Merrill Lynch director and executive Anthony Bland is an experienced investment management professional and a dedicated volunteer board member. Over the course of his career, Anthony Bland has served on the boards of directors of many organizations in the Fort Lauderdale area, including Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Museum of Discovery and Science.
While serving as a nonprofit board member can be a valuable and rewarding experience, both for the individual and for the organization, it is also a significant responsibility. In order to make an effective contribution, prospective board members must understand exactly what will be involved before making a commitment. Here are three steps to take if you are considering joining a board:
1. Research the organization. Just as you would never accept a job without researching the company, you should never join a board without doing your due diligence on the organization. This means reading bylaws to understand board structure and member terms, reviewing meeting minutes and financial statements to get a sense of the current state of the organization, and looking at any major documents, such as a strategic plan.
2. Identify your own skills. Nonprofit organizations need board members who are passionate about their cause, but even more importantly, they need board members with specific skills to help them move forward. Clarifying what skills you can bring to your board position, and understanding what skills the organization is looking for, will help you decide whether or not you can make a worthwhile contribution.
3. Do a trial run. Before you sign up for a long-term board role, it can be a good idea to start with a trial run. Join a smaller committee or help plan a board-related function before jumping in head-first.
The recipient of an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Anthony Bland is a market executive and managing director with Merrill Lynch Global Wealth & Investment Management in Fort Lauderdale. Away from his professional pursuits, Anthony Bland was once a member of the board of directors of the Museum of Discovery and Science. Established in 1977 by the Junior League of Fort Lauderdale, the Museum of Discovery and Science is visited by more than 450,000 people each year. Through its various exhibits and events, the museum is a great place for young people to engage in hands-on learning. However, students do not necessarily have to visit the museum to take advantage of its services, thanks to the Museum on Wheels program.The Museum on Wheels can provide programming to as many as 120 students if the school has space. Smaller classroom outreach programs are appropriate for 30 or fewer students.Eight different programs are available. For example, the CSI: Investigation program, for Grades 4 through 8, teaches students how to apply scientific methods to solve problems. Other programs include Crazy Chemistry, Arthropod Adventure, and Cold-Blooded Critters.
An accomplished financial services executive, Anthony Bland serves as a managing director for Merrill Lynch in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a role in which he leads a network of six offices across Broward and Dade counties. To prepare for his career, Anthony Bland attended the MBA program at the University of North Carolina and the Securities Industry Institute (SII) at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.Part of the executive education program at the Wharton School of Business, SII is operated in partnership with the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA). Designed specifically for the top emerging professionals in the securities industry, the three-year program develops the participant’s leadership skills and knowledge base while focusing on business principles along with high standards of integrity and ethics. Students enrolled in SII gain access to a diverse, modern curriculum taught by some of the world’s best-known business faculty, including Wharton professor Jeremy Siegel. Among other areas of study, SII students take seminars in topics such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, emerging markets, and strategic leadership. After completing the program, SII graduates will possess comprehensive and coherent strategies for making more effective business decisions. They will also enjoy access to a peer network of emerging securities leaders around the world.
