Earlier this year, through an open call for applicants, CIRA’s governance committee sought and selected individuals to fill available seats on the nomination committee for CIRA’s 2023 board election. Keep reading to learn more about the committee’s work and how it’s an integral part of CIRA’s governance process.
Who are they?
The nomination committee is made up of 10 professionals from across Canada with experience in various industry sectors who serve for two-year terms. CIRA’s government representative on the board also sits on the committee as an observer. See who they are!
What’s their role?
The committee has the important role of ensuring balanced representation on the election ballot so that it aligns with the background, skills and attributes needed for an effective, functioning board. Their mandate is to seek interested and qualified individuals to apply to join the board and to select up to nine professional candidates to appear on the nomination committee slate of the final election ballot. These candidates are then voted on by CIRA members.
What’s the process?
In May, to support the committee in achieving a balanced representation on the slate, CIRA’s chair of the governance committee submits a letter to the nomination committee outlining the skills and experience needed on the board. These needs are a result of an annual board skills assessment. The nomination committee then meets to discuss, looking to this letter for guidance when finalizing their evaluation criteria for reviewing applications and selecting candidates.
Starting on June 6, through an open call for applicants, committee members will begin to review each eligible application submitted and evaluate them based on the established criteria and direction from section 3 of the policy on nominations and elections.
In early July, the committee meets to pre-select up to nine candidates. These pre-selected candidates are then interviewed by a third-party organization. Following interviews, candidates must then complete a conflict-of-interest and financial association declaration form, which is only reviewed by the Election Returning Officer. The purpose of the declaration is to determine the existence of conflicts and/or financial association with the current board and other candidates.
Once all the above steps are completed, the nomination committee, through the government representative on the board, delivers their final candidate selection to the board (for information purposes only).
Applicants are then informed of the committee’s selection in late July.
Learn more about CIRA’s election process at cira.ca/election.
About CIRA’s board
CIRA is governed by a board of 12 elected directors and three board advisors who help advance CIRA’s development. They provide strategic direction and oversight to help more Canadians get online with a .CA domain, reinvest in the development of a trusted internet for Canadians, strengthen our non-.CA product offerings and be a leading-edge, inclusive workplace that attracts and maintains top talent. Nine of the 12 elected director seats are allocated for those selected by the nomination committee. Learn more about the board and their work.
About CIRA membership
CIRA is a member-based organization that values the input of its members and their contributions to enabling a trusted internet. Having a .CA and being a CIRA member supports the great work we do for Canada’s internet.
Membership is free and only open to .CA holders. It remains active so long as your domain(s) remain registered—there’s no additional renewal process beyond renewing your .CA domain name!
If you’re not a member and have a .CA domain name—become one! Don’t have a .CA domain name? What are you waiting for—register yours today.
As the Manager of Membership Relations at CIRA, Julie manages the development, planning and delivery of CIRA’s membership and Member-related activities and engagement. She strives to create opportunities for Members and consumers, and partners to share, connect, and learn and get the most out of their relationship with CIRA.
