Arkansas Public Policy Panel

Mission Arkansas Public Policy Panel is a statewide organization dedicated to achieving social and economic justice by organizing citizen groups around the state, educating and supporting them to be more effective and powerful, and linking them with one another in coalitions and networks. The Panel seeks to bring balance to the public policy process in Arkansas. Constituency Structure The Panel Board of Directors represents the local, regional and state level groups. Five of the fifteen seats are allocated to the representatives from the regional project boards, which are composed of leaders from the local grassroots community groups who guide the Panel?s organizing work in each region. Another five directors are elected by the steering committee of the Citizens First Congress coalition. These ten members elect the final five members. The Panel Board of Directors oversees the executive director. The executive director leads a management team that includes the financial manager, development director and director of organizing. The organizing director oversees several organizers. Two other directors each oversee an assistant. Decision-making process The Panel is not a membership organization. To maintain accountability, leaders from grassroots community groups and organizations sit on the Panel board. The board meets quarterly for regular meetings and periodically for planning meetings. The board governs, oversees the executive director and sets direction. The direction is based on the issues identified by community groups and issue organizations. The board makes additional decisions based on recommendations from its various committees -- fundraising, personnel, governance, program and finance ? and from the staff management team. The staff management team, led by the executive director, develops its recommendations and makes other program decisions in bi-weekly meetings. These decisions are informed by and carried to the organizing staff, which meets weekly and the full staff, which meets monthly.