Ontario Municipal Social Services Association

OMSSA Calling for Board Nominations

The Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) is inviting nominations for the Association’s Board of Directors. Members will be elected to the Board at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association for a two-year term of office. For the 2021-2023 term, there are six (6) vacancies to be filled on the 10-member Board. This year’s AGM is being held virtually on Thursday, June 24, 2021 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. EST, and the deadline to submit nominations is Friday, April 9, 2021 by 5 p.m. EST.

Nominee Eligibility

Basic Eligibility Criteria and Conditions

Directors must be at least 18 years old.
Undischarged bankrupts are ineligible to serve as Directors.
A Director is expected to commit the time required to perform board and committee duties. The minimum time commitment is 10-15 hours per month.
Directors must fulfill the requirements and responsibilities of their position. For example, preparing for and attending board and committee meetings, upholding their fiduciary obligations and working cooperatively and respectfully with other board members. Directors must comply with legislation governing the corporation, the corporation’s by-laws and policies and other applicable rules.
Directors will be required to sign a Declaration confirming their agreement to adhere to their fiduciary duties and board / corporate policies.

Diversity and Representation

OMSSA is committed to recruiting candidates for the Board that reflect the diversity of its membership (the 47 Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) and District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs)), as well as the communities they serve, including:

Demographic
Linguistic
Economic
Geographic
Gender
Cultural
Ethnic
Sectoral (i.e. housing and homelessness, children’s services, income security, and emergency services)

OMSSA encourages nominations in particular from individuals from racialized groups and Indigenous people to ensure that our board is reflective of the racial diversity of the populations its members serve.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

The OMSSA Board of Directors will reflect a complimentary mix of skills, knowledge and expertise. The skills, knowledge and expertise that will be considered include (in no specific order):

Sector specific (human services / municipal / DSSAB) knowledge and experience
- Housing and Homelessness
- Children’s Services
- Income Security
- Emergency Social Services
Strategic planning
Critical thinking
Business management
Human resources management
Government and government relations
Political acumen
Risk management
Financial expertise
Board and governance
Public affairs and communications
Ethics
Demographic considerations

Behavioural Qualities

The Board requires all Board members to:

commit and adhere to the vision, mission and core values of the organization;
act with honesty and integrity;
understand a Director’s role and fiduciary duties, and the role of the Board;
think strategically;
work as part of a team;
communicate effectively;
have or commit to acquire, financial literacy appropriate to OMSSA as a non-profit organization and the scope of OMSSA’s activities;
be willing to devote the time and effort required to be an effective Board member, including attendance at Board orientation, Board retreats, Board meetings, committee meetings and association events;
be free of conflicts that would impede a Director’s ability to fulfill his or her fiduciary duties; and,
demonstrate the ability to recognize and manage specific conflicts of interest that arise from time to time.

Nominator Eligibility

A recent update to OMSSA’s by-laws (approved October 23, 2019) resulted in changes to our voting and “Lead” designation process. As of October 23, 2019, each member organization will have one designated Lead (“Delegate”). All other staff members of an OMSSA member organization are considered “Associate Members,” and retain full access to OMSSA member services and member pricing for paid services (workshops, conferences, webinars, job board postings, etc.).

Leads/Delegates or Associate Member who meets the above criteria are eligible to run for OMSSA’s Board of Directors, provided that they are nominated by:

the designated Lead / Delegate for their organization (if the nominee is an Associate Member)
a Lead / Delegate from another OMSSA member organization (if the nominee is the designated Lead / Delegate for their own organization)

Please consult this list to determine who the designated Lead / Delegate is for each of OMSSA’s 47 member organizations

Important Dates and Commitments

This year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held virtually on Thursday, June 24, 2021 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. EST, followed directly by a meeting of OMSSA’s Leadership Table and the opening of the online election.

Nominees will be expected to address voting delegates (two minute remarks) during the virtual AGM and ahead of the online election.

Successful candidates will also be expected to participate in a virtual meeting to elect the Board’s Executive Officers on Friday, June 25 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. EST.

Submitting Nominations

All submissions must include the following:

Completed Nomination and Application form (as PDF attachment) signed by both the nominee and the nominator (digital signatures are acceptable and encouraged)
A brief biography or CV highlighting the nominee’s relevant professional experience
A photo (headshot) of the nominee (photos should be at least 500 KB in file size)

Download the Fillable Nomination Form (PDF)

Nominations must be received on or before Friday, April 9, 2021 at 5 p.m. EST.

Nominations can be submitted by email to info@omssa.com to the attention of Dan McCormick, OMSSA President, with “OMSSA Board of Directors Nomination” in the subject line.

We look forward to and appreciate hearing from those seeking the opportunity to volunteer on behalf of your Association. Should you have any questions, please contact Caitlin Lapeña at clapena@omssa.com.

Sincerely,

Dan McCormick
OMSSA President