How Address Board Member

How to Address a Chairman of a Board
     Board of Governors...
     Board of Directors...
     Board of Regents...
     Board of Trustees...
     Board of Visitors... etc.

MEMBERS & CHAIRMEN
     Members of a boards are addressed as Mr./Ms./Dr./whatever honorific they typically use + name and are identified as a member or chairman of a board of (name of board).

GOVERNORS
      E.g., while a member of a board of governors might be referred to in the third person as a 'governor' as in the sentence "The full term of a governor is fourteen years" ... they are not addressed as Governor (name).

BOARDS ADDRESSED AS "THE HONORABLE"
Members of certain high US Federal government boards whose members are addressed as the Honorable depending on the board and how the members were named to the board. Check with the board's staff for details.

Envelope to a Chairman of a Board:
    Mr./Ms. (full name)
        Chairman of the (name of board)
            (Name of board)
                (Organization)
                    (Address)
    or
    Mr./Ms. (full name)
        Chairman
            (Name of board)
                (Organization)
                    (Address)

Envelope to a Member of a Board:
    Mr./Ms. (full name)
        (Name of board)
            (Organization)
                (Address)

To a Chairman who is addressed as the Honorable:
(for example, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System)
   The Honorable
       (Full name)
            Chairman of the (name of board)
                (Organization)
                   (Address)
    or
    The Honorable
       (Full name)
            Chairman
           (Name of board) of (organization)
                   (Address)
    or a member
    The Honorable
       (Full name)
        (Name of board) of (organization)
                 (Address)

Letter salutation:
Dear Mr./Ms. (surname):

FYI, here is what's come in to the Blog that relates to this office/rank.
For recent questions sent in, check out Robert Hickey's Blog.
For specific offices/ranks, check out Robert Hickey's On-Line Guide.

Are Presidentially Appointed Board Members
Addressed as The Honorable?
    I would like to know if Presidentially appointed members of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's board are considered The Honorable, and, if so, are they still The Honorable after their term is completed?
      -- Beth Norris

Dear Ms. Norris:
The Honorable is reserved for those appointed by The President and approved by the Senate.
        1) Every officer in the United States Armed Forces receives their commission through appointment by the President, but none are the Honorable.
        2) The President's staff is all appointed by The President but none are the Honorable.
    Some chairmen of very high boards are the Honorable ... e.g. the chairman of the Federal Reserve ... but members of boards, councils, are typically not.
    I include a list in my book on pages 78-79 of offices that are the Honorable if this sort of issue comes up often.
          -- Robert Hickey

How to Address a Member of the
Board of Governors at the Federal Reserve?
Is a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors properly referred to as The Honorable?
-- Doug L.

Dear Doug L.,
    According to Fed's website all are appointed by The President and approved by the US Senate.
    The site says: Appointments to the Board: The seven members of the Board of Governors are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to serve 14-year terms of office. Members may serve only one full term, but a member who has been appointed to complete an unexpired term may be reappointed to a full term. The President designates, and the Senate confirms, two members of the Board to be Chairman and Vice Chairman, for four-year terms.
    To be The Honorable as an appointed office holder you need both the appointment and the confirmation
    So, yes, all the Governors at the Federal Reserve are The Honorable.
    -- Robert Hickey

What to Address the Chairman of the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve?
       What is the form of address for the Chairman of the Federal Reserve?
       What I did was:
           Mr. John Doe
           Governor
           U.S. Federal Reserve System
           XXXXX
           Washington, D.C.
     And the salutation:
           Dear Governor Doe:
   -- Wales Williams

Dear Mr. Williams:
   The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate .... so he is addressed as The Honorable (full name).
     But more important is that those on the Board of Governors are not Governors ... they are members of a Board of Governors. Members of a Board of Regents ... of a Board of Visitors .... of a Board of Directors .... are all handled the same way. They are addressed as Mr./Ms. (name) and are identified as member of the board of (whatever).
     So if the letter isn't sent ... fix it.
   -- Robert Hickey

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For forms of address for invitations, place cards, name badges, introductions, conversation, and all other formal uses, see Honor & Respect: the Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address.

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