2026 BNI CHAPTER LEADERSHIP TEAM SELECTION PROCESS
See each section for deadlines
What does it mean to lead your chapter members?
The strongest Leadership Team members are those who can make the role a priority. They are organized, in control of their schedule, and actively engaged in their chapter. They are members in good standing, maintaining Green or Yellow status in the Traffic Lights, and are open to receiving coaching, guidance, and support from the BNI Regional Support Team.
Most importantly, Leadership Team members lead by example. They consistently demonstrate the behaviours they expect from others by following BNI Policies, Guidelines, the Code of Ethics, and chapter standards. They set the tone for the culture, professionalism, and success of the chapter.
Before stepping into any Leadership Team role, members are required to complete the necessary training and orientation, and sign any applicable Leadership Team agreements. Depending on the role, additional learning through BNI Academy and other BNI online training platforms may also be required.
Leadership isn't about being in charge - it's about setting the standard, inspiring others, and helping your chapter reach its full potential.
Any member taking on a role MUST attend one of the 3 Orientation dates and times being offered. This is not optional and there will not be any make up sessions. If a member cannot attend one of the sessions you will have to choose a different member for the role. We are required by the BNI franchise agreement to provide the orientation for all LT members.
2026 Leadership Team Orientation Dates:
• September 11th | 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM
• September 14th | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
• September 25th | 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM
The Selection Process
Current President, Vice President, Membership Committee Chairs and Chapter Consultant Select The Incoming Vice President
Why? The VP and Membership Committee are your chapter's Human Resources Department. They ensure that the process is followed and the expectations are conveyed to the incoming Vice President.
Selection Committee is made up of the current President, Vice President,
4 Membership Committee Chairs & Chapter Consultant
· Schedule Committee Meetings
· Review the process
· Review the Timeline
· Review the Training Dates
· Discuss potential candidates
Note: The current LET (President, Vice President and Secretary Treasurer) must step away from any LET role. They cannot switch roles or stay on the LET for the next term. The exception is the Secretary Treasurer may do 1 extra year for chapters under 25 members
Note: Roles are not Elected Positions.
COMPLETED BY: JUNE 30TH, 2026
Incoming VP joins the Selection Committee and they Select 4 New Membership Committee Chairs plus 1 Alternate
It is important that the incoming Vice President chooses their team. They will select the four Membership Committee chair positions. The Membership Committee's role is to set and actively maintain the BNI policies, Chapter standards and guidelines which includes the enforcement of the attendance policy. The VP and MC MUST maintain confidentiality regarding all member and chapter issues.
The roles are:
- Member Engagement Chair
- Member Relations Chair
- Quality Assurance Chair
- Community Builder Chair
Best practice is for 2 current Membership Committee members to repeat one more year, and 2 new members fill the other 2 chair positions. (The outgoing VP could be one of the 2 repeating MC members). There is no minimum timeline for length of membership for a member to be on the committee
Recommendation is that chapters over 40 may add 1 additional MC member for every 10 members over 40 as well as have one alternate. They DO have to attend one of the scheduled training dates.
All Membership Committee members must go through training/orientation and sign agreements or they CANNOT sit on the committee regardless of having been in the role before.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
1) Members who are in a personal/spouse relationship cannot have both members in the membership committee or one in VP and one in Membership committee at the same time.
2) A member cannot sit on the MC or a combination of VP and MC for more than 2 consecutive years. There are many members in each chapter so it is good to give others the opportunity to be in the roles
COMPLETED BY: JULY 9TH, 2026
The incoming VP and the selection committee select the incoming President and Secretary/Treasurer
The President's role is to run the BNI structured agenda and keep the meeting running on time. The best presidents are engaging and have good energy.
The Secretary-Treasurer does not have to be an accountant. They manage the chapters cash flow (even while BNI is online). They also speak directly to the visitors each week to present the chapter application and membership fees, upcoming renewals, as well as manage the speaker rotation.
COMPLETED BY: JULY 9TH, 2026
The Selection Committee has now done their role. The rest is up to the incoming team.
Incoming President Selects 1 Education Coordinator, 1 Communications Coordinator and 1 Visitor Host Coordinator
Each of the positions are filled by one person only. They form part of the Leadership Team.
The Education Coordinator can assign a different member to deliver the Education Moment each week. They must deliver BNI related material.
The Visitor Host Coordinator will choose their own Visitor Host Team.
The Communications Coordinator may assign certain Social Media tasks to other members should they require assistance.
COMPLETED BY: JULY 16TH, 2026
Incoming Vice President and MC Select incoming Mentor Coordinator and the 10 Member Mentors
The Mentor Coordinator is a vital role in the success and retention of new members. Their role is to facilitate the Passport Program and assign the 10 member mentors. They then work with the new members to ensure that the member mentors are booking one to one’s with them to fulfill the passport activities.
They also work directly with the BNI Member Consultant.
COMPLETED BY: JULY 31ST, 2026
Incoming Visitor Host Coordinator Selects Visitor Host Team
It takes a team to run a chapter. The visitors that attend your meeting are the Most Important People at each meeting. The Visitor Hosts are vital to creating the best Visitor Experience. Good Visitor Hosts are engaging, full of helper genes and willing to make the visitors feel welcome. They are the first to arrive and last to leave a meeting – both in person and online.
If your chapter already had an amazing Visitor Host Coordiantor who is committed to the role they may stay in the role. They will still have to attend one of the orientation dates/times
THE VISITOR HOST TEAM CONSISTS OF AT LEAST ONE MEMBER FOR EACH
- Follow up - pre and post meeting follow up with emails and phone calls
- Registration/Visitor Host Table
- Greeter - greeting visitors/guests at the venue entrance.
- Shepherd - walking visitors in to the room and introducing them to members.
COMPLETED BY: JULY 31ST, 2026
You Might Be Wondering...
What is required for the different roles?
When do we announce the new team to the chapter.
Once the Chapter Consultant signs off on the incoming team you can make the announcement to the chapter. This is usually done by the outgoing President.
What if I don't want to take on a role?
Every chapter needs a team of chapter members to step up to the plate and take on a Leadership Team Role. BNI is not a spectator sport. It needs those that are willing to play. The payoff is increased visibility, trust and - in the end -referrals.
As a reminder - When you did your application interview you did agree to take on a leadershp team role when asked.
Do I have to sign anything?
Absolutely. Every role has a required agreement, non disclosure statement and/or expectation letter that has to be signed and submitted prior to taking on the role.
Is this a volunteer role?
You profit from being a member in your chapter - it is your obligation to serve in a role when you are a member.
This is not a volunteer role; this is a leadership role. They are very different. Creating success in a chapter takes commitment, drive, motivation and a willingness to succeed - and a positive and supportive attitude. This is true Givers Gain®.
2026 - BNI British Columbia