annual board meeting

Now...that's an interesting thought,,

Matt -- could you provide us with a transcript of your speech?

thanks

Not a speech. The chair will ask the candidates to each stand up and say what they have to offer. (Not what they want.) A minute tops. Sometimes there're written statements circulated before the meeting.

I do not believe there is any NYS legal requirement but I suppose by-laws could add the requirement. We don't do it when the candidates are unopposed. The members do introduce themselves at the beginning of the meeting in my building. But that's all of "Hi, I'm Joan Doe, I've lived here for 14 years and been on the board for 4. I'm the Secretary."

Are you referring to someone running for the board for the first time or someone already sitting on the board?

My advice for someone who wants to run for the board would be to campaign directly to ALL your fellow shareholders well in advance of the next meeting. Explain in writing why you think you'd be an asset and offer them Proxy forms so they can vote for you without attending the meeting. Make sure to follow up and request that you have the opportunity to rebut any propaganda that opposes you.
Most Coops have a very low turnout for the shareholder meeting and the ones who do attend will probably be aligned with the sponsor and his existing board.

If you're referring to the existing board members then the simple answer to your question is No. They don't have to do anything accept take a quorum.
The way the Business Corporation Law has been molded over the years by Coop Landlords gives them the ability to act any way they want with almost complete impunity.

We have staggered two-year terms, so three or four of the seven are elected each year. The sponsor still has two seats, maintained by bullet voting. Nobody else (I usually help count) votes for them. I've never heard of a co-op or condo where other owners align with the sponsor.

Pre-meeting campaigning can backfire. Most owners see board service as a necessary duty, and don't want to be bothered otherwise. Anything smacking of monomania, single-issue obsession, us-versus-them conspiracy theorizing, etc., doesn't come across well.

Mine is a pretty mellow building, though. The only big issue in 20 years was the flip tax, which was predictably divided between those planning to sell soon and the rest of us.