chairpersons

A chairperson is the presiding officer of a meeting, committee, board, or other deliberative body. The chairperson ensures the orderly conduct of business, upholds procedural rules, and represents the body in relations with outside groups.

Duties typically include presiding at meetings, setting and approving the agenda with the secretary, recognizing speakers, enforcing rules of order, guiding discussion to focus on issues, and ensuring decisions are properly recorded and communicated. In many organizations, the chair also signs official documents and oversees the governance process.

Appointment and term vary. Chairs are usually elected by members or appointed by a governing body and may serve fixed terms or at the pleasure of the group. In corporate settings, the chair is often a non-executive leader who oversees the board and monitors the performance of the chief executive, while day-to-day management is handled by the CEO.

Powers and limitations depend on bylaws or governing documents and may include a casting vote in some procedures. Chairs must act impartially during meetings, ensure equal participation, and uphold the body’s rules and ethical standards.

Variants and terminology reflect changes in language. The term chairperson is widely used as gender-neutral, while chairwoman and chairman are older variants. In some contexts, chair is used both as the office and as a title, such as department chair in academia, which denotes a managerial role within a department.