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CEO Succession

  • Policy Name: CEO Succession
  • Policy Types: Board Management Delegation
  • Number: BMD-05
  • Date Approved: October 20, 2025
  • Date Amended: 
  • Date Last Reviewed: 

In its role of assuring organizational performance and continuity, the Board shall take action in the event of a CEO absence to ensure consistent leadership for the management or the organization and, when necessary, an orderly transition in CEO succession.

Short- and Long-Term Absences

  1. The Board considers a short-term absence to be one which is longer than one month and less than six months in which it is expected that the CEO will return to his or her position once the events that precipitated the absence are resolved. Any absence longer than six months is considered to be a long-term absence.

  2. Should an absence of the CEO arise, the Board will meet as soon as feasible at a special or regular meeting. The Board will review the CEO’s most recent reasonable interpretation for Executive Limitation EL-4 #7.2 (“Permit the College to be without sufficient organizational capacity and current information about CEO and Board issues and processes for the competent operation of the organization to continue in the event of sudden loss of CEO services.”).

  3. The Board will appoint the CFO as Acting CEO.

    3.1. If the CFO is unable to serve as the Acting CEO, the Board may engage interim CEO services.

  4. The Acting CEO will have the same authority and accountability as the CEO.

  5. The Board will determine if it wishes to amend its Executive Limitations in areas of significant organizational risk or increase the frequency of monitoring for any policy or any part of any policy for the period of the absence.

  6. In addition to monitoring Acting CEO performance through the normal cycle of monitoring reports, the Board will provide a summative performance assessment of the Acting CEO at agreed upon intervals.

  7. The Board will determine compensation for the interim appointment.

  8. Immediately upon the appointment of the Acting CEO taking effect, the Board Chair will notify staff, Board members, and key community and organizational leaders of the delegation of authority.

    Return from Absence

  9. The Board and CEO shall mutually decide upon the schedule for return to the position.

    9.1. A reduced schedule for a specified period of time is allowed with the commitment of working towards full-time schedule.

  10. In the event that either the short term or long-term absence entails a medical or other event rendering performance in the position untenable, the Board shall determine the anticipated return to service and/or the inability to do so and the period of time that it is prudent to continue with the interim appointment.

  11. In the event that the CEO notifies the Board that the absence will be permanent, the Board Chair, with input and direction from Board members, will develop a plan for recruitment and selection.

    11.1. Service as Acting CEO shall not preclude a person from being considered by the Board for permanent appointment as CEO.

  12. Regardless of the process used, the Board as a whole will approve the person to be appointed CEO.