The Lawrence-Douglas County Economic Development board agreed Tuesday to revamp itself by cutting its membership while adding more high-profile community leaders.

The board, which oversees the area’s job-creation efforts, agreed to forward a recommendation to city and county commissioners that would cut the board’s membership from 15 to 11.

Mike Maddox, a Lawrence banker and the board’s incoming chairman, said the hope was that the new structure would allow better communication on and coordination of the area’s economic development efforts.

“I’m on several boards that deal with economic development, and I know the right arm isn’t always talking to the left arm,” Maddox said.

The board currently is appointed by the Lawrence City Commission and the Douglas County Commission. There are no requirements for who can be appointed to the board, which meets every quarter. The proposal would change that.

The recommendation, which city and county commissioners are expected to consider later this month, would automatically appoint people who have specific positions in the community.

Automatic membership would be granted to the Lawrence mayor, Douglas County Commission chair, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce president, vice chair of economic development for the chamber board, Douglas County Development Inc. chair, ECO2 chair, Kansas University chancellor, Lawrence schools superintendent, Haskell Indian Nations University president, Baker University president and a Kansas Department of Commerce representative.

The board unanimously agreed to recommend the changes, but some members had concerns about the new direction. Some members questioned whether the new board would provide a broad enough representation of the community. The new board wouldn’t have any direct representation from the manufacturing, technology or agriculture sectors of the economy.

Dwayne Peaslee, a union leader who would be leaving the board under the proposed reorganization, said he wanted to make sure that the new group would work to bring all types of new jobs to the community.

“What I hear and see all the time is how we have to have jobs that pay $40,000 or more,” Peaslee said. “I think it is important that we cover the whole spectrum of jobs needed in this community. What I’m concerned about is that we have people on the board who are committed to every segment of our society.”