On episode two of The Nova Communities Podcast, Mark Thorsby of FrontWheel Consulting joins us as we talk about governance and riding a bicycle. This simple yet effective methodology will have you seeing your Board in a new light and will help clarify the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in your organization.

Highlights

• Welcome and Intro (0.00)
• Incompetent Groups of Competent People (3.40)
• Who is accounts for the success of an association? (4.40)
• The Bicycle (5.40)
• The Unicycle (9.25)
• What does it take to be a good Board Member? (13.52)
• Management Council Meeting (15.45)
• Something True (18.35)
• Small Staff Teams (22.35)
• The Challenge and Final Questions (26.07)

Guest Biography

Mark O. Thorsby, CAE

Principal

 

Mark Thorsby is responsible for providing effective guidance and leadership to organizations that are creating strategic plans, examining governance structures and cultures, defining relationships between organizations and their constituents and evaluating organizational effectiveness.

 

Mark is a subject matter expert in the field of governance, leadership development and strategic planning/thinking. He is an experienced senior association professional and is a polished, professional facilitator and presenter. In addition to his practical experience in the field, Mark has made a significant personal commitment to the study and the teaching of volunteer organization leadership and strategy development. He provides his audiences with the benefits of his theory research combined with the day-to-day practical experience of association management.

 

Mark’s entire 43-year career has been spent in the not-for-profit sector. He has managed, provided services to and consulted with more than 200 trade associations, professional and medical societies, foundations and other not-for-profit organizations. He has served as the chief staff executive for seven such organizations. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Mark also has served on the boards of directors and as an officer of more than two dozen organizations.

 

His view from the volunteer perspective makes him a valuable consultant to the not-for-profit community. His service as a volunteer spans both private and public organizations, from a Rotary Club to a convention and visitors bureau to elected city council member, including service as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association Forum. Mark has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation, which is awarded to fewer than five percent of association management professionals. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Albion College in Albion, Michigan.

Resources

• Association Forum
• ASAE – The Center for Association Leadership
• .orgCommunity
• Association Now Magazine (January Issue)
• Book – Race for Relevance: 5 Radical Changes for Associations