ECCQ Inc. – Reshaping our Governance

Now that EECQ has become incorporated and we are progressing to the next stage of our organisational development, it is timely for us to reconsider our governance arrangements so we are best positioned moving forward.

To meet the requirements of an incorporated association we must have office bearer positions including President, Treasurer and Secretary, who are elected by the ECCQ Inc. membership. This forms the Management Committee that will oversee all operations, finances and day to day decision making to support our Director Operations.

At our last meeting it was confirmed that the title of Coordinator be changed to Director Operations to better reflect the breadth and diversity of the work being undertaken by this role.

The other important change is the redefining of the Community Leadership Board’s role given that the Management Committee is now in place. The Board, which is the full membership of ECCO Inc., will be renamed the Community Leadership Group. This group will shift from overseeing all of the establishment of the ECCQ initiative to supporting the Management Committee – by focusing on the overall aspirations of ECCQ, providing strategic guidance, setting high level performance benchmarks, leading broader engagement and sourcing opportunities for improved partnering, investment and influence.

This change will establish a clear distinction between strategic and operational roles and should ensure that the Management Committee, through the Director Operations, can get on with the daily business of achieving delivery objectives while the CLG keeps the whole initiative on track for the longer term.

As such my role will change, but my commitment to ECCQ will not. I will remain as Chair of the Community Leadership Group and will continue to play a key role in taking this initiative forward. Given my senior role in Government I cannot hold a directorship or office bearer position in an entity that is (or may be) funded by my Department, so I will be resigning as the current President of the Management Committee. The Board has agreed to a transition period whereby my resignation and the election of a new President can occur in a planned and orderly way over the next 2 months. The changed focus of the Community Leadership Group will transpire over this period also.

The review of governance arrangements has brought a fresh energy to achieve our aim as we focus on the next phase of ECCQ. These changes will ensure ECCQ Inc. can continue to thrive and I believe, provide a solid platform upon which the important work can continue that will see every child have every chance to reach their full potential.

Mick Shearer
Chair, Community Leadership Group

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this country and recognise their connection to land, wind, water and community. We pay our respect to them, their cultures, and to the Elders both past and present.