ISLAND GOVERNANCE
Committee Process Expands Perspectives
Candidates for the board of directors in the upcoming
election will be announced in November before voting
opens in late December. Each year, the Nominating
Committee provides recommendations on candidates
who choose to go through the committee’s evaluation
process. After objective evaluation, the committee will
weigh in on the candidates that best meet the needs of
the board and the community. Below, we’ll explore the
context in which the committee was created and the
process it follows each year.
History of the Committee
Before KICA created the Nominating Committee,
the board had the same problem that many other
community associations have: it was difficult to find
candidates willing or able to commit to board service.
To fill the upcoming vacancies, board members
reached out to their friends and neighbors – often
people in the same demographic segment. Kiawah
Club members persuaded people they interacted with
at the Club to run for service, and full-time residents
did the same thing with the neighbors they socialized
with. While this was an effective and understandable
way to recruit, it was a type of self-perpetuation –
where the board is filled again and again from a small
pool of people.
When this problem became apparent, the board
looked for a solution. After researching similar
communities and best practices in the industry, the
KICA board formed the Nominating Committee
in 2013. Made up of property owners across the
spectrum of island ownership, the committee brought
views from different segments of Kiawah Island and a
mission to recruit which was outside the board.
Finding Candidates
The Nominating Committee, led by the vice-chair
of the board of directors and made up of volunteers,
2 | KIAWAH ISLAND DIGEST
works about five months a year on the process that
culminates in these recommendations. Volunteers
participate in the committee for a one-year term are
sought each year in May and June. The committee’s
stated purpose is “to identify, recruit, qualify, and
recommend candidates for service on the KICA
board.” (View the full Nominating Committee charter
at kica.us/nominating.) Identifying and recruiting
are arguably the most important steps in this process.
Committee members work to connect with property
owners who might have interest in running for the
board and recruit them. These people can come
from any segment of KICA membership, from part-
time owners who live behind the V-Gate to full-time
owners who bought in West Beach 25 years ago.
The committee begins board recruitment in July and
continues through the closing of board candidate
applications in early October. During this phase, the
committee reaches out to interested parties and tries
to create interest in board service among property
owners. This year, the committee spear-headed a board
service info session in which previous and current
board members spoke about their experiences. The
meeting was also livestreamed for those who weren’t
able to attend in person. This kind of broad outreach
is an important tactic for the committee. While KICA
staff has always promoted the opportunity to run for
the board in its communications, the board recognizes
that the most appropriate solicitors for property owner
representation are often property owners themselves.
Identifying Skillsets
Prior to moving into interviews, the committee
receives information from the board on skillsets
needed or demographics that are under- or over-
represented. These can be based on the skills of
directors leaving the board or upcoming strategic
goals. For example, financial or project