Governance

Workshop group © MUNDI

Photo © MUNDI

DEA is a membership organisation. All full member organisations have voting rights at the DEA’s AGM and they can also nominate from their organisation up to one person for the Trustee board and up to two people for the Advisory Council.

DEA’s Board of Trustees is responsible for the DEA’s strategy, finances, operations and for holding the director to account. Trustees are ultimately legally responsible for the running of the DEA. They help to set the strategy of the organisation and are responsible for it meeting its legal and fiduciary duties. The Board meets four times a year.

The Board consists of up to 11 people:
• Seven are directly elected from the DEA membership at the AGM
• One is a member by virtue of being chair of the Advisory Council
• Three are co-opted (they may or may not be from member organisations) on the basis of skills needed at board level. (See Nominations Committee below).

Members of the board serve a two-year term. The board has a Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer, chosen by the board. Members of the board will also be asked their areas of interest when they join, and may be asked to lead on particular areas of specialism (eg fundraising, HR).

DEA’s Advisory Council works to advise the DEA in relation to issues of policy and strategy. It meets two or three times a year. Advisory Council members feed into the DEA’s thinking and work without being legally responsible for the running of the organisation.

The Advisory Council consists of up to 20 people. Seventeen are directly elected from the DEA membership and the Advisory Council can co-opt up to three further people who may or may not be DEA members. Members of the Council serve a two-year term. The Chair of the Advisory Council is a member of the Board of Trustees to ensure there is a good link between the two bodies.

The Nominations Committee consists of two members of the Advisory Council and the Chair and Vice Chair of the Board. The Nominations Committee nominates co-optees to the Board.

> View list of current Trustees and Advisory Council Members.