Advisory Boards, Committees, Task Forces, & Unique Volunteer Opportunities

Becoming involved in the Chamber provides the opportunity to put your expertise to work while developing key business contacts. The following represents a list of the Greensboro Chamber’s volunteer leadership opportunities to serve on our Advisory Boards, Committees, Task Forces, and other unique opportunities.

Board Committees

Executive Committee

• 15 members of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, includes Chair, Chair-Elect or Immediate Past Chair*, 4 Vice-Chairs, Secretary-Treasurer, 2 ex-officio members, and 6 at-large directors.
• Appointed annually by the Nominating Committee.
• Board Chair may serve 2 successive 1-year terms.
• Meets monthly on the first Wednesday unless cancelled for approved reason.
• Has specified authority of review and action to accomplish the Chamber’s work, as delegated by the Board.
• Actions taken are reported to the Board at its next meeting.

*1 of the 15 seats that is held by the Immediate Past Chair who serves 1 year, then the next year a Chair-Elect is appointed and serves. In this way, the Board Chair is supported for his/her full 2-year term by the immediate past Chair and the Chair-Elect.

Nominating Committee

• Annually, Board Chair appoints a diverse Nominating Committee of current directors.
• Nominating Committee reviews all seats expiring on the Board/Advisory Boards/Committees by the current year end, and discusses potential candidates to fill those seats.
• A running list of potential candidates for the Board/Advisory Boards/Committees is maintained and additional candidates may be added by the Nominating Committee based on input by Board members.
• Nominating Committee members and Chamber CEO/COO actively recruit new members for all open seats, working to ensure diversity and inclusion on the boards/committees as it relates to core competencies needed, type of industry, gender, race, etc.; finalizes recommendations and submits the slate of candidates to the Executive Committee and Board for review and approval at their September meetings.
• New directors and committee members begin their term of service on January 1, following orientation sessions held by the Chamber, generally in October.

Finance Committee

• Comprised of at least 2 and up to 9 directors plus the Secretary/Treasurer who chairs this committee; can have other members with financial expertise, especially in nonprofit accounting.
• Meets at least 5 times each year.
• Responsible for financial oversight of the Chamber, including the detailed review and approval of the financial statements, yearend projections, budgets, and audit reports.
• The Secretary/Treasurer, who is the Chair of the Finance Committee, reports the actions of the Finance Committee and Audit Sub-Committee to the Executive Committee and the Board.
• Audit Sub-Committee – comprised of at least 3 independent directors who are members of the Finance Committee and have experience with the audit function or experience in the oversight of financial management; also determines who the auditors will be every 5 years, as well as the annual scope of the audit.

Government Affairs Committee

• Comprised of 15 members, including the Chair, and at least 60% must be from industry within the Chamber membership.
• Meets monthly on the 2nd Thursday.
• Works with the Chamber’s Government Affairs Consultant and COO to develop and adopt the annual Program of Work.
• Leverages the Chamber’s grassroots network to develop the legislative priorities to submit for approval by the Executive Committee and the Board.
• Hosts various related events and trips throughout the year, such as the annual Raleigh trip and a DC fly-in.

Advisory Boards and Related Volunteer Opportunities

Member Engagement Advisory Board

• Up to 15 members which includes the Chair of this Advisory Board (the Chair serves as one of the 4 vice chairs on the Executive Committee).
• May serve 2 successive 3-year terms.
• Meets quarterly on the first Monday of the 2nd month of the quarter.
• Focuses on being the “voice of the Chamber membership” regarding issues important to members.
• Works with the Chamber’s Member Engagement EVP and team to develop and adopt the annual Program of Work.
• Chair of the Member Engagement Advisory Board reports recommendations to the Executive Committee and to the Board.

