Submitted by Katanga Mants County Extension Coordinator Alabama Cooperative Extension System Lowndes County Office The Alabama Black Belt Heritage Area is partnering with the Black Belt Community Foundation and Alabama School of Law Community Development Clinic to host three Board Development Workshops in the May - June timeframe. The workshops will be in Tuskegee (Tuesday, May 15), Selma (Tuesday, May 22) and Livingston (Tuesday, June 19). Once again this spring, the Black Belt Community Foundation is working with the University of Alabama School of Law Community Development Clinic and the Alabama Black Belt Heritage Area to assist groups in the Black Belt in developing effective Boards of Directors. An effective Board of Directors is critical in the work of any non-profit. The first step to developing an effective board is board orientation. This can be a daunting prospect for a small organization or a group just starting out. Developing a Board Orientation Program is time consuming and leading one for the first time can be intimidating. To help you get started or even to refresh your memory, Talitha Powers Bailey, Director of the Community Development Clinic, has agreed to offer three Board Orientation sessions around the Black Belt this spring. The sessions will be about an hour long. Although the program is free, it is important for each group to make a reservation, including the number of board members, or prospective board members, who will be attending. We are encouraging groups to send several board members so that the important task of governance will not fall to only one person in the future. If you are currently recruiting board members, this would be a great opportunity to give them an idea of what is expected of the board of directors before they agree to become part of the board. The Board Orientation Program will be held at the following locations and times: Tuskegee: May 15, 2012 at 5:30 pm at the Macon County Commissioner Chamber (211 N. Main Street) Tuskegee, AL 36083. Selma:May 22, 2012 at 5:30 pm at the BBCF Headquarters (609 Lauderdale Street) Selma, AL Livingston:June 19, 2012 at 5:30 pm at the Center for the Study of located in Land Hall, the University of West Alabama, Livingston, AL Please call the BBCF at (334) 874-1126 to make a reservation, or for more information.