"I am the Exec. Dir of a non profit community center. I was wondering in your opinion what role the Board (Personnel committee) has in hiring staff. I believe that it is the role of the Board to hire the ED but the role of the ED to hire additional staff with the advisement of the Personnel committee."
In general, yes—among the Board’s customary responsibilities is hiring the Executive Director; the Director then is responsible for all other hirings. The full answer, however, depends on various factors, such as the size of the nonprofit organization and the level of involvement of the board. In deciding what role the board should have in hiring decisions, people should first defer to the board bylaws. If the bylaws do not explicitly delineate the Board’s role, the Executive Director should suggest a process that works within the context of that particular non-profit.