Not if handled carefully and with full disclosure. You have to be very cautious not only of any unfair advantage but of the PERCEPTION of impropriety.

There are some who say board members/officers should be excluded from doing any business with the PTO. I think that's a very short-sighted view. Key stakeholders in the PTO will frequently offer incredible discounts or get items at cost or wave normal fees as a part of their support. They have vested interest in smooth transactions and quality goods. And if you say "no", then where do you draw the line - businesses owned? where they work? businesses of their extended family?

On the other hand, there are people who will take advantage and deals that just can't be seen as "fair". Business should never automatically go to the stakeholder's company, but they can be fairly considered as one of the options.

Use common sense, put precautions in place, separate the business decisions from the personal, make sure all dealings are out in the open, and be able to clearly justify any such activities with your constitutents.

Some of our PTO Board members own businesses or a share of a business. Is it considered a "conflict of interest" if PTO funds are used to purchase items from those businesses?
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