Call out for Youth Board Members 2019

Hello everyone! Ana here.

As you may know, El Grupo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and as a nonprofit, we are required by law to have a board of directors that provide oversight on the workings of El Grupo and guide our mission to empower youth through bicycles. You may have seen some of our board’s members occasionally but it is also likely that you have not as board members do not assist in the day-to-day activities of El Grupo but rather work with the executive director (Daniela and now Kate) to plan out our future and make sure everything runs smoothly. There are thirteen current board members and they are meticulously selected based on two requirements: knowledge and/or perspective. I‘ll give an example: Jeannette Mare is the founder of Ben’s Bells (aka Ben’s mom) and is a member of the board. She is vital to El Grupo because she has recently worked on making a transition plan for her beloved organization, something we have really focused on this year, and provided insight on how to best transition El Grupo from a founder-run organization to a community-run organization. What Mrs. Mare cannot do is pass judgment on which race to attend or how to train simply because this is not her area of expertise. Ignacio, Max, and Ben complement her since they do know what races to do and what the training plan needs to be but they have never made a transition plan for a fully-developed organization. Together, each and every board member contributes and helps with the task of guiding El Grupo.

I wanted to inform you all of my position on the board as the youth representative and of an opportunity for someone to join and eventually replace me in the endeavor of guiding the path of El Grupo for the foreseeable future. As the youth representative,  you will provide your perspective on what is needed to best serve the riders of El Grupo to the rest of the board.

There are a few requirements to fill this role. The first is commitment. The Board meets once a month in the evenings, and there are additional monthly meetings for whatever committee you decide to be a part of. You must attend as many as possible. It is just as necessary that the youth representative is involved in El Grupo, this means attending races, practices, and events. Basically, you need to interact with your teammates often. You can’t represent them if you don’t know them. A level of maturity is also expected, being able to conduct yourself in an appropriate manner during all times is necessary. Having one or more years of experience under your belt on the team is preferred but not required. The most important characteristic, however, is desire. This should not be seen as another task or job that you have to do, but rather something you want to do and will enjoy. Desire alone can make up for any insufficiencies in requirements above. I have truly enjoyed myself the year I have been on the board, especially being involved in the transition process to find the best replacement for Daniela. To tell you all the truth, I have not always met every requirement stated above, but I have always been willing to fix my errors and continue learning. This is an opportunity for those that are curious about how we are able to do what we do and are willing to step out of their comfort zones a little in exchange for a viewpoint that few will ever have. If what I have said speaks to you in any way, please reach out to Daniela to notify her that you are interested in applying for this position and fill out the application attached below. I promise you won’t regret it.

Ana Quintana Bernal

Here is the Youth Board Member Application if you are interested. You can email a completed form to Daniela or leave one on her desk no later than December 20.