitor and track our priority legislation as it passes through County and State legislative bodies.
• Monitor the activities of local boards, committees, and other working groups for issues that are of concern to the LWVHC.  For example you may want to follow the Board of Education or the Planning Board.
• Draft testimony and letters to elected officials in line with previously adopted League positions to present to the Board for the President’s signature.
• Inform the league when advocacy opportunities exist for member participation – this includes attending protests, marches, events, etc.

Director of Communications

The Director of Communications promotes the LWVHC’s visibility and connections with the Howard County community.  All communications with members and the public will go through this person who must coordinate with the president to ensure that messages are consistent with our local, state and national guidelines.

• Manage communications to the public, such as press releases, letters to the editor, Columbia Association newsletters, etc.
• Take charge of the League’s social media accounts (e.g. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram) and identify new social media opportunities.
• Use the NationBuilder communication feature to send mass emails to members and supporters.
• Facilitate live stream events as needed.
• Manage the video content library on YouTube.
• Facilitate the publishing of our regularly scheduled newsletter – “The Voter"

Director of Community Outreach

The Community Outreach director fosters the LWVHC’s relationships with partners and other Howard County organizations that share our mission and priorities. 

• Identify Partner Organizations.
• Stay informed of events going on in Howard County by signing up for community newsletters, neighborhood communications, and Columbia Association updates. 
• Coordinate tabling activities in the community.  
• Coordinate with HCPSS so LWV can be involved as needed e.g. Simulated Congressional Hearings.
• Report upcoming events of interest to the Board.

Director of Membership Services

The Director of Membership Services is the LWVHC’s owner of the membership roster and facilitates communication with new and existing members. 

• Manage and maintain the member roster/database. 
• Welcome new members via email, letters, phone calls, orientation events, etc.
• Review survey responses from new members.
• Suggest updates/changes to new member handbooks.
• Identify recruitment opportunities.
• Follow up with members who fail to renew their membership.
• Provide membership reports, as needed, to the Board. 

Director of Online Services

The Director of Online Services manages the technical stack used by the LWVHC: these include Nation Builder, the Google non-profit suite, Zoom, QuickBooks, The Portal, etc.  When board members are added or retire the director updates access to the various tools and should have a basic technical understanding of each platform.

• Manage league specific email addresses and group emails and provide appropriate access to our google drive.
• Manage zoom access.
• Responsible for the website.  Provide support to the board by utilizing the features of NationBuilder to create events, receive donations, etc.
• Provide appropriate access to QuickBooks.
• Maintaining Publications with are available on our website and as google documents e.g. By Laws and Positions.Director of Voter Services

Director of Student and Young Voter Outreach

The Director of Student and Young Voter Outreach facilitates engagement with students of all ages in Howard County. 

• Act as the liaison to the Howard County Public School system to facilitate voter registration and voter education.
• Act as the liaison to Howard Community College Student Affairs office and student groups.
• Identify opportunities to engage young voters.

Director of Voter Services

The Director of Voter Services leads the LWVHC’s efforts to register, educate, and engage voters.  This person will stay on top of the latest information provided by the Maryland State Board of Elections to understand upcoming election dates, methods of voting and candidate information.

• Plan and conduct voter registration and education events.
• Create material to train volunteers for voter registration outreach.
• Ensure LWVHoCo has a Vote411 owner
• Ensure Candidate Forums occur
• Ensure that our printed Voter’s Guide is created
• Coordinate with Communications to publish timely information on our social media
• Coordinate with Online Services to update website with accurate, timely information

At Large Board Member

The At Large board member is a flexible contributor who will help fill in the gaps so that the board can operate effectively.  They will take on responsibilities or projects at the direction of the board.  The At Large role was created to attract new board members.

Projects/Events:

These stand-alone projects or events do not belong to any one specific board role but require board input/approval.  Each should have a lead, who must be a League member.

Activities

These critical activities can be performed by a Director who is on the Board and attends regular board meetings or they can be performed by a member who works with the Board.

Fundraising

This person will help the LWVHC identify and implement income-gathering activities and be aware of state and national fundraising activities so as not to saturate our membership. 

• Solicit donations for the Midsummer Night’s Gala. 
• Sell ads/solicit donations for the Voters’ Guide.
• Promote the Valentine’s Day fundraiser.
• Create new and interesting fundraising ideas and implement them. 

Issue Specific Action and Advocacy

The Issue- Specific Action and Advocacy role is the LWVHC’s representative in the legislative world of Howard County and, in certain cases, the State of Maryland for a specific issue.  Specific issues that have been followed in the past include education, environment and housing.