Position As An Officer- What Does It Really Mean?

You have been selected to serve as an officer for your association. So now what? Often times, officers have a title, but beyond that, they are not sure what their specific duties are and how those duties differ from those of a board member. If your by-laws fall silent on specific duties, here is a general synopsis of what is expected of each officer:

President

-leader/CEO of the association

-run board/other meetings

-must be familiar with declaration/by-laws

-spokesperson for the association

Vice-President

-assume duties of President in the event of an absence or resignation

-assist President with normal business

-act as liaison between board and other committees

Treasurer

-chief financial officer of the association

-collect association fees

-reconcile bank accounts and write checks

-give financial reports at meetings

-prepare financial statements

-maintain books for auditing

-ensure books are audited before a new treasurer takes over

Secretary

-keep records for the association

-send out meeting notices, letters, etc.

-prepare agendas

-record and distribute minutes

-bring to every meeting all minutes, a copy of the governing documents, board roster, agenda, ballots, etc. to run the meeting

-notify officers and committee members of their election/appointment

All Officers

-have a fiduciary duty to the association

-should deliver all records and files to their successor when they are replaced

-if a duty is handled by a vendor (such as a property manager, accountant, or attorney), the officer has an obligation to ensure that vendor is performing the duty adequately on their behalf.

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