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2 33

LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS

Learn More About the Atla Board 
and its Work
Susan Ebertz, Atla Board President (2024–2025)
Beth Kumar, Atla Board Secretary (2024–2025)
Jérémie LeBlanc, Atla Board Member (President, 2023–2024)
Karl Stutzman, Atla Board Vice President (2024–2025)

ABSTR AC T: The Atla Board of Directors is responsible for guiding 
the strategic direction of Atla and ensuring that it meets the needs 
of its members. Rather than transcribing what was a largely informal 
question-and-answer and listening session, this article highlights the 
primary concerns, structural processes, and relationship-building efforts 
that characterize the Board’s governance model. The session provided 
insights into the Board’s composition, the concerns of both Board 
members and the general membership, and the Board’s engagement 
strategies to strengthen relationships and ensure effective governance. 
The session also offered an opportunity for Board members to gather 
feedback from constituent members, known as the “moral owners.”

Editorial note: The authors utilized ChatGPT as a tool to summarize 
themes within the session transcript.

INTRODUCTION

The Atla Board of Directors uses a form of governance known as 
Policy Governance, which was developed in the 1970s by John Carver 
and taught by his spouse Miriam Carver (Carver and Carver 2016a; 
Carver and Carver 2016b). This governance method focuses the Board 
on what are known as Organizational Ends, or the results that Atla 
members want to see from the organization. The Organizational 
Ends are drawn from member feedback. Board members present 
engaged in a question-and-answer and listening session with Atla 
Annual attendees, who are important organizational stakeholders 
and potential future Board members. 



2 34    ATL A 2024 PROCEEDINGS

Four Board members convened the session: Beth Kumar, Karl 
Stutzman, Susan Ebertz, and Jérémie LeBlanc. Kumar is Director of 
Library Services at Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, CA, USA) 
and is the Secretary for 2024–25. Stutzman is Director of Library 
Services at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, IN, 
USA) and is the Vice President for 2024–25. Susan Ebertz is Emerita 
Director of the Library at Wartburg Theological Seminary (Dubuque, 
IA, USA) and is the President for 2024–25. LeBlanc is Chief Librarian 
at Saint Paul University (Ottawa, ON, Canada) and served as President 
in 2023–24.

A central question presented by the Board members leading the ses-
sion was whether attendees “see” themselves in Atla’s Organizational 
Ends, which were presented at the Annual Member Meeting on June 
20, 2024 and which are available on Atla’s website (Atla “Mission & 
Organizational Ends,” n.d.).

COMPOSITION AND ROLES

The Atla Board of Directors, per the Bylaws of the association, has 
twelve members, all of whom are required to be individual members 
of the association and who are elected by the membership. Board 
members serve three-year terms and may be elected for a second 
consecutive term. The Board currently meets in person three times 
a year; one of these meetings is before Atla Annual. The Board also 
meets online numerous times for special meetings and committee 
meetings. The Board has four officers: a President, Vice President, 
Secretary, and Treasurer. Board members present explained that 
board service is all volunteer work and requires a high degree of 
focus and dedication as well as many hours of preparation and 
meetings. In addition to Atla’s governing bylaws, the Board oper-
ates from the Atla Board Policy Manual. These documents, as well 
as Board meeting minutes, are accessible to members via the Atla 
website. The Atla website also lists all Board members and includes 
a contact form for the Board (Atla “Board of Directors,” n.d.).



Listen and Learn Sessions    235

ENGAGEMENT WITH MEMBERS

One of the primary goals of the session was to foster engagement 
between the Board and the general membership. The Board invited 
questions and feedback from both in-person and online attendees, 
emphasizing the importance of transparency and open communica-
tion. This initiative aligns with the Board’s commitment to building 
a culture of trust and transparency within Atla.

What is “Moral Ownership?”
A significant portion of the session focused on the concept of moral 
ownership, a term used to describe the stakeholders who have a 
vested interest in Atla. It was clarified that moral owners include all 
members of Atla; these are the stakeholders who contribute to and 
benefit from the organization’s mission. This distinction underscores 
the inclusive nature of the Board’s governance model.

Relationship Building
A recurrent theme in the session was the Board’s concern about 
relationship building. Ensuring healthy and strong relationships 
between Board members, Atla staff, and the general membership 
is a priority. This focus on relational health is seen as essential for 
fostering a collaborative and supportive organizational culture. The 
Board has engaged in learning activities related to building relation-
ships and sees this at the heart of its work.

Understanding Board Activities
There was an expressed need for greater clarity regarding the 
Board’s activities. Members voiced a desire to better understand 
the Board’s decision-making processes and the specific actions it 
undertakes. This feedback highlights the necessity for ongoing 
efforts to communicate the Board’s roles and responsibilities more 
effectively. Members present were also interested in knowing what 
board service means and what is involved so that they can prepare 
for future service to the association.



2 36    ATL A 2024 PROCEEDINGS

Organizational Ends (OEs)
The session also addressed the Board’s Organizational Ends (OEs), 
which outline the key objectives and goals of Atla. Feedback from 
the membership indicated a general alignment with these goals, 
though there were calls for more ambitious and risk-taking initiatives. 
One OE that generated considerable discussion was OE 1.4, which 
emphasizes the expression of varying spiritual traditions and life 
stances. The inclusion of “life stances” was a response to member 
feedback, demonstrating the Board’s responsiveness to evolving 
member needs. A recently instituted collaboration between the 
Board and Atla staff is a detailed annual survey of members. This 
is an attempt to systematize the gathering of feedback from moral 
owners on the progress Atla is making toward reaching its OEs. This 
survey also allows the Board to survey the landscape and identify 
trends in the membership.

CONCLUSION

The Atla Board’s open session at the annual conference pro-
vided valuable insights into the Board’s composition, concerns, and 
engagement strategies. The emphasis on transparency, relationship 
building, and member feedback reflects the Board’s commitment to 
effective governance and organizational health. Continued efforts to 
embrace future-facing leadership will be crucial for Atla’s ongoing 
success and relevance.

REFERENCES

Atla. n.d. “Board of Directors.” n.d. Atla. Accessed July 23, 2024. 
https://www.atla.com/about/board/.

Atla. n.d. “Mission & Organizational Ends.” Atla. Accessed July 23, 
2024. https://www.atla.com/about/mission/.

Carver, John and Miriam Carver. 2016a. “John Carver Bibliography.” 
PolicyGovernance.com.  http://www.carvergovernance.com/bib-
John.htm.

Carver, John and Miriam Carver. 2016b. “Miriam Carver Bibliography.” 
2016. https://carvergovernance.com/bib-Miriam.htm.

https://www.atla.com/about/board/
https://www.atla.com/about/mission/
http://PolicyGovernance.com
http://www.carvergovernance.com/bib-John.htm
http://www.carvergovernance.com/bib-John.htm
https://carvergovernance.com/bib-Miriam.htm

