The Women's Health West Board

Our Board is the key link between the organisation and the community we serve. The nine members of the board are drawn from and elected by our individual and organisational members – the community and sector in which we work.

THE BOARD'S ROLE

Our Board's main aim is to ensure that Women's Health West is responsive, accessible, accountable and effective. The Board is the legal authority of Women's Health West. Its responsibility is governance, rather than management on a day-to-day level – which is delegated to the staff of the organisation through the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Governance means focussing on the organisation's overall purpose, including setting strategic directions, providing leadership in areas such as financial accountability and community needs, and establishing Board policies. The Board appoints and provides support, supervision and resources to the CEO, and monitors Women's Health West's progress towards our stated goals and fulfilment of our vision and aims.

There are various types of Board policies: some set the broad direction of the organisation; some set out governing processes and its relationship with the CEO; others provide the framework for the organisation's management. These are all monitored by the Board, which assesses its own effectiveness annually. The Board also develops organisation position policies on major issues of women's health and safety that emerge in the community.

EXPECTATIONS OF BOARD MEMBERS

Board Members are elected for a two-year term, and may serve for up to three consecutive terms. Board members are expected to:

have a commitment to Women's Health West's vision, values and direction.
be familiar with the organisation's affairs and those of the sector more broadly.
make every effort to attend all of the monthly Board meetings (quorum is five).
be willing to serve on one or more Board standing committees (eg the Finance Committee).

The Board appoints a Chair, Deputy Chair and Treasurer, who hold office for one year and may be re-appointed. The Chair's role includes speaking on behalf of Women's Health West, liaising with the CEO on behalf of the Board, signing correspondence and presiding at meetings. The Treasurer oversees accounting policies and procedures to ensure financial accountability.

WHO CAN NOMINATE FOR THE BOARD?

Board members are elected from the membership of Women's Health West. Any woman living or working in the West can be an Individual Member. Organisational Members may include like-minded health, welfare, advocacy, education or community organisations or women's groups based in the West, or statewide/other organisations whose target groups include the West.

The Board needs women with a range of skills and backgrounds, including in areas such as finance, leadership, policy, planning, community development, access and equity. To nominate or vote for the Board prior to this year's Annual General Meeting in October, you must be a current member or join by 30 June 2003. The deadline for nominations is set at 28 days prior to the AGM.

FIND OUT MORE AND GET INVOLVED

If you are not a member of Women's Health West, we encourage you to join. You receive a free quarterly newsletter, you can vote at our AGM, and you strengthen Women's Health West's voice on important community issues. All Women's Health West members receive a mailout giving two months' notice of our Annual General Meeting (generally held in October), and one month's notice of the deadline for Board nominations. If you think you may be interested in nominating for our Board, please contact CEO Robyn Gregory on 9689 9588 or via email.

Read the Statement of Purposes from the Women's Health West Constitution.