Always In Motion

Eligibility Criteria to be a Director-at-Large

To serve as Director-at-Large on the Board of Directors of Ontario Cycling, one must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be a resident of Ontario.
• Not be of bankrupt status.
• Not have been declared incapable under the laws of a Canadian province or territory, or by a court in a jurisdiction outside of Canada.
• Not be a director, officer, or committee member of a cycling association other than Ontario Cycling.
• Not be employed by or own an organization which is contracted by the Ontario Cycling.
• Not be an employee of Cycling Canada or Ontario Cycling or an employee of a member of Ontario Cycling.

To ensure that members of the Board of Directors understand their duties and obligations, Ontario Cycling has adopted a Directors Agreement which all board members must execute. A candidate for election to the board must submit a signed Directors Agreement with their candidate documents, and the agreement will take effect only if they are elected to the OC Board.

As a volunteer board member, you will be encouraged to participate in a variety of developmental opportunities. Opportunities to engage in governance training, Safe Sport, Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders, and Making Way in Sport are a few of the developmental pieces board members are encouraged to participate in.

Eligibility Criteria to be a Standing Committee Member

To serve as Member on one of the Board Standing Committees of Ontario Cycling, one must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be a resident of Ontario.
• Not be of bankrupt status.
• Not have been declared incapable under the laws of a Canadian province or territory, or by a court in a jurisdiction outside of Canada.
• Not be a director, officer, or committee member of a cycling association other than Ontario Cycling.
• Not be employed by or own an organization which is contracted by the Ontario Cycling.
• Not be an employee of Cycling Canada or Ontario Cycling or an employee of a member of Ontario Cycling.

Expectations and Commitment

Members of the Ontario Cycling Board of Directors typically spend an average of 5-8 hours per month on board-related activities, but this may increase if they hold a position such as the Chair of the Board or Chair of a Board Standing Committee.

Regular meetings of the Board of Directors take place in January, April, July, and December of each year. The meetings are generally held on a weeknight, via Zoom and may last up to two (2) hours. However, there may be an opportunity to have an in-person meeting tied to an OC Event.  Briefing materials are distributed one week in advance of the meeting and members are expected to have read and considered the material in advance of the meeting.  

Occasionally, special board meetings may be called if warranted.

There are two standing committees of the board, the Governance and Human Resources committee and the Audit and Risk Management committee, and board members may sit on one of these committees. These committees meet at least once in advance of a full board meeting, with additional meetings if required. All significant policy proposals pass before these committees for review and discussion before they come to the full board.   Committee Members meet quarterly and generally spend 2-3 hours per month on committee related activities, which may increase if there are specific projects being worked on.

Meetings of board committees are virtual and often occur on weeknights.

Some roles, such as the role of Chair or Chair of a standing committee, will from time to time require engagement during business hours and candidates for these roles should have this flexibility in their schedule.

Board members are not compensated for their position on the board but will be reimbursed for pre-approved expenses directly related to board activities, including, but not limited to, accommodations, travel, and meals. 

Qualifications and Competencies

Effective Board and Committee members will be those whose life and work experience and background equip them to contribute in a meaningful way to setting Ontario Cycling’s strategic direction and priorities, evaluating, and adopting appropriate policies, overseeing financial performance relative to expectations, and delegating operational responsibilities to others while holding them accountable for achieving results while complying to policy.

GENERAL COMPETENCIES

• Minimum 3 years of Not-For-Profit volunteer experience
• Awareness and understanding of the duties and responsibilities of a director of a governance board.
• Experience working in an executive, managerial, or oversight capacity.
• High standards for personal integrity.
• Collaborative, constructive working style.
• Good communication skills.

BOARD SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

The Nominations Committee of the Board of Directors has assessed the skills and competencies that would be of value to Ontario Cycling at this time. These skills are:

• Not for Profit Governance & Strategic Leadership
• Accounting & Financial Management
• Sponsorship / Strategic Partnerships
• Fundraising Management
• Legal & Regulatory Compliance
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion implementation
• Organizational Change Management
• Risk Management

Other competencies of value to the board are enumerated on the candidate information form, and candidates are encouraged to document their qualifications on each of these dimensions.

