Which term is interchangeable with 'chair' to refer to the person in charge of the meeting?

• A. President
• B. Presiding Officer
• C. Moderator
• D. Secretary

Answer: (B)

In parliamentary procedure, the person who runs the meeting and guides its decisions is called the presiding officer. This is the formal term used to describe the individual who chairs the proceedings, recognizing speakers, ruling on points of order, and putting questions to a vote. While the word chair is a common, practical way to refer to that role, the official designation in Robert’s Rules is presiding officer, and it applies regardless of a group’s specific title for its leader. A secretary handles minutes and records, not the flow of the meeting. A moderator may steer discussions in other settings, and a president is just one possible title that a group might use for its leader, but it isn’t universally interchangeable with the chair in parliamentary procedure. Therefore, the term that matches the role of the person in charge is presiding officer.