Maybe I'm not understanding what it means to be a board member, but did they hire her, or did she buy enough shares to have a direct say in the company's future

Maybe I'm not understanding what it means to be a board member, but did they hire her, or did she buy enough shares to have a direct say in the company's future? Also, does it follow that having a former government official on the board gives you an "in" with the current administration?