With the CREB®-RAE merger exploration underway, I thought it would be helpful to provide some clarity about the role of your CREB® Board of Directors in that work and how it fits within the broader member engagement and discovery process.
The board has an important responsibility in this work, but its role is different from those of the Joint Merger Steering Committee (JMSC), the working groups and CREB® staff.
The JMSC and working groups have been established to undertake the detailed discovery work: gathering information, asking questions, examining opportunities and risks, considering different perspectives and, most importantly, hearing from members. Their work will help develop the information, findings and recommendations that will ultimately be brought forward to the board of directors for consideration.
The board’s role is to listen and remain informed as that work progresses and, when the appropriate information comes before us, to review it thoughtfully and objectively. It is not our role to take positions or make assumptions before the JSMC and working groups have completed their work. Like our members, we are listening and learning as their work progresses. The board will continue asking the necessary strategic, governance and risk-related questions and exercising our judgment in fulfilling our responsibilities to CREB® and its members. That is where the board can add the greatest value to this process.
It is also important to distinguish between the board’s governance role and CREB®’s communications role. Individual directors are not expected to communicate independently on behalf of the board. As Board Chair, I serve as the spokesperson for the board, while our CEO serves as the spokesperson for the organization, supported by our professional communications team.
Members should therefore expect to hear from different appropriate voices throughout this process. When information or a response comes from our CEO or staff, it should not be interpreted as an absence of board engagement. We are fulfilling our strategic governance responsibilities of listening, staying informed, and considering the perspectives and information brought forward while the exploration is underway.
My role as Board Chair includes communicating on behalf of the board when appropriate, but that does not mean every question or communication can or should require a personal response from the Board Chair. This division of responsibilities allows the board to remain focused on its governance obligations while ensuring the appropriate people are providing information, answering questions and supporting meaningful member engagement.
And there will be many opportunities for members to participate.
The Our Journey, Your Why hub on CREB®Link will continue to be a central source for updated information and opportunities to ask questions and share perspectives.
The member-led working groups provide another important opportunity for members to contribute directly to the discovery work, with additional opportunities for engagement as the process progresses.
The presentation by T3 Sixty’s Katie Shotts on Sept. 17 is one such opportunity. It is an introduction to the process, not the consultation itself, and I encourage members to attend one of Katie’s in-person or virtual meetings.
We want members to ask questions, challenge assumptions and tell us what matters most to them. That does not mean every question will result in an immediate or new response. Some can be answered today, some have already been addressed through previous posts, communications or the FAQ, and others cannot be answered until the necessary research and exploration work has been completed.
Where a question raises something that needs further consideration, it can still be heard, captured and considered as part of the broader process. Where questions touch ongoing legal matters, there are issues we cannot and will not debate in an online forum. This is to protect CREB® and our members’ interests.
Most importantly, the outcome of this work has not been predetermined. The purpose of exploration is exactly that: to explore and learn. The exploration may identify a compelling opportunity for CREB® and RAE to come together in a new structure. It may identify other opportunities that deserve consideration. Or it may confirm that CREB® is already structured in the best way to serve our members as the industry continues to evolve quickly. We do not know yet, and member input will be an important part of determining where this ultimately leads.
That is also why the Board should allow the exploration and member engagement process to unfold before reaching conclusions. Creating space for members to consider the information, explore the options and provide their perspectives before conclusions are reached is an important part of meaningful engagement
The board’s responsibility is to ensure the process is credible and thorough, appropriate due diligence is undertaken, members have meaningful opportunities to be heard, and to carefully consider the work that is ultimately brought before us.
That is the role your board of directors will continue to play throughout this journey.
Sincerely,
Susanita de Diego
CREB® Board Chair
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