STANDING COMMITTEE SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

Each Standing Committee of the Board has very specific skill requirements based on the purpose of the committee.

Governance & Human Resources Standing Committee Specific Competencies:

• Not for Profit Governance Expertise
• Human Resources Management
• Board Assessment and Oversight
• Ontario Not for Profit Corporation Act Regulations

Audit & Risk Management Standing Committee Specific Competencies:

• Accounting & Financial Management (CPA/CA designation)
• Not for Profit Auditing Protocols
• Organizational Risk Assessment & Management

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

Ontario Cycling works to promote Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the sport of cycling and we also seek to make the leadership of Ontario Cycling diverse and inclusive. We welcome candidates from members of racialized minorities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of various sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to help Ontario Cycling engage productively with diverse communities and contribute to the mission of the organization.

The Ontario Cycling Association is dedicated to ensuring open, accessible, equitable and respectful environments, and is committed to reflecting the diverse communities it serves. We encourage applications from members of our diverse communities, including Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, women, persons from racialized groups,2SLGBTQ+ persons, those who can speak fluently in another language(s), and anyone committed to a rewarding experience as a Board Member with Ontario Cycling. The Ontario Cycling Association supports equality, diversion, inclusion and will provide accommodations in all stages of the selection process, as necessary. If you require accommodation to apply to this advertisement, please advise the Ontario Cycling Business Manager, Kim Drolet via email at [email protected] when you apply.

Nominations Process

Anyone seeking to be a candidate for election to the Board of Directors of Ontario Cycling must submit a fully completed Candidate Package no later than Friday, April 5^th, 2024, at 8:00pm.

A complete Candidate Package includes:

• A completed online Candidate Profile Form outlining the candidate’s professional experience. The information on this form will be made available to the membership in advance of the Annual Meeting.
  • Director At Large Candidate Form
• An Expression of Interest & Resume uploaded with the Candidate Profile Form
• A signed Directors Agreement which will be provided to you once you have submitted a completed Candidate Profile Form. The Agreement must be signed and emailed to [email protected] with subject line: Candidate Directors Agreement. Submission of a signed Directors Agreement indicates your willingness to stand as a candidate, and your agreement to comply with the duties and obligations of a director if you are elected. 

Please note that all incomplete Candidate Packages will not be placed for consideration by the Nomination Committee.

To ensure that there are sufficient well-qualified candidates for consideration by the membership, the Nominations Committee may seek out and nominate candidates in addition to those who self-nominated.

A candidate’s nomination by the Nominations Committee merely admits them to the process of evaluation by the committee, it does not represent an endorsement of the candidate. The nominating committee’s report to the Membership reflects the Committee’s final recommendations following careful evaluation of all the candidates eligible to stand for election at the close of nominations. The purpose of the Nominations Committee evaluation process is to identify those candidates that are best suited to meet the needs of Ontario Cycling, given their knowledge, skills and experience, and other attributes and their understanding of the duties and obligations of a member of a governance board.

Following the close of nominations, the Nominations Committee will evaluate the nominees and select a short list of nominees to be interviewed. Following deliberations, the Nominations Committee will develop a list of candidates to be recommended to the membership at the Annual Meeting.

The Nominations Committee will advise all nominees of the list of those recommended by the Committee at least 14 days prior to the date of the Annual Meeting and at least 3 days before the committee’s recommendations are published to the membership.

Board Standing Committee Nomination Process

Individuals interested in being on a Standing Committee of the Board, are invited to fill in an Expression of Interest Form for the Committee they are interested in, along with a copy of their resume:

• Governance & Human Resources Standing Committee
• Audit & Risk Management Standing Committee

Following the close of expressions of interest, the Committees will evaluate the candidates and select a short list of Candidates for interview.  Following deliberations, each Committee Chair will reach out to the selected candidates and invite them to the first committee meeting after the Annual Meeting.

Timeline