[Adopted Feb. 20, 2013; amended March 17, 2016]

Purpose: The purpose of the Nominating Committee, a committee of the Board of Trustees, is to identify and to recommend to the Board volunteers interested in running for election to serve as Trustees for open seats beginning the following fiscal year. To allow for a more democratic process, the committee is encouraged to recruit enough potential candidates to have a contested election. The committee may also be asked to recruit volunteers to fill any vacancies on the Board and to recruit candidates for Board task forces and Board committees at the request of the Board or the President.

As provided by the Policy on Delegates to Denominational Assemblies, the Nominating Committee also is charged with recruiting and nominating delegates to UUA Regional Assemblies and General Assemblies and shall develop its own procedures for doing so. The committee shall actively solicit input from the congregation to identify qualified prospective delegates. The committee may consult with the minister or minister’s designee to determine whether prospective delegates meet the qualifications. The Nominating Committee shall present its nominations for delegates to the board.

Committee Composition: The committee will be composed of at least three church members, recruited annually by the Board of Trustees. The immediate past-President will chair the Nominating Committee. If the immediate past-President is unavailable, the committee will select its own chair.

Committee Member Expectations: Committee members will:

1. Be familiar with Unitarian Universalist principles and the mission and vision of UUCC,
2. Have an understanding of the organizational structure of the church,
3. Be familiar with the function and purpose of the Board of Trustees,
4. Be able to communicate the commitment necessary to serve as Trustee, and
5. Become familiar with the members of the church to identify their leadership gifts and skills.

Committee Member Responsibilities: Committee members will:

1. Recruit potential Board candidates for the upcoming term that widely represent the congregation’s demographics and skill sets relevant to Board service, and
2. Facilitate Board orientation based on the schedule offered below.

Board Orientation Schedule:

Purpose: To create a system that will enable new Board members to seamlessly enter the work of the Board after election. During orientation, participants will:

1. Review and discuss church governing documents including but not limited to the corporate charter, bylaws, and policies as well as their relationship to each other with emphasis on what they say about the role of the board.
2. Read and discuss texts about good governance basics, specifically ends, policies, limitations, linkage, and monitoring.
3. Gain awareness of the talent, skills, and characteristics that new and old board members possess.
4. Gain awareness of the leadership opportunities available should the Board candidate not win election to serve as a Trustee.

Timeline	Action	Persons Responsible
October	The board reviews the board member job description, makes any revions, and sends it to the Nominating Committee	Board
November/December	Interviews of church members for the board	Nominating Committee
January	Nominating Committee recommends candidates for the board	Nominating Committee
January	Recommended candidates are assigned a mentor	Nominating Committee and current Board members
January-April	Learning meetings with recommended candidates to review documents and discuss church governance	Mentors, recommended candidates, and any interested board members
February-April	Recommended candidates observe at least two regular Board meetings – mentors and Executive Committee stay after to debrief, answer questions	Board, recommended candidates
Mid-July	First meeting with new Board members as voting members – mentors stay after to debrief, answer questions	Board
Late August/Early September	Retreat to refine practice, study, and plan work for the coming year	Board and facilitator