All About the Executive Vice President Role An Interview with Whitney Hill

What is the Executive Vice President position?

From the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC) bylaws: “The Executive Vice President shall preside at all meetings of the Management Team and shall coordinate the management and operations for the JLC.”

Whitney: The Executive Vice President (EVP) oversees the day-to-day operations of the JLC and presides over the Management Team. The most straightforward way for me to explain it is that the President is the JLC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), while the EVP is the Chief Operations Officer (COO). The EVP is one of the six officers of the JLC. President, President-Elect, Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Finance and Board Secretary are the other five officers.

When was the position created and why?

The JLC’s first EVP was Ashley Soublet in 2018-2019, so this is only the fourth year the JLC has offered this role. The position was created and approved during the 2016-17 League year, allowing the Nominating Committee to slate the first leader during 2017-2018 for the following League year. The rationale for the addition of the role relates to splitting the Board’s strategic focus from the management and operational focus.

Before creating the EVP role, the President-Elect (PE) would spend her elect year presiding over the Management Team. The benefit was the PE was immersed in how the JLC operates, but it didn’t give her much time to plan for her year as president. With the EVP role, the PE still sits on the Management Team for exposure to the operations, but the split in responsibilities allows her to focus on the JLC’s strategic vision.

These two jobs also require different skill sets and attract different types of women. The president must be able to think and plan strategically. She is forward-thinking, comfortable as the face of the League and has the long-term and 30,000foot view of the League. Conversely, the EVP must be detailoriented. She must be able to manage projects, teams and timelines; she must ensure the execution of short-term, annual plans. In my opinion, a woman interested in serving as the president is more comfortable being the face of the League, while an EVP may be more comfortable operating in the background to ensure everything is running efficiently. When you think about it this way, it makes sense to have these separate roles to recruit the women who are best suited to each job.

Where does the EVP sit within the organizational structure of the Junior League of Charlotte?

The EVP oversees the Management Team and is also a voting member of the JLC’s Board of Directors (the Board). The JLC has a split governance model, meaning we have two boards that run the JLC: the Board of Directors and Management Team. The two boards are parallel and the EVP and the President are peers in running their two boards. The EVP also serves as the link between both the Board and Management Team in reporting on the day-to-day work of the JLC at Board meetings. The Board is responsible for the JLC’s 5-year strategic plan, vision and establishing the JLC’s end goals. The Management Team is responsible for annual plans, the day-to-day work of the JLC and determining the means to achieve the end goals established by the Board.

Strategic Governance

Future focus

aimed at the outcomes a League seeks to accomplish

Management

Present focus

aimed at accomplishing the programs and activities that will achieve the outcomes

I work closest with Kellie Lofton, the JLC President. We check in frequently to ensure the work of the committees is aligned with the League’s overall strategic goals and keep each other updated on what is happening in the JLC. I also work closely with Christina Gratrix, the President-Elect, as the EVP works with the PE on the Governance and Strategic Planning Board sub-committees and the PE sits on the Management Team. I also work closely with Terri White, the Executive Vice President-Elect (EVPE) during the year to ensure the transition of roles and that she is set up for success next year. Next League year, Terri will be working with Spencer Collins Lash, who will become the EVPE. Lastly, the EVP works closely with the council managers and the Vice President of Finance to ensure the committees progress towards their annual plan and keep tabs on spending.

How does the EVP serve JLC leaders?

The EVP serves other JLC leaders by supporting all the leaders on the Management Team (council managers and assistant managers, VP of Finance, Risk Manager, Nominating ViceChair, and Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). When council managers bring up issues or need additional support for one of their committees, I’ve joined their council and/or committee meetings to provide input or work directly with committee chairs who need additional support. At the end of the day, I serve as an extra backup for any overwhelmed leaders who need help, historical information and understanding how our policies or teams relate to one another or oversight.

How does the EVP serve JLC membership?

The EVP serves the JLC membership through oversight of the Human Resources Council and is ultimately responsible for the member experience. Changes to policy and procedure, including anything relating to member obligations, almost always go through the Management Team. The EVP represents our members at Board meetings to keep the Board apprised of any issues and advocates for any changes to improve our members’ experience in the JLC.

While not a part of the role in the job description, I believe the EVP should work to mentor and develop JLC members interested in JLC leadership. I would not be in this role today if someone hadn’t encouraged me to apply to be a committee vicechair. That one conversation inspired me and led me to continue gaining JLC leadership experience and put me on the path to take on this role. I want to be that voice of encouragement to our other JLC members to ensure the organization’s sustainability and development of our members.

What has been your favorite part of serving as EVP this year?

My favorite part of serving as the EVP has been the experiences and opportunities I could not have acquired anywhere else. This last year, I have essentially served as the COO of a company with 1,500 employees. How is that for a resume addition! Practically speaking, I’ve learned so much about governance, strategic planning, fund development and fundraising, management and leadership skills, project management, time management, general human resources skills like hiring and staff evaluation, and mentorship. These are all so different from the skills I use in my day job and I know I’ll be able to leverage them in other volunteer and non-profit leadership roles in the future. And who knows, maybe I’ll make a career change one day where I’ll be able to put these skills to further use!

What has been your favorite memory of serving as EVP this year?

My favorite memory goes to the relationships I’ve built. You create a close camaraderie whenever you’re on a team with others. The connections I’ve made with the officers (especially the President, President-Elect and VP of finance), Board and Management Team leaders, who I wouldn’t have had a chance to meet otherwise, are ones I’ll have for a long time. This role is challenging, but I’ve had an incredible group of women who cheer me on, allow me to lean on them and laugh with me.

I’ve also done some outreach to other League members as part of my role. Hearing members tell me how much they appreciate just having someone from the League reach out and check in on them has been nice validation of how simple efforts can significantly impact member experience.

What advice would you give to active members who may be considering pursuing the EVP position in the future?

I recommend spending at least one year on the Management Team before applying for the EVP role. Management Team has been my favorite placement in my League career as you get to see how decisions relating to League operations are made. Having a seat at that table helped me put together all the pieces to get that total view of all the fantastic things we do as an organization. But since it has such a broad purview, there is a lot to learn in terms of our governing documents, the timeline of crucial items like fundraisers and selection of community partners and how the teams all relate to each other. I also recommend reading through our Bylaws and Policies & Procedures and familiarizing yourself with Robert’s Rules of Order. While you don’t have to memorize the documents, it’s helpful to get an idea of the types of items included, so when questions come up, you recall that it’s discussed in the P&Ps.

Lastly, talk to the other women who have had this role previously. The job description can tell you theoretically what to expect, but the anecdotal information you can get from Ashley Soublet, Beth Bechhold, Jamie Mills, Terri White or me may be most helpful in deciding if this role is right for you. Please reach out to us if you have any questions!