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So You Want to Join a Nonprofit Board

Start + Grow Your Nonprofit

Whether you work in the corporate, public or nonprofit sphere, joining a nonprofit board of directors can be a great boost to your career. Serving on a board is a wonderful way to build leadership skills, grow your network, learn how nonprofits operate and make a difference in your community. And, it can be a lot of work!

Join this panel discussion of current board members and nonprofit executives to learn:

• The benefits of joining a nonprofit board
• The most-needed skills and expertise of nonprofit board members
• Considerations and potential questions to ask before joining a board
• Basic roles and responsibilities of board members
• How to choose a nonprofit board to join
• Expectations of board members in terms of time and financial commitment

This free workshop is ideal for new and aspiring board members, and civic-minded community members at large!

Presented in partnership with the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois.

About the Panelists:

Rebecca Guyette is the Chief Development Officer at the United Way of Champaign County. Rebecca (Becca) joined United Way of Champaign County in 2013 as Director of Leadership Giving, overseeing the now $3 million annual Pillar giving program. In 2019, she became Chief Development Officer. In this role, Becca continues to oversee the Pillar program, Major Gifts, and United Way’s Resource Development division.

As a Certified Fundraising Executive, she does ongoing training with local fundraising professionals, with specific emphasis on the development and sustainability of annual fund and major gift programs.

Prior to joining United Way, Becca worked for 10 years at the University of Illinois YMCA as Program and Development Director and led a capital funds drive to renovate the building. She received her MA in Communication from the University of Illinois.

In 2014 Becca was recognized as the Central Illinois Business Magazine Woman of the Year for her professional and community efforts. She is currently a board member for Lindsey Communities and Executive Club of Champaign County. She lives in Savoy with her husband, Joe and their two children.

Chris Randles is the CP/CFO of Parkland College. Chris came to Parkland College in 1994 as a staff accountant. He was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 2008 and Vice President of Administrative Services/CFO/Treasurer in 2009 after filling the roles of senior accountant and controller.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a certified and licensed public accountant in the State of Illinois. Mr. Randles is a member of the AICPA, Illinois CPA Society, Association of Government Accountants, and the American Association of Accountants.

Chris was selected for News-Gazette’s Forty Under 40 Award in 2009.

Outside of work his interests are many and varied. He is a current member of the University of Illinois Community Credit Union Board (treasurer), Champaign Rotary Club Board, Champaign County CrimeStoppers Board, and the Illini Rebounders Club Board. Chris is a former member of Family Service of Champaign County Board (president & treasurer) and Big Brother Big Sisters (BBBS) of Central Illinois Board. He enjoys travel, film, sports, and spending time with his French Bulldog Zoe and his twin Nephews Holden & Finn.

Michelle Gonzales is the Special Assistant in Public Engagement at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Michelle Gonzales has been a Chicagoland transplant in CU for over thirty years. After twelve years as a third-grade teacher, she unexpectedly landed a position as the legislative assistant to the newly appointed State Senator Scott Bennett in 2015. It was through this office and opportunity that Michelle learned about the organizations, institutions, businesses and dedicated citizens that make Champaign-Urbana the resource-rich community it is today. During that chapter, she also discovered her passion for public service through volunteerism in a wide variety of activities.

The combination of her work and extra-curricular endeavors eventually led her to a job at the University of Illinois in Public Engagement through the Office of the Chancellor in 2020. Her undying commitment to Illinois at the university, local and state level is evident in all that she does as she continuously strives to build a healthier and happier community in this place she calls home. She knows that with every person she meets, we are all connected, we are all agents of change and we all have something valuable to contribute.

Michelle currently serves on the board for the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois, the Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation, the Advancement Council for Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, is a member of Urbana Rotary and is a mentor through the CU 1-1 Mentoring program.

Registration is not required, but encouraged.

Start + Grow Your Business Series:

• Mar 6, Fund Your Business, 7 pm (Rescheduled for March 27)
• Mar 14, VIRTUAL: Advertising with Google Ads, 10 am
• Mar 23, VIRTUAL: Social Media 201, 2 pm
• March 27, Fund Your Business, 7 pm
• Mar 30, So You Want to Join a Nonprofit Board, 5:30 pm

Starting or growing your business? Champaign.org/launch

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