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Building a High-functioning Board

Building a High-functioning Board

November 14, 2024


In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel Senior Consultant Carole Carter talks with her Lighthouse Counsel colleague, Senior Consultant Howard Cohen, about creating and maintaining high-functioning boards.

In their discussion, Howard addresses topics including:

  • The definition of a high-functioning board
  • Signs of a dysfunctional board
  • Tips for board chairs on how to shape an effective board.

About our guest

In addition to his role with Lighthouse Counsel, Howard is chancellor emeritus at Purdue University Northwest. His career in higher education has spanned more than 50 years. His areas of practice include strategic and academic planning, department chair leadership, leadership team development and organization structural transformation.

Howard has held academic appointments as a professor of philosophy and administrative appointments as department chair, program director, dean, provost and chancellor, serving at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Purdue University Northwest and SUNY Buffalo State.

He formerly was a senior associate and executive director of AASCU Consulting, a group that works primarily with public regional universities. 

Howard’s teaching and research interests have focused on the areas of social philosophy and ethics, as he addresses questions related to the obligations of those in positions of authority who make decisions for others. He is the author of two books — “Equal Rights for Children” and “Power and Restraint: The Moral Dimensions of Police Work” — and numerous journal articles.

Connect with Howard on LinkedIn