Description

Public Advisor to the Board of Trustees of the NBRC

Function/Role

A.     The elected Public Advisor shall be a voting member of the Board of Trustees and have all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of such members. He/she shall also serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Committee but shall not be eligible to hold an elected corporate office.  The individual elected by the Board may serve up to three consecutive four-year terms, commencing January 1 of the year following his/her election, or until a successor is named should the Public Advisor wish to resign his/her position before the end of a four-year term.

B.     The Public Advisor shall attend all meetings of the Board and participate fully in the discussion and debate of issues.

C.     He/she shall be appointed to serve on committees of the Board at the discretion of the President, but with particular consideration to membership on committees such as Admissions, Judicial and Ethics, Public Relations and others which conduct a significant portion of the NBRC’s policy formulating which could impact the public. In committee meetings, the Public Advisor shall have all rights and privileges of regular members and shall be entitled to vote on all items of business.

D.     In carrying out these duties, the Public Advisor will be expected to contribute insight from the point of view of consumers of health care to assist the Board in meeting its obligation to the public. The Public Advisor will provide guidance from the perspective of an external, unbiased source, as the Board and/or its committees consider changes in policy or procedure affecting examination candidates and credentialed practitioners.

E.      The Public Advisor shall submit a report of his/her activities and any recommendations to the Board of Trustees at least annually and shall be offered the opportunity to present a report at all Board of Trustees and Executive Committee meetings.

F.      The Public Advisor’s role is to bring a perspective to the decision-making of the NBRC that is broader than the certificants and to help balance the NBRC’s role in protecting the public while advancing the interests of the certificants. Effective Public Advisors also represent the public’s, consumer’s, or user’s perspective and interest; bring new ideas and goals to the NBRC to ensure the public’s interest is valued; contribute an unbiased perspective; encourage consumer-oriented positions; and bring additional public accountability and responsiveness.

Requirements

Other Requirements 

A.     Upon acceptance of the position of Public Advisor, the individual must agree to adhere to the standards of conduct expected of members of the Board of Trustees as outlined in the document entitled Guidelines for Members of the Board of Trustees and Consultants to the Board of Trustees in Carrying Out Their Duties as Directors and Consultants. The individual must agree to resign the position should he/she be unable to adhere to these standards.

B.     The Public Advisor shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees and may be replaced or relieved of duty at any time, including prior to the expiration of an elected term, upon majority vote by the Board.

C.     The Public Advisor must agree to attend all scheduled functions of the Board and to contribute his/her time at no cost, other than expense reimbursement, in the same manner as is the case for other members of the Board of Trustees.

D.     The Public Advisor preferably should be a consumer or potential consumer of the certificants’ skills or services. The Public Advisor should NOT be any of the following:

       A current or previous member of the profession, occupation, role, or specialty area encompassed by the certification program;

       A supervisor, manager, direct co-worker, or an employee or subordinate of individuals in the profession encompassed by the certification program;

       An employee of an individual certified by the certification program or of an employer of individuals in the profession encompassed by the certification program;

       A person who currently receives or within the last five years has received income from the profession encompassed by the certification program.