Mutual vetting

Garry Woods is one Elevations board member who came to the organization through the executive recruitment process. In his day job, Woods is a partner and executive director of governance, risk, compliance, and privacy services at Richey May, an audit, tax, and business assurance company.

He serves on two boards in addition to Elevations’ governing body: one supporting a nonprofit foundation and the other a property management company.

Always open to a new board opportunity, Woods learned about the Elevations opening through a former colleague’s recommendation to a headhunter in 2021.

“That colleague was approached by the headhunter,” says Woods, Elevations’ board secretary. “He already serves on several boards, and he didn’t think he could adequately provide time. So he gave the headhunter my name.”

Woods says the vetting process was mutual. “I spent a significant amount of my professional career working with executive management teams, and part of that is working with and presenting to boards. I know there are telltale signs of dysfunctional boards.”

First impressions

The first step in the process was to meet with the recruiter and learn more about the opportunity Elevations offered. “We discussed my background, my skills, and what Elevations was looking for,” he says. “I was one of four or five people presented by the recruiter to the governance and nominating committee.”

Woods also took a cultural assessment by the board’s executive coach to determine his cultural fit before meeting with the full board of directors.

He next met with members of Elevations’ governance and nominating committee, and eventually met with the full board for an interview.

Woods appreciated the thorough assessment because he wanted the right fit. “For me, there’s always a self-awareness about whether this will be a role where I can step in and add value, and grow myself as well,” he says.

He found Elevations’ board term limits appealing. “It provides a mechanism to refresh creative thought by bringing in different thought leaders on a regular basis,” Woods says. “If you end up with board members who have been there 25 or 30 years, it can be a detriment to recruiting.

“Using myself as an example,” he continues, “I didn’t want to go in there and be a person who helps the organization maintain a steady state. I wanted to be a new voice in the room that would provide value.”

Woods says he’s been energized by the board’s positive culture. “It’s been a great experience for me, both in what I’ve been able to learn and in the ways I’ve been able to add value.

“There’s a real collaborative aspect to our board,” he adds. “Some boards operate by consensus and others seek collaboration. Consensus is much more political, and so often you get caught up in paralysis by analysis. With a collaborative approach, we’re always asking, ‘How can we come together and find the best solution for our membership?’ ”