BOARD POSITION DESCRIPTIONS

2021 BOARD POSITION DESCRIPTIONS

The NorCATA Board of Directors is a governing board, responsible for creating the vision, mission, values and policies for the chapter and ensuring that the principles and finances are properly managed.

Board members are expected to attend 10 monthly meetings per year, the annual business meeting, and to help plan the biennial conference.  Board meetings were traditionally held at various members’ homes generally from 10:00am - 12:00pm on Sundays. During the 2020 pandemic, meetings have been solely via teleconference. The Board does not typically meet in July or August.   

Board members are expected to conduct Board business via email as often as necessary between meetings.  Items that need open discussion and to be put to a vote occur during Board meetings.   Board members and Board liaisons are expected to add their names and issues to Board meeting agendas which are shared, along with other chapter documents, securely, via Google Docs.

President  (executive board position)   

The President works with the board and community to further the chapter’s mission. The President reviews and understands the chapter’s articles of incorporation and by-laws, policies and procedures, and possibly financial and legal situation. Acts as a spokesperson and advocates for the larger community. Models appropriate behavior, sets high standards for board conduct and intervenes if conflicts of interest or confidentiality issues arise. Helps recruit new board members whose vision aligns with the organization. Serves ex officio on committees, attends and helps organize social functions to raise funds and maintain visibility in the community.  The President delegates aspects of his or her role as deemed necessary for optimal balance.  Ideally, the President works as a co-equal with the President-Elect in partial training for that role, and to help offload various duties as needed.

President-Elect / Regional Representative Liaison  (executive board position)    

The President-Elect acts as Regional Representative Liaison during the interim period before transitioning to President. The Liaison is responsible for providing support to NorCATA's  representatives in each of the greater San Francisco Bay Area regions, and beyond, as we grow.  The Liaison provides to each representative lists of members who live and work in their region, and helps them coordinate and host networking, art making, self-care, or community service events.   The Liaison also helps representatives by encouraging them to invite  prospective local members to events.  The President-Elect also oversees all special event committees; ie working with the NDNU Student Liaison to manage introduction and implementation of a more systematic connection with NDNU as the chapter’s main  “leadership incubator”.  In a conference year, the President-Elect would typically assist the president in reaching out to secure sponsorships, major donors, speakers, AT luminaries, and other outreach.  

Treasurer (executive board position)   

The Treasurer manages all financial accounts, budgets, expenses and revenues for chapter.  The Treasurer has the primary responsibility of overseeing the management and reporting of an organization’s finances. The Treasurer will have access to a Financial Advisor as needed to accomplish expected tasks. Current Financial Advisor is Kim Hix (QBO expert). The Treasurer is assigned as an admin on the NorCATA Wild Apricot membership platform, and should be knowledgeable about editing and managing content related to payments processing as related to membership, events, and other transactions.

The Treasurer may have many important duties specific to its role, including:

• Bank account maintenance – Using QuickBooks accounting system with our bank

• Financial transaction oversight – Being knowledgeable about who has access to the organization’s funds, and any outstanding bills or debts owed, as well as developing systems for keeping cash flow manageable.  

• Budgets – Developing the annual budget as well as comparing the actual revenues and expenses incurred against the budget

• Reports – Keeping the board regularly informed of key financial events, trends, concerns, and assessment of fiscal health in addition to completing required financial reporting forms in a timely fashion and making these forms available to the board

Other responsibilities?  (mostly just keeping a simple budget) Attends monthly board meetings.

NOTE:  AATA files NorCATA taxes on an annual basis and can assist with budget if necessary. Treasurer consults with Mary Kruep, AATA’s paralegal resource.  

Secretary (executive board position)   

The Secretary produces draft and final minutes of board meetings. The Secretary is accountable to the Board of Directors (if elected or appointed by them) or Members. (If elected by the membership at a members meeting) as specified in the bylaws. The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that accurate spell-checked minutes of meetings are taken and approved.  Requirements of minutes may vary with the jurisdiction but should include at a minimum:

• date, time, location of meeting

• list of those present and absent

• list of items discussed

• list of reports presented

The Secretary ensures that official records are maintained of members of the organization and Board.  S/he ensures that these records are available when required for reports, elections, referenda, other votes, etc.  The secretary ensures that the records of the organization are maintained as required by law and made available when required by authorized persons. These records may include founding documents, (eg. letters patent, articles of incorporation), lists of directors, board and committee meeting minutes, financial reports, and other official records. The Secretary participates in Board meetings as a voting member. The Secretary provides items for the agenda as appropriate. In the absence of the President (and Vice-President, if the position exists), the Secretary calls the meeting to order.   

