The right board: A personality contest

by Teri Karush Rogers | 5/27/09 - 2:47 PM

Most buildings hold board elections in late spring and early summer. So who are you voting for?

Even in smaller buildings where elevator encounters can give you a sense of the people behind the ballots, you may not have devoted much thought to the composition of the board as a whole. But the right balance can make all the difference. Think of it as a symphony: You don’t want an orchestra comprised only of tubas and oboes running your building.

Someone with decades of experience working with co-op and condo boards offered this personality-breakdown of the ideal board:

“The protector is the best type, because he or she will protect their own interests and the interests of the building,” he said. “You also want a nosy type. You want someone with business experience but not someone with an agenda. And no screamers—you want someone contemplative, who can articulate calmly and actually answer a question.”

A co-op dweller who has been president of his Upper East Side board for three years delivered a more skills-focused assessment: “You need a lawyer, maybe an accountant, a retiree who has time and energy, and a no-nonsense president who can brush off all the petty stuff.”