BRANDON DAVIS
Dana Rasmussen, Susan Bladholm, Victor Perry, and Alex Young
Complements Get MAC Everywhere Building the Best Board Means Matching Compatible Trustees By Jake Ten Pas
F
ormer President of the Board of Trustees Rob Torch describes selecting a new class of MAC leaders as “more art than science.” It’s not just a matter of evaluating professional experience and previous committee service, but also of finding personalities and areas of knowledge that complement not only the other three first-year trustees, but also the other eight board members. “The Nominating Committee chose the new class of trustees for their wide diversity of background, expertise, and experience, and we’re confident that their individual strengths will blend together well and be helpful in terms of working together as a class and with the overall board in moving the club forward during the next few years,” Torch says. Per MAC tradition, the prior year’s president heads up the Nominating Committee, which is responsible for selecting new trustees. This past year, the group attempted to expand its reach by opening up the process to members who might not necessarily have served on committees before while also introducing a process of self-nomination. While these changes presented their own fresh set of questions, Torch says he and the Nominating Committee
28 | The Wınged M | MARCH 2023
ultimately are excited about the quartet that was selected, and he appreciates the learnings that came out of the variation of process. “However, the Nominating Committee was challenged in terms of identifying candidates who are ethnically diverse and were interested in serving on the board. We had a lot of great candidates who submitted interest forms indicating that they were willing to volunteer, and we thank them for stepping up, but I also know there are others within our membership who would be excellent potential trustees, but decided for various reasons not to put their names forward. I would encourage those members to consider volunteering both on MAC committees and, ultimately, for a board role in the future.” Nevertheless, Torch and his cohort managed to put together an A-Team, with each member bringing a unique perspective and specialized skillset to the table. Alex Young — who jokingly says he might be the character of Murdock from the TV series and movie because of his sense of humor, unconventional smarts, and ability to bring people together — represents a wealth of strategic experience, according to Torch.