Board Service Bootcamp Graduate: Jennifer Merlich, ASFVC
Jennifer Merlich
Board Member, ASFVC
How does board leadership fit overall leadership development and personal values? How did the Board Service Bootcamp prepare you for board service?
Board leadership is the place where my professional development and personal values intersect. I’ve always felt strongly about living a life of service, but sometimes the pace and demands of a career leave little room for anything else. Serving on a non-profit board allows me to utilize (and continue to develop) the leadership skills I’ve honed at work for the betterment of those in my community on a personal level. It’s a symbiotic relationship—the more I develop my leadership skills at work, the more I have to offer the Board on which I serve, and vice versa. Everyone wins! The Board Service Bootcamp helped me realize that the qualities that make me a good leader at work are the same qualities that are desirable in a community board member. Those skills--combined with the Board Service Bootcamp training and knowledge provided by the CLU staff--allowed me to hit the ground running in a Board of Director’s position with the Animal Services Foundation of Ventura County, and I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity!
Which of your skills, professional expertise, or lived experiences do you believe have been most valuable to the ASFVC board, and in what way?
While I’m still new to the Board, I know that my ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels in a multitude of situations resonated strongly with my co-Board members during the interview process. And as animal welfare is a passion of mine, my lived experiences with volunteerism, advocacy and rescue demonstrated my commitment to the mission of Ventura County Animal Services. Although there are many capacities in which to be of service, I felt strongly about finding a role that spoke to my heart, and the skills I’ve developed professionally, my personal commitment to animal welfare, and my participation in CLU’s Board Service Bootcamp helped me land exactly where I’d hoped to!
What advice do you have for emerging leaders new to nonprofit board service?
Board service isn’t just for those at the very top of the corporate ladder. Boards need competent, dedicated individuals who believe strongly in the work they do and the people they serve. They need folks who are willing to fully engage and genuinely want the organization’s mission to succeed. If this is you, then a program like the Board Service Bootcamp is an absolutely invaluable resource to help you identify and remedy any knowledge gaps you may have about board service, and connect you to organizations that resonate with your personal values and passions. And as you apply and interview for Board positions, be sure to note that Board service isn’t just a casual interest of yours or something that just fell into your lap. It is a passion that you actively curated by choosing to participate in the Board Service Bootcamp. That proactive creation of opportunities (a.k.a. “ambition”) is very attractive to Boards seeking the best and the brightest to join them.
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- Board Service Bootcamp Graduate: Jennifer Merlich, ASFVC
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