Call for 2018-19 Board of Director nominations

Leading up to its 90th anniversary in 2018, the past 12 months brought many changes for the Whitby Chamber of Commerce (WCC). With a new Chief Executive Officer and organizational growth, the bulk of 2017 was spent laying the groundwork for an exciting new chapter.

In addition to operational changes, the WCC’s Board of Directors has been evolving as well. From a governance perspective, the Board is in the process of moving towards a Carver Governance Model and have created two new committees: Policy & Governance and Audit & Finance.

This is an opportune time for any member, especially those with an interest in governance, wishing to get more involved with the Chamber.

“I have found volunteering with the Chamber an incredibly rewarding experience and absolute privilege,” said Matthew Mackenzie, President of the WCC Board of Directors. “I can also say that it’s a big commitment and a huge responsibility to our membership. This role goes well beyond one 90-minute meeting each month. That is, however, a direct result of all the exciting things that are going on at the Chamber as we work to ultimately drive value for members.”

2018-19 Board Election key dates:

Monday, January 8
Board nomination process begins. Nominate yourself or a fellow member by filling out the nomination form.

Friday, February 2 at 5 p.m.
Deadline for nominations to be submitted to Brion Hendry, Chair of the Policy & Governance Committee. Please submit completed forms via email to bhendry@bdo.ca.

Thursday, February 8 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Mandatory candidate briefing in WCC boardroom, which will include an introduction to the WCC Board structure and process, overview of the role of Director at the organization and opportunity for candidates to ask questions. At the end of this meeting, candidates will be asked to sign a letter of commitment indicating they understand the role and can fulfill their obligations to serve if elected.

Thursday, February 15
The online voting opens listing the names, pictures and bios of all candidates who have signed the letters of commitment.

Thursday, March 15 at 5 p.m.
Online voting closes.

Friday, March 16 to Monday, March 19
Successful and unsuccessful candidates are called and advised of the results.

Wednesday, March 21 from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Slate of candidates, as voted by the membership, invited to attend board meeting as observers.

Tuesday, March 27
AGM and candidate slate presented to membership.

“I feel strongly that the kind of individuals the Chamber needs are those who are ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’ and will commit to this Board, facing any challenges that confront us and understanding sometimes the commitment required will exceed what they expected,” said Mackenzie. “If you get a group of individuals like this around a boardroom table – anything is possible and nothing is insurmountable.”