Boot Camp for Cooperative Directors - Part 1

Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Time: 12:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM CT / 10:00 AM MT / 09:00 AM PT [Prevailing Time]
Presenters: Daniel S. Welytok, von Briesen & Roper, Robert A. Fuhrer, Vice President, National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative
Moderator:
Learning Objectives:
This course addresses the fundamental duties of a director and board of directors operations and problems.
Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge
Program Level: Basic
CPE Credit: 1 Credit Hour
Delivery Method: Group Internet-based
Prerequisite(s): No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.
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Course Description

Serving as a cooperative director has its own unique set of challenges. A director’s role is relatively straight-forward when the rules are followed, but when the rules are unclear or are simply ignored, things can get challenging. This course is designed for cooperative directors and those that advise them, and will clarify what duties a director owes, proper board procedure and how to deal with defects in board meetings, how a director can be sued or otherwise be held personally liable for his/her actions or actions of the board, what protections are available to shield a director from liability and “best practices” to avoid problems in the first place. The Boot Camp for Cooperative Directors course topics will be discussed using illustrations from real-life situations with the goal of helping directors avoid getting caught by surprise. Because of the broad range of interconnected topics, the Boot Camp for Cooperative Directors course is offered as a two part series. Part 1 will cover: •What a director's duties are, to whom they are owed, and how these duties can shift. •What type of director duties are delegable, and what type are non-delegable. •Board procedure and committee operations. •Defects that occur when conducting board meetings, how they affect actions taken and how they might be fixed. •Practical advice on dealing with certain recurring board issues and what other cooperatives are doing.

Presenter and Moderator Bios

Presenter: Daniel S. Welytok, von Briesen & Roper

Daniel S. Welytok is a shareholder in the Milwaukee office of von Briesen & Roper S.C., where he practices in the business area, with an emphasis on tax-favored organizations and cooperatives. Dan is a member of the National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives, the Electric Cooperative Bar Association, and a frequent contributor to The Cooperative Accountant. He has served in numerous leadership roles in professional associations, including the American Bar Association’s Advisory Committee, articles editor for The Tax Lawyer and chair of the ABA Tax Law Committee, Young Lawyers Division. Dan is also an active member of the Great Lake Tax Exempt Government Entities Council, where he has served as chair and Great Lakes Area liaison with the Internal Revenue Service, and he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin State Bar Section of Taxation. He is a frequent speaker and author and has edited, authored and contributed to a number of law-based books, including Nonprofit Law and Governance for Dummies, Sarbanes-Oxley for Dummies and The Wisconsin Guide to Nonprofits. Dan received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1987 and his Masters of Law in Taxation from DePaul University College of Law in 1990. Robert A. Fuhrer is Vice President and General Counsel for the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative in Herndon, Virginia. NRTC represents the advanced telecommunications and information technology interests of more than 1,500 rural utilities and affiliates across the United States. Bob graduated with honors from the University at Albany, State University of New York in 1987 and the Washington College of Law, American University in 1990. He also holds a degree from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. Prior to joining NRTC in 2000 as an associate general counsel, Bob spent five years at Bell Canada International (BCI-US) as a senior corporate counsel. Earlier, Bob was associated with a large law firm in Washington, D.C. in addition to serving as a corporate counsel in the legal department of General Physics Corporation, a multinational professional services, engineering and defense company. Bob oversees all of NRTC’s legal affairs, including transactional matters, as well as regulatory affairs, litigation and board and corporate governance activities.

Presenter: Robert A. Fuhrer, Vice President, National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative

Cost
$56.00 for NSAC Members / $70.00 for Non-Members

Delivery System

• All programs are delivered using the Zoom platform.
• Confirmations will include log-in instructions.
• Participants are able to participate using any device with an Internet connect (if the device does not have speakers, the participant can also dial-in) or they can participate with audio only by dialing in.
• All registrants will receive a link to the CLN’s recording by email within 48 business hours of event’s conclusion.
• There will be assistance available to help with technical and connectivity issues up to 10 minutes prior to the start of the presentation.

Registration

All registration is done on-line and each guest must provide their name and email address to participate. All NSAC members may register for free. Non-members may register for a nominal fee.

Refund Policy

NSAC will not issue refunds for CLNs. If a registrant is unable to participate in the CLN and provides notification to info@nsacoop.org 48 hours prior to the session, a credit will be provided for a future CLN. Alert the NSAC staff member monitoring the CLN if technical difficulties are encountered and technical support will be provided to eliminate problems with future CLNs.

Additional Information

Live participation is required for CPE credit and polling questions must be answered to document your active participation. All registrants will receive an email following the session with links to the slides and/or handouts, and a link to the CLN recording (unless otherwise stated). If you are unable to participate in the live session, you can still watch the recorded session, but you will not be eligible for CPE credits. Those eligible for credits will receive their certificate by email with 7 business days.

For more information regarding NSAC CLNs or administrative policies such as complaint and refund, contact the NSAC Headquarters, 7946 Clyo Road, Suite A, Centerville, OH 45459, 937-222-6707, or info@nsacoop.org.