Membership Director

The Membership Director manages contacts, conversion of contacts to members, new and renewing memberships, periodic sharing of member/contact reports sorted by geographic area to relevant regional representatives. The Membership Director responds to member and prospective member inquiries. The Membership Director will also manage content with Programs Co-Directors that is related to Events, Registration, and other areas. The Membership Director communicates with AATA to receive membership reports with any new NorCATA members or renewals they receive. The Membership Director is assigned as an admin on the NorCATA Wild Apricot membership platform. The Membership Director will be trained by the outgoing Director on how to navigate and use the Wild Apricot platform, and will consult with NorCATA’s WA partner consultant group, The ARRC, as needed, when WA tech support falls short.

Co-Directors of Programs (2)

Programs Co-Directors manage recruitment, review, and approval process of presenters and proposals (with Board vote) for workshops and conferences. Programs Co-Directors also manage the editing process of submissions, maintain communications with presenters and site representatives regarding materials and arrangements. Programs Co-Directors locate and identify appropriate venues for workshops and conferences, participate in contract negotiations. Programs Co-Directors are responsible for maintaining oversight of art supplies and art supplies inventory, and for assuring that art and AV materials needed for presentations are on-site, including name tags, pens, extension cord, projector, surge protector.  Programs Co-Directors create Continuing Education (CE) certificates of attendance, evaluation forms, Letters of Agreement with co-sponsors, and maintain CE records.  Programs Co-Directors are responsible for managing Day-of and After workshop activities, including assuring that AV and signage needs are met.  Programs Co-Directors work with NorCATA CE administrator to maintain status and ensure that offerings and promotional materials comply with CE requirements through CAMFT and NBCC (National Board of Certified Counselors). CE Administrator can be someone other than a Programs Co-Director. Committee members to make sure that refreshments are brought to workshops, as well as plates, cups, tablecloths, coffee pots, coffee, tea, creamer, napkins, serving utensils, etc. are kept in stock and brought to the workshop.  Detailed task description.   Co-DIrectors of Programs are assigned as admins on the NorCATA platform, and must be knowledgeable about editing and managing content related to Programs and related areas.

​Co-Directors of Public Relations  (3)

The Co-Directors of Public Relations promote and manage information to build public awareness, momentum and excitement - mainly via email blasts, social media, blog and forum monitoring on NorCATA platform - for public awareness of NorCATA’s presence, community-based activities, member events and activities, various campaigns, and on social media sites.  The Co-Directors of Public Relations are expected to be conversant with relevant social media to keep NorCATA as a focus in the local, national and global art therapy  community.  The Co-Directors of Public Relations will assist in marketing NorCATA activities.  One co-director is the point of initial contact for all incoming inquiries and both are responsible for timely response to all inquiries.  The Co-Directors of Public Relations may also collaborate on collecting, writing, editing and producing NorCATA's quarterly newsletter.  Co-Directors of Public Relations are assigned as admins on the NorCATA platform, and must be knowledgeable about editing and managing content related to Public Relations and related areas.

The Co-Directors of Public Relations must be able to write well and to communicate accurately and succinctly.   

Director of Website & Technical Support

The Director of Website & Technology may or may not be included on the Board. The Technical Support Director is responsible for managing and maintaining the integrated NorCATA membership platform, Wild Apricot. Wild Apricot involves knowledge of membership management, website structure, email and contacts database, blog and forum management, event registration, proposal submission and peer review, evaluation and certification processing, payment processing, surveys, and the mobile app. Knowledge of Jotform integration for embedded forms is a plus. The NorCATA domain remains with GoDaddy and is hosted on Wild Apricot. Renewal is due in 2023. The Technical Support Director interacts with appropriate board members or liaisons in gathering and disseminating information, but particularly with Programs and Public Relations, and possibly the President or President-Elect, or members of AATA. The Technical Support Director should have a web graphics and user interface background, and will be responsible for the integration and management of any new third party applications as needed. The Technical Support Director should work with the Treasurer regarding any useful tools or environments that offer free or discounted versions, such as Canva for simple designing of social media posts and more. The Technical Support Director will be trained in the Wild Apricot environment, as well as the GoDaddy (domain) environment and email setup - Office/Outlook 365. NorCATA works with a Wild Apricot Partner, The ARRC, a veteran-owned online branding, consulting, and marketing organization versed in technical and support aspects of Wild Apricot, as well as JotForm integrations. 

