Hiring Executive Director

[Guest Stephanie]

We are hiring an Executive Director. What is the process for motions for the board to choose a candidate and then acceptance? For instance can they decide in executive session the candidate they want to choose without coming out of executive session and then after the meeting offer a position to the candidate and then at the next meeting vote for the candidate to become Executive Director?

[Rob Elsman]

Presumably the board would make an offer to someone, and his acceptance would seal the deal. Whether the preliminary negotiations are held in executive session or not would be up to the board, I would think.

[Richard Brown]

The society (or perhaps its board) has great latitude in determining how to go about hiring someone.  RONR does not address that issue specifically.  Also, RONR itself does not limit your use of executive sessions, but if you are a public body of some kind such as a school board, there might be state open meetings (sunshine) laws that impose some restrictions on the use of executive sessions.  Those restrictions sometimes apply to such organizations as homeowner associations.