Call for Nominees for Treasurer

Much to our regret, CPAWS’ Treasurer has had to resign for personal reasons. We are searching for a replacement, preferably in time for the Board meeting to be held in Banff on November 13th and 14th and the Annual General Meeting that same weekend.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is Canada’s voice for wilderness. It is a registered charity established in 1963 and headquartered in Ottawa. It has annual revenues of $3 million dollars, largely from foundation grants and individual donations. In recent years, CPAWS has operated at or above breakeven and has built an operational reserve for contingencies. Many of CPAWS’ conservation programs are delivered through 13 chapters across Canada, including four unincorporated chapters whose financial statements are consolidated with those of the national organization. More information on CPAWS mission, programs and finances is available at www.cpaws.org.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for ensuring that CPAWS is financially sustainable and accountable and fulfils its responsibilities as a registered charity. The Board looks to the Treasurer for leadership on these issues, including:

• the approval of the national budget, policies on financial matters (including fundraising), and the annual financial statements;
• oversight of the financial health of the national organization and its chapters, and of any corrective action that may be required to ensure their sustainability; and
• advice on the financial viability of growth strategies and other initiatives.

As part of these responsibilities, the Treasurer chairs the Finance Committee of the Board and is a member of the Executive Committee, both of which meet monthly by conference call. The Treasurer also plays a major role in the two face-to-face Board meetings each year and several Board conference calls.

The ideal candidate for Treasurer would have previous experience as the Treasurer of a CPAWS chapter or another charitable or not-for-profit organization. A professional accounting designation would be useful, but is less important than practical experience in financial management and the ability to communicate effectively about financial issues with non-experts. Support for CPAWS mission is important, but the Treasurer is not expected to be an expert on conservation issues.

The CPAWS Board can have up to 16 members, generally elected for three-year terms beginning after the Annual General Meeting each fall. The Governance Committee has responsibility for nominating a slate of trustee candidates each year. It follows policies which ensure that the Board has a combination of relevant skills, experience at the chapter level, and geographic balance. In addition, CPAWS seeks to have a range of trustees who are broadly representative of the Canadian public, for example in terms of gender and age.
In most cases, trustees are limited to two consecutive terms.

In general, candidates for the Board need to be willing and able to undertake a full trustee workload, including attending all National Board meetings, reading material in advance, participating in committees, and specific tasks assigned between meetings. Experience in governance responsibilities, preferably including at the national level, such as strategic planning, policy development, financial oversight and accountability, and fund development would be valuable. This experience could have been acquired through involvement in a chapter board, the board of another organization, or work responsibilities.

Please provide us with the names of potential candidates, contact information (telephone and e-mail), and a brief outline of their relevant background and skills (a paragraph or two is sufficient). It is not necessary to have the nominee sign a nomination form, or formally agree to stand for office. The Governance Committee will contact candidates and inquire as to their interest and willingness. When we interview them, we will request a more detailed CV and information to meet Canada Revenue Agency requirements.

Because this search is being initiated later than normal, the selected candidate will be appointed by the Board to fill a vacancy. They would go through the normal trustee election process at a later date.

Please forward your suggestions for candidates as soon as possible but by October 1, 2010 at the latest, to the e-mail below.

Sherri Watson
Chair, CPAWS Governance Committee
Email: smwatson@magma.ca