1. Board Transparency and Accountability Bill Taylor Northeast Community Development Educator UW Cooperative Extension Service The University of Wyoming is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.

2. Legal and Ethical Integrity “Since the board is ultimately responsible for ensuring adherence to legal standards and ethical norms, its members must collectively exhibit diligence, commitment, and vigilance to keep their house in order…The organization’s reputation and public standing require everyone to take three watchwords seriously: compliance, transparency, and accountability.” – Richard T. Ingram 2 UW Community Development Education

3. Transparency The need to provide accurate information about an organization’s activities and how they are carried out, and about the organization’s revenue and how it is expended. 3 UW Community Development Education

4. Why Transparency? Compliance with legal obligations Demonstrate good will Establish and maintain professional standards and ethics The board is what it is perceived to be in the eyes of the public Demonstrate wise use of resources Uphold the integrity of the board for the future Demonstrate good board governance Demonstrate prudent financial management 4 UW Community Development Education

5. Three Areas Organizational Programmatic Financial 5 UW Community Development Education

6. Organizational Transparency Process to identify who the board is and its purpose Process to identify who the responsible officers are and what their individual responsibilities will be 6 UW Community Development Education

7. Programmatic Transparency Identifies the activities and services of the board Measures the effectiveness and/or efficiency of the board 7 UW Community Development Education

8. Financial Transparency Accurately reporting the financial transactions and position of the board Analyze and report the general financial health of the organization in a manner that is easy to understand and will stand the test of accountability to the public 8 UW Community Development Education

9. Wyoming County/City/Board Financial Statutes http://legisweb.state.wy.us/titles/statutes.htm Constitution: 97-16-006,007 Statutes : 6-5-101 to 6-5-118 9-3-427 9-4-806, 817, 831 16-4-101 to 16-4-124 38-2-101 9 UW Community Development Education

10. Boards should: Have clear policies and procedures to safeguard against premature destruction of documents See p. 6 of Board Member Handbook Ensure all records and documents (except those which would be properly handled in an executive session) are available for public review Minutes Legal documents Financial documents Transactions Audits 10 UW Community Development Education

11. Boards should (cont): Follow spirit and letter of the Open Meetings Act Board Member Handbook – p. 31 Use executive session only for reasons allowed in act Little to no basis for advisory boards to use executive session Enact and enforce a conflict-of-interest policy Signing of conflict-of-interest policy form by each member is a good idea Publish annual public summary reports of their activities and finances 11 UW Community Development Education

12. Scrutiny Public and legal scrutiny of all types of boards continues to increase, due to many legal and ethical infractions by appointed, elected, nonprofit, and corporate boards Consequently, you must do everything possible to present your board to the public and legal authorities as being open to examination – examination which will prove you are properly executing your duties and upholding the public trust 12 UW Community Development Education