Let’s dive into a thought-provoking case study involving the Sunflower Art Centre and a renowned Professor. This scenario raises questions about the responsibilities of board members, attendance, and the balance between prestige and governance. Explore the challenges faced by Ela Jebasingh, the Executive Director, and Natesh Mehra, the Board Chair, as they grapple with a critical issue on their board.
Ela Jebasingh, Executive Director of the Sun Flower Art Center for Children, looked pensively out her office window as she pondered the phone call she had just received. Professor Adwaya Gupta’s assistant had called and sent the professor’s apologies, noting he would not be able to attend Friday’s board meeting. He attended the first meeting of the year but missed the June meeting and now the September meeting.
Professor Gupta had been on the board of the Art Center for nearly two years. Getting him to join the board was a great accomplishment. He was famous throughout the region for his great art expertise. For many years, he had been the Dean of the Fine Arts school at The Central Academy of Arts in Chennai. He was constantly on the road speaking to groups concerning different issues in the art community. Having him on the board of the Art Center brought great prestige.
For his part, because of the influence a similar center had on him personally as a child in his home town, Gupta was very aligned with the Mission of Sun Flower and the opportunity to sit on the board. The dilemma is that last year, Professor Gupta only attended two of the four board meetings. Ela and Natesh Mehra, the board chairman, knew in advance when they recruited Professor Gupta that full attendance would be difficult in the beginning due to his prior commitments. However, they were well into the second year and the pattern had continued.
The Art Center had a great board. Most of the directors had been members for years and all of them saw the Center and its work as a top priority. There was great fellowship and camaraderie on the board, and nearly everyone had served as a volunteer in some capacity. Ela believed much of this positive board culture was a product of the hard work of recruiting and training board members, ensuring that each one was aligned with the Center’s mission, and enforcing a strong policy of attendance and involvement. Professor Gupta’s reputation was a strong asset for the Center, but …
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