The Job Description of a SABOR Board Member
SABOR’s Board of Directors is the governing body of the association, responsible for the ultimate direction of and decision-making for the Association. As the largest trade association in South Texas, and in the top 20 REALTOR® associations in the country, it is a significant commitment to lead this organization.
SABOR Directors are a fiduciary of the association. That means they have a special legal responsibility in connection with the administration, investment, and care of SABOR and its assets. This requires Directors to make careful, good-faith decisions in the best interest of SABOR and its members. Their decisions must be made independently and free of any undue influence from any person or organization, including any other association, MLS or brokerage. They are charged with acting on behalf of the members by determining appropriate actions that best serve the whole membership, while the staff executes the daily management of the Board-directed policies.
Below is an overview of the main functions of Directors. You may also refer to the SABOR’s Bylaws (Article XI, Sections 3 and 5) for further details on the duties of Officers and Directors.
Represent Members
Directors are the link between members and the association, and as such are expected to support the activities of the association. This means attending events when possible in order to connect with members, encourage member participation in committees, involvement in classes and other programs at SABOR, and listening to member feedback via forums or other means.
Directors represent the collective viewpoint of all the membership. They are expected to act at all times in the best interest of SABOR and avoid any conflict of interest and to conduct business in the best interest of SABOR versus personal or company interest.
Directors are also expected to communicate clearly the mission and vision of SABOR including clarification of the association’s policies, initiatives and ambitions set forth in both the annual business plan and the three-year strategic plan. It is the responsibility of SABOR’s Directors to shepherd forward the vision outlined in the strategic plan and that goals are achieved.
Provide Governance
SABOR’s Directors are expected to embody the REALTOR® Code of ethics and work within SABOR’s policies and procedures.
Directors may not damage the association or its image, and must ensure proper use of authority and appropriate decorum in their behavior both within meetings as well as in the community.
The association counts on Directors to participate in deliberating issues that impact SABOR members’ daily business lives.
The Board of Directors has the authority to:
- Approve expenditures of the local Association
- Set local dues
- Set public policy positions as they pertain to the real estate industry
- Establish governing policies of the local Association
- Approve member programs, products, and services
Fiduciary Duty
The fiduciary duties include but are not limited to: Confidentiality, Loyalty, Obedience, Disclosure, Accountability, and Reasonable Skill and Care. This includes but is not limited to being prudent in the course of conducting business and avoiding anti-trust issues. Additionally, this includes avoiding conflicts of interest. This fiduciary duty is a duty to the Association as a whole.
To read further regarding conflicts of interest, please refer to Article XI, Section 12 of the SABOR Bylaws.
CEO Management
It is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to set expectations for the CEO. The SABOR Bylaws state, “There shall be a Chief Staff Executive, appointed by the Board of Directors, who shall be the chief administrative officer of the Board. The Chief Staff Executive shall have the authority to hire, supervise, evaluate and terminate other staff, if any, and shall perform such other duties as prescribed by the Board of Directors” (Article XI, Section 14).