It is no mistake that the board members of nonprofit organizations are called trustees. They are entrusted by the community with the responsibility of ensuring that the nonprofit organization will diligently pursue its mission and, in the course of doing so, that all board members and staff will maintain the highest standards of integrity, quality, and efficiency in the delivery of services.

The success or failure of the nonprofit organization ultimately rests upon the shoulders of the board of trustees.

This is an awesome responsibility, and all the more so during difficult economic times like we face today. Board members receive no pay for sharing their talents and expertise to guide the organization.

Their reward, as I used to say to my children when they were young, is the satisfaction of a job well done. We can be thankful that there are citizens in our community who care enough to dedicate their time to this noble cause.

Clermont Senior Services has been guided by our board volunteers for over 40 years, and it has been my pleasure to work with our board members for the past 20 years.

One of the strengths of strong nonprofit organizations is their willingness to set limits on board service. At Clermont Senior Services this limit is four two-year terms for a total of eight years. To assure that we maintain continuity of leadership, members rotate on and off the board every few years.

Typically, no more than five or six members leave the board in any given year, with five or six new members replacing them. We are blessed to have a strong pool of talented individuals in Clermont County who are willing to serve.

I’m always sorry to see members leave the board after their years of service, but I’m pleased that they continue to serve as ambassadors to the community, and seeing members leave the board is always tempered by the excitement of welcoming new members.

During the past year several members had to leave the board in midterm because of changes in employment, or their work and personal responsibilities made it difficult to continue serving, and two members have fulfilled the terms of service. These vacancies have provided opportunity for six individuals to join the board, and these exceptional individuals were officially appointed at the January board meeting. They are:

Mary Lynne Birck is an attorney in the civil division with the Clermont County Prosecutor’s office. Her duties include providing legal counsel for our adult protective services program. Cyndy Chiaro is an attorney with the law firm of Rendigs, Fry, Killey & Dennis. She specializes in elder law and joined our auction event committee in 2010. M. E. Steele-Pierce is an Assistant Superintendent with West Clermont School District.

Jackie Osborne is a Marketing Specialist with Total Quality Logistics. Lee Pinkerton is Director of Central Procurement for American Modern Insurance Group (formerly The Midland Company). Rich Wright is Vice President and General Manager of Arch Materials.

At the annual meeting of the board in April the following individuals will assume their duties as officers for the next two years: Tom Cole, chair, Mick McLaughlin, chair elect, Connie Bare, secretary, John Nelson, treasurer. Other members of the board are: Judi Adams, Ina Banfill, Barbara Burke, Lee Cornett, Patti Fraley, Tom Rocklin, George Rooks, Ed Rust, Pat Webb, Chris Smith, Mary Jane West, Barb Wiedenbein, and Sarah Wilson.

All of these individuals generously share their knowledge and individual expertise to help make the best possible decisions for the good of the agency and the older adults we serve. No organization could ask for more.