What is governance?
Governance is the establishment of policies, and continuous monitoring of their proper implementation, by the members of the governing body of an organization. It includes mechanisms required to balance the powers of the members, along with the associated accountability of those individuals, and their primary duty of enhancing efficiency and viability of the organization.

What is the Board of Trustees?
The Board of Trustees (BOT) is the governing body of the organization and holds ultimate responsibility for the College.

Why is the ACC undergoing a governance transformation and how did the ACC get there?
The ACC has experienced significant growth and change over the last decade. Much of this growth has come in response to changes in the health care environment, as well as changes in the size, mission and scope of the College itself. In addition to developing a comprehensive Strategic Plan to guide the College through these changes, the ACC’s Board of Trustees (BOT) made it a priority to review its governance and decision-making structures and processes in order to make the College more nimble, strategic, accountable, and more reflective of the diversity and breadth within the global cardiovascular community. After two years of thoughtful discussion, the BOT in December 2015 approved changes to the ACC’s overarching governance process and structures that will be phased-in through 2018 – ahead of the launch of the College’s next Strategic Plan which will run from 2019 to 2023. The ACC’s governance redesign is committed to creating a more effective, strategic, and nimble organization focused on centralized authority and decentralized decision-making. Best practices state that effective teams are smaller in size to enable engaged members. The College is moving from a representational body to a strategic, competency-based body.

How will it be implemented?
BOT members and other leaders have been engaging members and stakeholders across the College as they work to move from principles to implementation via the implementation plan that was approved in December 2015. However, the ACC wants to get this right since large-scale transformation takes time. The changes are being made through a phased-in approach and all changes will be implemented by ACC.18.

What are the benefits of this transformation?
At a broad level, these changes are based on key principles for optimal governance that center on the concepts of centralized authority and decentralized decision making. Practically, this places tactical, operational, and management decision making at committee and staff levels and makes room for more member volunteers to take on leadership opportunities at the College.

Who should I reach out to if I have questions about this governance redesign?
Member feedback is a critical element of this process as we continue to ensure these changes are implemented in a manner that meets the needs of members and positions the College for success in the changing health care environment. If you have questions, suggestions or concerns, please reach out to the Governance Committee, a member of the Board of Trustees, the Governor from your state that serves on the ACC's Board of Governors or a Section Chair that serves on the Section Steering Committee.