At Goodwin House, we have a had a residents serving as a trustees over the last 12 years or so. This person is not a resident representative. There is clear separation of duties. The chair of our resident council is a non-voting resident voice on the board of trustees. We also have residents who serve on several of the board's working committees.
The chair of the resident council reports back to the council on what she has learned at the board meetings. The resident who is a trustee does not.