Community Board Service

NWCA Roles and Responsibilities for the GES Directors Community Board Seats

The National Western Center Authority is seeking to fill one of two Community Board Seats on its board of directors.

What is the National Western Center?
The National Western Center is a year-round, global destination for ag and food innovation, western heritage and culture. We will convene the world at the National Western Center and at nationalwesterncenter.com to lead, inspire, create, educate and entertain in pursuit of global food solutions. Learn more at nationalwesterncenter.com.

The National Western Center Authority is a nonprofit, founded in 2018, responsible for ensuring that the day-to-day experience of the campus realizes the mission and vision of the National Western Center. The Authority manages everything from programming, to events, to curating the tenant mix, to operations and maintenance. The Authority is guided by a 13-member board of directors.

What is the purpose of the board of directors?
The Authority is organized exclusively for the limited purpose of equipping, leasing, maintaining, financing (including without limitation, issuing debt, accepting gifts and grants, and/or collecting or receiving percentage retail sales), programming, designing and constructing any additional facilities, and otherwise performing the Campus Redevelopment and operating the Campus.

Qualifications for Appointment
The Mayor also shall appoint one (1) voting director and one (1) non-voting director who must be 18 years or older and reside in the Globeville, Elyria, or Swansea neighborhood and demonstrate a strong commitment to, and understanding of, the economic, cultural, educational, and social circumstances of residents and businesses of the surrounding Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea neighborhoods (“GES”), the appointment of whom shall be subject to confirmation by the City Council. Applicants need to be comfortable with technology. If the community board member needs access to a laptop or Wifi access, the Authority can provide it. In the case of a vacancy occasioned by the resignation or removal of the voting GES Director, the non-voting GES Director shall exercise the vote of the voting GES Director until such time as the vacancy is filled.

Term

• 5 years

Additional Community Board Member Roles and Responsibilities as defined by the community:
Residents and businesses within the GES communities worked with the CAC+ Committee to define the following additional roles and responsibilities as representatives of the GES communities on the NWCA Board of Directors. Those roles and responsibilities are listed below:

The two Community Board Seat Representatives (“GES Directors”) are charged with representing the Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea communities on the NWCA board of Directors to advance the needs of the campus and to maintain open communication between the organization and the community to share needs, opportunities and challenges that may impact either party.

Commitment from Community Board Seat Representatives
Community Representation

The community representatives:

• Agree to uphold community agreements
• Are willing to put aside personal agenda for agenda desired by the community
• Will represent the Board (NWCA entity) AND the community
• Are willing to do outreach to all 3 communities
• Will be nominated by community process
• Demonstrate a good working relationship with the three communities
• Will be supported by community, vetted for outstanding community, ability to manage community conflicts
• Are knowledgeable about multiple issues in community including the needs of businesses in the community
• Provide community updates at monthly board meetings

Good Communicator
The community representatives will

• Share topics of interest and importance back and forth between board and community.
• Share opportunities about what is happening at the NWCA that are relevant to the community (events, jobs, construction, etc)
• Create regular touch points with community organizations

Time Commitment

• The community representatives will
• Show up and are able to attend regular board meetings and committee meetings
• Create reports to share with community stakeholders
• Commit to five years on the board

Desirable Skills

• Bilingual and biliterate (Spanish/English)
• Tech skills
• Social media management
• Facilitation skills

The NWCA commits to providing the community board seat representatives with the following support tools and resources:

1. Onboarding and training
2. Stipend – TBD
3. Communication tools/texting platform access
4. Provide tech support and/or equipment that facilitates communication to/from board and and/to from community
5. Help with outreach to community groups
6. Mentorship/Coaching

What is the process to apply for a seat on the Board of Directors?

1. Apply Online https://denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Mayors-Office/About/Boards-and-Commissions
2. If you don’t have access to technology, you can come to the National Western Center Authority office to apply.
3. Click on the box that says “Apply for a board or commission”. This will open up a form for you to fill out and submit.
4. The Mayor reviews boards and commissions applications as vacancies occur on the board of directors and appoints the open seats.
5. After you are appointed NWCA staff will assist you with onboarding and orientation materials to help support you in your role. NWCA will also provide you with coaching support and mentoring from a neutral 3rd party coaching professional.
   

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS
Several key documents can be found on the National Western Center website. Please visit: https://nationalwesterncenter.com/in-the-community/featured-community-documents/

The NWCA supports a community process where the community recommends individuals to serve on the board of directors. However, it’s important to recognize that any recommendations from the community or the authority are only recommendations. Ultimately, the final decision and appointments are made by the Mayor.

If you have any questions about the job description, roles and responsibilities, please reach out to Anthony Aragon, Director of Community Engagement & Government Affairs, a.aragon@nationalwesterncenter.com