Nominating Committee Discussion and Confidentiality

[jtc0601]

I am in need of some advice.  I was the Nominating Committee Chair last year and spent quite a bit of time researching the proper procedure and wrote the guidelines as there wasn't any in place for us.  The BOD approved/adopted the guidelines for future use.  I have been asked to be on the committee again this year.  I agreed but declined to Chair.  The committee is wanting to know who was discussed, considered, declined as possible nominees.  Wouldn't the discussion of previous committees continue to remain confidential?  I would think they should be.  All documentation was cleared about discussions at the end of the committee's time last year.  I want to do the right thing.  I appreciate your insight.  

 

 

 

 

 

[George Mervosh]

I am in need of some advice.  I was the Nominating Committee Chair last year and spent quite a bit of time researching the proper procedure and wrote the guidelines as there wasn't any in place for us.  The BOD approved/adopted the guidelines for future use.  I have been asked to be on the committee again this year.  I agreed but declined to Chair.  The committee is wanting to know who was discussed, considered, declined as possible nominees.  Wouldn't the discussion of previous committees continue to remain confidential?  I would think they should be.  All documentation was cleared about discussions at the end of the committee's time last year.  I want to do the right thing.  I appreciate your insight.  

 

There is no formal requirement of confidentiality unless the meeting(s) were held in executive session. 

[Richard Brown]

I agree with Mr. Mervosh.  I typed this response earlier but had not yet posted it:

 

I'm not aware of any requirement that the discussions of a previous nominating committee remain confidential.  To the contrary, the information about various possible nominees and the discussions about those nominees might be quite helpful to a new committee.  Why re-invent the wheel when the preceding research is available?  

 

The new committee should not be bound by anything a previous committee did, of course, but I believe the work product of the prior committee can sometimes be useful and save time.

 

You are probably free to decline to discuss what the previous committee considered, but I'm not aware of any obligation to do so.* 

 

*Edited to add to the last sentence:  .... unless, as Mr. Mervosh mentioned, the prior discussions were in executive session.

[jtc0601]

Awesome!  Thank you gentlemen for replying.  Our organization is still undergoing major reorganization and I didn't want to do the wrong thing.  Thanks!