Sometimes staff and board are friends, and sometimes
a board member may have a strong interest that
 relates to the duties of a particular staff member.
Like everything having to do with management,
one must walk a fine line.  When I was in
museums where I came into contact with board
members, it was my responsibility to stay
out of conversations about anyone's business
but my own, and to give a "head's up" to the
chief curator or the director if a topic
seemed to be drawing attention.  If I had
been told I was not to associate with board
members, the head curator or director would
have not gotten information they needed and
I would have missed some swell parties.