Shared Responsibilities

- All Directors are expected to have input into the Vision of the conference as well as drive the vision, provide contacts, content, building community, and other suggestions.
- Each Director will have a team of 2-5 or more additional 2-5 people, either locally or preferably spread across the country to execute the Directors' vision for that team. Each Director will lay the framework and methodology for that team, oversee progress (close deals, etc.), and report back to the Board. The Community Outreach Directors will help find folks for each of the Director's teams, as well as at least 2 Directors in each major metropolitan area.
- Attend by phone or in person, monthly status meetings. Optional monthly conference calls held on dates offset by each half-month from the monthly status meetings. During the summer of 2002, monthly status meetings will increase to twice a month, and conference calls to weekly.

Board of Directors - Functional Roles and Responsibilities

Purpose: Similar to the purpose of the conference of creating "community," the purpose of the Board of Directors is to have direct responsibility to plan and execute the creation of the conference.

Description: Our credibility comes from the members of the Advisory Board, the Board of Directors, and our many various Steering Committees.
Description

The Board of Directors is composed of expert members of our collective community identified to lead one or more functional areas of the conference:

Executive Director
executive@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Overall Coordination and Vision

Content Director
content@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Content development, speaker selection. Develop individual teams that will each be responsible for a single panel (one of several throughout the conference) that explores a single topic (e.g. high school athletics, college, etc.) -- these teams select their own speakers, moderator, the theme, and issues/questions to be explored.

Finance Director
finance@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Handles the budget and other financial issues. Will work with IT to develop online registration fees, etc.

Operations Director
operations@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Location selection and facility management. Work with IT if there is to be any recording or broadcasting (video, audio, web) of the conference.

IT Director
tech@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Website, technology (Internet, audio, video, etc.), backend database, front end usability, etc.

Community Outreach Director
outreach@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Contact athletic groups locally and across the country to let them know about the conference and bring them in to create content/panels, grow the contact network to potential speakers and sponsors, and help market the conference to their local areas. The Community Outreach Directors will help find folks for each of the Director's teams, as well as at least 2 Directors (male and female team) in each major metropolitan area. A proponent of Metcalf's Law which states: "The power of the network is squared with each additional node".

Marketing Director
marketing@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Define the marketing and communications functions of the conference, whether it be print, tv, radio, Internet. Define the framework and have a team that executes on it. Works with the IT and Sponsorship groups.

Communications and Public Relations Director
communications@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Work with the Marketing Director to define the communications and public relations functions of the conference. Define the framework and have a team that executes on it. Works with the IT, Sponsorship, Community Outreach, and Community Networking groups.

Sponsorship Director
sponsorship@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Contact and work with various non-profit and corporate sponsors for the conference. Work with the Finance and Legal groups to structure the contracts. Layout the methodology and framework, and oversee the team to signup the sponsor, close the deal, and manage expectations of the sponsor.

Community Networking Director
networking@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Work to develop community and networking within everyone involved with the conference, including the organizers, speakers, sponsors, friends, groups across the country, and attendees, e.g. plan events for the organizers to connect with one another, either physically in Boston or virtually for non-local folks or in other cities if there is exists more than one group in any single location helping with the conference; plan events during the conference to encourage community and networking. Work with the Community Outreach group. Also work with the IT group to use technology (chat rooms, ICQ, AIM, discussion boards, etc.) to facilitate virtual meetings/gatherings/chats, to network not just before and during the conference, but also after the conference (to continue the conversations and push the envelope). A proponent of Metcalf's Law which states: "The power of the network is squared with each additional node".

Exposition Director
expo@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Responsible for the "expo" which has yet to be defined. Either/or or all of the above, (a) it could be a show case for sponsors to have booths for their products, local sports groups to recruit new members or announce their events, (b) some sort of competition or field day for the attendees and speakers, (c) sports fashion show, again provided by our sponsors, (d) sports technology show, again provided by our sponsors, (e) career fair, etc, and MORE. Works with all of the other groups including IT, Community Networking, Community Outreach, Sponsorship, and Marketing.

Security Director
security@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Work directly with the Operations group on security issues which are heightened since the Sept 11 tragedy. Also work with IT on registration and privacy issues.

Writer Director
writer@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Document our progress so as to create the making our historical "Time Capsule" or online "Gay and Lesbian Athletics Museum" on the website that chronicles our progress. Work with the IT group.

Legal Director
legal@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Handles the legal and other registration/corporation issues. Will work with all departments to help refine contracts. Must approve all contracts.

Public Speaking Director
publicspeaking@gayconference.org
Responsibility: Handles coaching and tips for any speakers at the conference. It's likely not everyone will be an accomplished speaker.

Advisory Board

Purpose: Similar to the purpose of the conference of creating "community," the purpose of the Advisory Board is to set aside any individual need, so as to cohesively bring together our resources to collectively benefit the community we have all become an intricate part of. Our credibility comes from the members of the Advisory Board, the Board of Directors, and our many various Steering Committees.
Description

Description: The Advisory Board is composed of outstanding members of our collective community identified as either having already contributed to the greater good and/or potentially could, in the role of furthering ideas, intellectual discussion, debate, investigation and/or expression of issues concerning LGBT athletes. The Advisory Board may also represent other areas that are necessary for the conference to function, such as sponsorship, notoriety, exposure, etc.
Requirements

Responsibilities:
- No committee oversight required
- Lend the conference the use of your name
- Put aside your own individual needs in exchange for creating a collectively greater good
- Make introductions to other potential Advisory Board members
- Assist to build out compelling content, finding sponsors, and other idea generation
- Help us extend the network

Community Outreach Steering Committees

Purpose: Similar to the purpose of the conference of creating "community," the purpose of the Steering Committees in each major metropolitan city is to replicate our full functional efforts across the nation, and if possible, around the world.

Description: The various Community Steering Committees are composed of connected and active members of our collective community identified to extend the network. Ideally, at least two representatives, one for the men and one for the women in the local community, and more if there are others that would like to help. Ideal persons for these positions are those that are well connected in the local athletic community. Time commitments vary and will likely not amount to more than 1 hour a week or every two weeks.

Responsibilities: (using the power of the network to help our collective community):
- Direct oversight responsibility over all activities that concern your major metropolitan area. Central management responsibility is the responsibility of that member of the Board of Directors. 
- Lend the conference the use of your name and expertise
- Put aside your own individual needs in exchange for creating a collectively greater good
- Assist to build out compelling content, finding sponsors, and other idea generation
- Work with Community Outreach to further build out your team mates
- Get the local papers to print the press releases and make note in the community calendars
- Print out the flyers and brochures, and hand out and/or post them where appropriate
- Help us extend the network - become the arms and legs of the conference in your area
- Optionally attend the conference

Your contact on the Board is through the organizational conference calls (once per month) and the Community Outreach Directors.

Question about this website? Email us at info@gayconference.org