The Technical Support Director will be knowledgeable about Google Docs file maintenance and other online document and image storage, such as Dropbox.   

Director of Legislative Affairs (OPEN)

Monitor CA state and national legislative activity and policy related information relevant to the profession of Art Therapy.

• Report CA state legislative activity and policy related information relevant to the profession of Art Therapy to NorCATA

• Report national legislative activity and policy related information relevant to the profession of Art Therapy to NorCATA

• Represent NorCATA to the CA State Legislature and relevant stakeholders; negotiates policy as needed through lobbying and meeting participation

• Participate in community lobby efforts as determined by the board of directors and NorCATA membership

• Represent NorCATA to AATA

• Maintain membership with and attends quarterly AATA Governmental Affairs Committee as scheduled  via conference call and once per year in person during the AATA Annual Conference

• Represent NorCATA to the CALPCC by maintaining membership with the CALPCC legislative committee which involves attending monthly meetings via conference call and monitoring active CA state legislation relevant to art therapists who are Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors

• Prepare monthly report for the NorCATA board of directors

• Prepare end of CA state legislative session summary report to be displayed on the NorCATA website.

Director of Fundraising  (OPEN)

Fundraisers typically do the following:

• Research prospective sponsors, donors

• Identify and contact potential sponsors, donors

• Organize a campaign or event that will lead to soliciting donations

• Maintain records of donor information for future use

• Evaluate the success of previous fundraising events

• Train volunteers in fundraising procedures and practices

• Ensure that all legal reporting requirements are satisfied

 

Regional Representatives

The regional representative’s passion and involvement helps keep our art therapy community connected and enlivened.  The minimum requirements for being a NorCATA Regional Representative are: 

• Be a member in good standing

• Be an ATR-P, ATR, or ATR-BC

• Attend at least one NorCATA board meeting per year

• Host at least one meeting or ongoing meetings in your area per year, either for studio art or for a networking session.

• Be a point person for the region may include:

• Make local art therapy referral forwarded by NorCATA

• Address special needs and concerns of local art therapists

• Be a contact for the NorCATA Directors of Programs in coordinating workshops and presentations, etc.

Member-at-Large 

Acts as consultant to board members regarding chapter protocol and procedures.  Typically has held board or committee positions in AATA, or with other chapters.   Participates as part of editorial staff.  Financial transaction / budgetary oversight.  The member in this position will ideally have had previous NorCATA or other AATA or Chapter board experience.    Member-at-Large may also be involved with Co-Directors of Publications for collaboration on newsletter management and production.

AATA Liaison  (unsupported since 2018)

Supports and informs the board of any relevant changes or issues that the national organization is addressing that may have impact on the chapters, and NorCATA specifically.  

Community Outreach Liaison, Multicultural Outreach

This role may also be performed by President-Elect.  Identifies opportunities for cooperation and collaboration with other chapters or community organizations or nonprofits to help chapter and metro area fields gain public awareness.  Other responsibilities?

NDNU Student Liaison 

Maintains collaborative connection with NDNU faculty, alumni, and the Graduate Art Therapy Student Association (GATSA),  Liaison  will spearhead programmatic effort to build a pipeline from student leadership to NorCATA board leadership to keep the NorCATA  board vibrant, relevant, productive, passionate, and committed.  The Liaison will be a conduit regarding notification about referrals, job or internship opportunities, and other salient issues that impact the relationship.  

NDNU PhD Liaison   

Informs and collaborates with the board on any relevant events, workshops, forums, activities, or other relevant issues that the NDNU PhD cohort deems is particularly worthy of mention.