Final call for Sail Canada nominations

The Nominating Committee of Sail Canada is calling for nominations from interested individuals who are prepared to help shape the future of the sport of Sailing in Canada and guide the overall strategic plan of the organization.

Candidates for election to the Sail Canada Board of Directors must be at least 18 years of age and be a member in good standing of a member club, class or other member organization.

The Board consists of the Chair, six Directors at large, and two Athlete Directors. Every year at the Annual General Meeting, Board vacancies are replaced through an election by the Members. The term of office for the Chair is two years and is eligible to be elected for a second term. Directors at large serve for three years in rotation with two retiring each year. Directors at large are eligible to be elected for a second term. Athlete Directors are elected by members of the Canadian Sailing Team in a separate process.

There will be two Director at large positions up for election at the 2020 Sail Canada Annual General Meeting to be held on October 16, 2020. Both Directors will have completed their first of a possible two, three year terms.

The Nominating Committee performs a recruiting role in accordance with Sail Canada by-laws, issuing the call for candidates and publishing the list of candidates with brief biographies.

The Board has examined the professional skills and background of the existing Directors and has determined that the following skills are desired:

• Previous Board governance experience
• Background in strategic planning and oversight
• Fundraising and sponsorship activities supporting Not-For-Profit organizations
• Financial expertise
• Legal expertise

These skill sets would enhance the Board and we encourage people with those backgrounds to apply.

The election process must ensure that there are no more than four directors who self-identify as the same gender, not including the Athlete Directors. The Nominating Committee is also tasked with ensuring that there is reasonable representation of official languages, regions (representation from western provinces and Quebec is specifically sought due to the current make up of the board), and differing physical abilities amongst the candidates.

The current Board of Directors and nominations received to date for election to the Board of Directors at the 2020 AGM are as follows:

Chair
Hugh McGugan (’21; 1st.term) – ON

Directors at Large
Alicia Damley (’20; 1st term) – ON
Kate MacLennan (’20; 1st term) – AB
Bob Greenhalgh (’21; 2nd term) – ON
Zac Baum (’21; 1st term) – ON
John O’Dwyer (’22; 1st term) – ON
Barbara Pike (’22; 1st term) – NS

Applications received
Torstein Braaten – ON
Doug Bullock – ON
Alicia Damley – ON
Dimitri Gray – MB
Valerie Lavigne – QC
Kate MacLennan – AB
Ben McLaughlin – ON

Athlete Directors
Rob Hemming – ON
Vacant

The positions of the Board of Directors will be decided by means of a vote by the membership at the Sail Canada Annual General Meeting to be held virtually on October 16, 2020.

Any Member entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting shall be entitled to appoint, in writing, a proxy to attend the meeting on that Member’s behalf and to exercise all voting rights – see the By-Laws for detailed membership and voting information.

Interested persons should send their name, contact information and qualifications by email or postal to the Nominating Committee by September 10, 2020:
• sailcanada@sailing.ca
• Nominating Committee, Sail Canada, 53 Yonge Street, Kingston, ON, K7M 6G4

Background: Sail Canada is the national sports organization representing the sport of Sailing in Canada. It represents all participants, including recreational sailors, and high performance athletes at the club, provincial, national and international level.

Source: Sail Canada