There has been a lot of talk about proxy voting over the past several months, and we're very pleased to have gotten Stradley Ronon's Sara Crovitz to break down the issue for FBV readers. Crovitz, a Securities and Exchange Commission veteran, addresses mutual fund boards' role under current regulation and proposals and provides a lot for independent directors to think about with regard to proxy voting. Read our latest Viewpoints, if you haven't already. 

In the boardroom, we've got news on changes taking place at DWS Funds and JPMorgan Funds. Both boards have experienced recent retirements of long-serving directors, and DWS is facing a generational shift also being experienced by many of its peers. At JPMorgan Funds, a new chair is in place, and the board has taken the opportunity to conduct a full review of its governance practices and procedures. 

From around the web, we've provided FBV readers with a link to an interview with Ariel Funds Chair Mellody Hobson, who spoke with an industry journal about the importance of diversity at the adviser and on boards, and a recent paper on the conduct of mutual funds in shareholder litigation. Both pieces are good reads and can be found in our Added Perspective section.

Also, don't forget to download our latest Viewpoints ebook, which includes all of our contributed pieces from the last year. 

For now,

Hillary Jackson, founding editor