Board Roles and Responsibilities: Training and Orientation Tools for Public CAAs

A Community Action Agency is only as effective and impactful as its leadership. It is crucial that the Board of Directors not only understand what is expected of it but also what decisions and actions it needs to take to meet and exceed those expectations. This presentation features a public CAA board training and orientation tool developed by CAPLAW that CAAs can use to educate board members and staff working with the board on the board’s vital role in the organization. The tools serve as guides for those training or orienting board members on the legal requirements that govern public CAA boards, as well as the board’s key responsibilities to help the organization achieve its mission. Jonathan Cohen, Esq., CAPLAW Staff Attorney and Ted Faust, Esq., Assistant Staff Attorney will be presenting this workshop.

Jonathan Cohen, Esq.

Jonathan Cohen is Staff Attorney at CAPLAW. He advises community action agencies on legal issues related to organizational governance, tax-exempt law, and federal government grant compliance. Prior to joining CAPLAW, Jon conducted research and wrote business case studies on organizational change management and strategy for Harvard Business School. He has also practiced business law in Boston, worked to promote international human rights with Human Rights Watch in Washington, D.C., and organized around environmental justice issues in Hartford, CT. Jon earned a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College, a master’s from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law.

Edward Faust, Esq.

Ted Faust is an Assistant Staff Attorney at CAPLAW. He advises community action agencies on legal issues related to employment law, federal grant compliance, governance, and other legal matters. Prior to joining CAPLAW, Ted worked as a Contracts Administrator and Legal Assistant for clients throughout the Greater Boston area, preparing documents for litigation processes and reviewing complex manufacturing and supply chain contracts. Ted also worked at Boston College Law School’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Clinic while earning his law degree, advising startup companies on legal issues related to corporate governance and intellectual property law. Before earning his law degree, Ted earned his bachelor’s degree in English at Boston College’s Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences.