Prepared by Bryce Butler, Co-Chair · July 2026 · For the September Board Retreat
This is not a replacement plan — it is a leadership expansion that lets the founding leaders evolve their contributions on our timeline, with intention.
The two founders lead as Co-Chairs — the seat that carries "President" authority. That founder title is not handed to anyone; it sunsets with the founders. The organization's ongoing operational leadership is carried by an Executive Director who reports to the board.
The leadership transition and the Governance Working Group's recommendations are one effort. The transition moves the founders through their roles; the governance framework builds the durable structure the transition rests on. Both come to the board at the September retreat, and both are shown here in one flow.
Part 1 · The Leadership Transition
Governance model: Bryce and Brian serve as Co-Chairs now — synonymous with "President" for the founders. Brendon Maxwell serves as Vice Chair for continuity and counsel. The President / Co-Chair title is a founder title that sunsets as the founders transition; going forward the board leads through its Chair, and the Executive Director reports to the board.
Role Arcs · 2026 → 2031+
Bryce Butler — Co-Chair → Board Chair Brian MacKay — Co-Chair → Emeritus Brendon Maxwell — Vice Chair Executive Director (new hire)▢ lighter shade = reduced / periodic role
2026–27
2028
2029
2030
2031
2031+
Bryce ButlerCo-Chair (President) → Board Chair
Co-Chair / President · operational strategy
Board Chair · continuity & strategy in governance
Brian MacKayCo-Chair (President) → Emeritus
Co-Chair / President · relational engine
Stepping back · legacy cohorts
Emeritus · on board by choice
Brendon MaxwellChair → Vice Chair
Vice Chair · governance continuity & counsel
Executive DirectorNew hire · Persuader · reports to board
Hired · immersion
Primary lead, new cohorts (2029, 2030)
Full operational leader · reports to board
Cohort insertion in 2029 is the activation point — the ED builds their own relational equity from a cohort that is fully theirs, rather than inheriting Brian's.
Year-by-Year Milestones
2026–2027 · Governance Set & Search Prep
BryceBrianFounders seated as Co-Chairs — the seat that carries "President" authority
BrendonMoves to Vice Chair for continuity and counsel; positioned as the successor pipeline for board leadership
Board adopts the framework and designates "President / Co-Chair" as a founder title that sunsets on transition
Draft the role profile for an Executive Director who reports to the board — not a "President"
Formalize the Chair's strategic mandate and the Chair / Vice-Chair succession line
2028 · Hire Executive Director
Exec DirectorHired; reports to the board; begins full immersion — programming, events, key member touchpoints alongside Brian
BrianMakes active introductions: "part of LX leadership" — not "my replacement"
BryceBegins delegating operational ownership while holding strategy from the Chair
2029 · Cohort Insertion — the activation moment
Exec DirectorBecomes primary relational lead for the incoming 2029 cohort — building, not shadowing
BrianRemains primary for all legacy cohorts; no disruption to existing relationships
2030 · Parallel Leadership
Exec DirectorHolds two cohorts of deep relationships (2029, 2030); carrying operational leadership
BrianSteps back from operational programming; relationally present with legacy cohorts
BryceOperational duties largely transferred; strategy runs through the Chair seat
Assess whether a separate Relational / Community Director hire is needed
2031 · Founder Transition & Title Sunset
BrianTransitions to emeritus at 65; remains on the board as he chooses, given his founder role
BryceContinues as Board Chair for continuity, holding the Architect / strategic function in governance
The "President / Co-Chair" founder title sunsets
Exec DirectorAssumes full operational leadership, reporting to the board
Operating Structure · 2031+
Board Chair
Bryce Butler · Brendon Maxwell as Vice Chair
Governance, vision stewardship, and strategic / systems direction. The Architect function, relocated — not vacated. Vice Chair provides continuity.
Executive Director
New hire · reports to the board
Full operational and programmatic leadership; primary relational lead for all cohorts 2029+. Leads within board-set strategy.
Founding Elder / Board Member
Brian MacKay · emeritus
Cultural continuity, legacy cohort presence, and governance voice. Remains on the board as he chooses. An evolution, not an exit.
When Bryce chooses to step down (undated): Bryce transitions to emeritus and defines his own ongoing relationship with LX, as Brian does. The board elects a new Chair, and the Executive Director continues to report to the board. Continuity is structural, not dependent on any one person.
Part 2 · Board Governance — the Structure the Transition Rests On
The Governance Working Group was charged with codifying how LX governs itself — how the mission is protected, how the board renews itself, and how new members join it — with a 30-to-50-year horizon in view: a structure that holds when none of the current members are in the room. The leadership transition above is only safe because this structure sits underneath it.
Why the Chair moves now
Brendon Maxwell chairs the board today. As LX enters a multi-year leadership transition — hiring an Executive Director and evolving the founders' operational roles — the Chair seat becomes the anchor for mission and strategy through that window. Seating the founders as Co-Chairs now places the people who hold LX's vision in the seat that protects it during the transition, and gives the incoming Executive Director a clear, stable board to report into.
This is a succession move, not a substitution. Brendon steps into the Vice Chair role, which the governance framework defines as the Chair's partner in continuity and the natural pipeline for future Chair leadership. His institutional memory stays in the room, and he is positioned to carry board leadership forward when the founders sunset — at which point the board elects the next Chair. Doing this proactively means the transition happens on our timeline and under settled governance, before any reactive pressure.
The four recommendations going to the board
Mission & Values Integrity. Protect all three foundational documents with a two-vote, 3/4 supermajority amendment process and a 90-day cooling-off period, with member input routed through a new Member Advisory Council.
Board Terms & Structure. One board of two tiers — at-large directors on 3-year terms and a small executive committee (max 5) on 6-year terms — governed by reaffirmation rather than fixed term limits, with an annual evaluation as the real-time accountability layer.
Nomination Process. A defined, criteria-based pathway gated by demonstrated contribution, replacing the informal process and the 12-month observer period.
Member Advisory Council. An advisory, board-curated council (max 15, 3-year terms) that formalizes cohort vetting and guiding and gives the membership a structured voice.
How the structure carries continuity through the transition
Three pieces of the framework are what make it safe for the founders to hand off — the structure, not any individual, holds the mission:
The Chair / Vice Chair succession line carries board leadership across founder transitions — the reason Brendon's move to Vice Chair matters now.
The executive committee on 6-year terms is the board's continuity and mission-protection anchor, reaffirmed on a longer cycle.
Governing by reaffirmation rather than term limits, with an annual evaluation, keeps proven, mission-aligned leadership in place while providing a real, timely way to act when needed.