Who Actually Runs the HOA? Directors vs. Officers Explained

If you've ever wondered why some board communications come from "the President" and others mention "the Board of Directors," you're not alone — the distinction between these two groups confuses a lot of residents, even though it's actually pretty simple once you see it laid out.

The Board of Directors: The Voting Body

Wickford Point's governing bylaws establish a Board of three Directors, elected directly by the membership — that's you and your fellow homeowners. Directors serve three-year terms, staggered so that only one seat comes up for election each year. This is the group with actual decision-making authority: setting the budget, levying assessments, and managing the community's common expenses and facilities.

If a Director seat becomes vacant partway through a term, the remaining Directors can fill it by majority vote rather than waiting for the next annual election — which keeps the Board functional without an immediate special election, unless the Board's numbers drop below quorum, in which case a special meeting of members is called to restore it to full strength.

The Officers: The Administrative Roles

Separately, the Association has four Officers — President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Here's the key difference: Officers aren't elected by residents at all. They're elected by the Directors, at the Board's first meeting following each annual membership meeting.

Each Officer role has a defined function:

• The President acts as chief executive and sits on every committee

• The Vice President steps in when the President is unavailable

• The Secretary keeps minutes of all Board and committee meetings and handles official correspondence

• The Treasurer manages the Association's funds and financial records

The Overlap That May Surprise People

Nothing in the bylaws prevents a person from being both a Director and an Officer at the same time. In fact, this is common in practice — a Director might also serve as the Board's Secretary, for example. When that happens, that person's voting power comes from their Director seat; the Officer title is a separate administrative role layered on top.

Why It Matters

Understanding this distinction helps make sense of how decisions actually get made at Wickford Point. If you want to influence Board decisions directly, the path is being elected as a Director by your fellow members. If you want to help with the day-to-day administrative work of running the Association, an Officer role — appointed by the Board — is the route, and doesn't require a separate residency-wide election.

Both roles matter, but they answer different questions: Directors decide what the Association does; Officers help carry out how it gets done.