Member Engagement Volunteer Opportunities:

Membership Committee: Comprised of members of the Member Engagement Advisory Board to advise and help develop the Chamber’s membership strategy; recruit and retain members; assess membership benefits; and select members that qualify for the Pay It Forward Campaign.
Business Development Leads Group(s): A traditional, non-compete group of business representatives who meet and provide networking, viable leads, and relationship-building opportunities for group members. This includes our newest group specifically for women-owned businesses.
Restaurant Council: facilitated by the Chamber’s EVP of Member Engagement to convene and have industry leaders and subject matter experts discuss critical issues impacting local restaurants and determine solutions needed.
Leadership Greensboro (LG) Advisory Council: provides oversight and guidance on creating a more engaging experience for LG participants and alumni.
Other Voices (OV) Advisory Council: provides oversight and guidance on creating a more engaging experience OV participants and alumni.

Launch Greensboro Advisory Board

• Up to 15 members which includes the Chair of this Advisory Board (the Chair serves as one of the 4 vice chairs on the Executive Committee).
• May serve 2 successive 3-year terms.
• Meets bi-monthly on the first Tuesday from 4-5pm.
• Members have a keen interest in and focus on entrepreneurship efforts of the Chamber.
• Works with the EVP and Launch Greensboro team to develop and adopt the annual Program of Work.
• All members are expected to serve on task forces to accomplish the work of Launch Greensboro, such as the Capital Connects task force.
• Members are also invited to serve as mentors to the entrepreneurs participating in Launch Greensboro programs.
• Chair of the Launch Greensboro Advisory Board reports recommendations to the Executive Committee and to the Board.

Launch Greensboro Volunteer Opportunities:

Mentors: to work directly with entrepreneurs participating in Launch Greensboro programs; mentors needed in: legal, accounting, marketing, consumer products expertise, operations expertise.
First Launch Capital Fund Board: provides governance for this early stage seed fund.
Capital Connects Task Force: creates and executes annual pitch competition plan for engaging investors with emerging entrepreneurs to help grow their businesses.

Economic Development GROW Oversight Committee

• Reconstituted advisory board to include a Chair (the Chair serves as one of the 4 vice chairs on the Executive Committee);
• Monitors the Chamber’s achievement of the 5-year GROW strategic plan goals and metrics.
• Assists the Chamber in maintaining effective relationships with investors.
• Assists the Chamber’s economic development (ED) team on ED projects, as needed.
• ED GROW Oversight Committee Chair reports recommendations to the Executive Committee and to the Board.

GROW Strategic Plan and Campaign Task Force
A task force appointed by the GROW Oversight Committee every 5 years to determine the process and selection of the professional firm that will work with the Chamber to develop the next 5-year strategic plan, conduct the feasibility study, and manage the fundraising campaign. The task force is dissolved when the professional firm is selected and approved by the Board of Directors.

GROW Campaign Cabinet
Campaign Cabinet volunteers are identified through the GROW feasibility study process in collaboration with the Board Chair, the GROW Strategic Plan and Campaign Task Force, and the Chamber President/CEO. The Campaign Cabinet is dissolved at the conclusion of the GROW campaign.

Manufacturing Council
Facilitated by the Chamber’s Director of Existing Industry to convene and have industry leaders and subject matter experts discuss critical issues impacting manufacturers and determine solutions needed.

Supply Chain Logistics Council
Facilitated by the Chamber’s Director of Existing Industry to convene and have industry leaders and subject matter experts discuss critical issues impacting supply chain logistics companies and determine solutions needed.

Action Greensboro Advisory Board

Members are leaders of six foundations that support Action Greensboro’s operations and work; unlike the other 3 advisory boards of the Chamber, there are no term limits for them per the Chamber’s bylaws. Action Greensboro is a 501c3 organization, affiliated with the Chamber. The members of the Chamber’s Executive Committee serve as the legal, fiduciary board for Action Greensboro. The Action Greensboro Advisory Board Chair reports recommendations to the Chamber’s Executive Committee members, which is Action Greensboro’s Board of Directors.

synerG Leadership Council
Selects, plans, and leads initiatives with the mission to attract, engage and connect young professionals to Greensboro.

Unique Volunteer Opportunities

Ambassadors Council
The Ambassador Council is an outreach and retention program designed to connect individuals from local businesses who are interested in helping the Greensboro community grow and prosper. Ambassadors are volunteers, who on behalf of the Chamber, engage with the community to encourage membership and active support of Chamber programs, assist with recruiting new members, and connect new members for the purposes of cultivating a vibrant business community.