#Chamber Best Practices - The Chamber Executive Employment Contract - How It Benefits Both the Executive and the Board of Directors.

Change is a  constant in the chamber business. Membership changes with some companies going out of business and new companies starting up. A new board is elected every year, with a new chairperson. The economy fluctuates. Disagreements over tactics, implementation and execution happen. Here is a reasonable question: How many chamber executives have an employment agreement or contract?

A suburban Chicagoland chamber president recently addressed this issue - and why putting things in writing can help both a board and a chamber executive clarify their goals and expectations, mutually beneficial for both the chamber executive and the board of directors.

For the chamber executive, the contract covers:

What are the goals, and are they measurable?
Are the financial incentives spelled out?
Will there be annual written evaluations?
Relocation is desirable, but requires a long term housing financial commitment.
Living in the area would add to the local economy.
A shorter commute saves time daily.

For a chamber board, the contract:

Ensures a strategy and strategic asset is already in place.
Addresses problems and what is the timing to correct them.
States how disputes will be settled when there is genuine disagreement.
Establishes a notice period of  60 or 90 days, in the event of parting, longer than two weeks leading to a smoother transition.

A written contract can help both a chamber executive and a chamber board identify mutual road maps, and lead to a growing, thriving association.

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John Dussman is Midwest Manager for VillageProfile.com, working with chambers in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Missouri. More than 1500 Chamber of Commerce all over the United States have trusted Village Profile to produce their Membership Directories, Community Profiles, Visitor Maps and Publications, Economic Development magazines and Chamber of Commerce Maps. Contact John at (800)-600-0134 x239.