Call for President-Elect Nominations

The president:

1. With the president-elect and vice-president, shall have the power to direct and oversee the affairs of CNA between meetings of the board of directors (the board).
2. Is responsible for ensuring board meetings are held at least three times per year.
3. Assures the integrity of the board’s process.
4. Represents the board to outside parties.
5. Is the only elected board member authorized to speak for the board, other than in specifically authorized instances (e.g., reporting board decision).
   1. The president may delegate this authority, but remains accountable for its use.
6. Has no authority to make changes to goals and executive expectations and parameters policies created by the board.
   1. Has the power to make reasonable interpretations of board governance policies to provide advice to the CEO, when needed.
7. Is the chair of the CEO performance review committee.
8. Is the chair of the roundtable on professional nursing associations and membership.
9. Is a member of the governance and policy committee.
10. Is a member of the finance and audit committee.
11. Is a member of the nominating committee.
12. In consultation with the other three officers (president-elect, vice-president, CEO), sets the agenda for board meetings with input from the board.
13. Is an ex-officio member of all other committees and councils, having the right, but not the obligation, to participate (including voting) but is not counted in determining the number required for a quorum or whether a quorum is present for such committees.

The president-elect:

1. With the president and the vice-president, shall have the power to direct and oversee the affairs of CNA between meetings of the board.
2. Is the chair of the governance and policy committee and sets the agenda for the meetings.
3. Is the chair of the finance and audit committee and sets the agenda for the meetings.
4. Is a member of the nominating committee.
5. Is a member of the CEO performance review committee.

The nominee for president-elect must:

• Be a nurse within the meaning of CNA’s by-laws and in good standing with their provincial or territorial regulatory body.
• Have an active CNA membership and paid their fees.
• Have demonstrated leadership ability.

The nominee must consent to the nomination and be prepared to show their leadership ability in a statement, which is published in the “slate of nominations.”

The following are not eligible:

Current board members, employees, or independent contractors of CNA and their family members or spouses.

President-elect competencies

For a president-elect to fulfil their roles and be successful as the next president, they must meet five overarching competencies: (1) accountability, (2) analytical thinking, (3) leadership, (4) a community orientation, and (5) a visionary and future orientation.

• Accountability (active participant in decision-making, reflective and willing to learn, has an organizational commitment)
  Assumes the responsibility to govern CNA through a commitment that all actions, decisions, and policies are made in the interest of the public, all regulated nurses, CNA members and the nursing profession. Reflects on and actively seeks the necessary knowledge for a solid understanding of governance and the role of the board and CNA. Actively participates in board activities by preparing for meetings, articulating ideas, being willing to engage, contributing during meetings, and debating in a constructive manner.
• Analytical thinking (ability to hold a systems perspective, be a strategic thinker)
  Willing and able to address issues from a broad systems perspective while understanding the interaction between the parts and the whole. This includes being able to ask questions to determine the root cause of an issue, logically analyzing the information required to determine potential solutions, exploring, and considering differences of opinion, making sound strategic decisions based on the best evidence to determine the strategic direction, and positively governing CNA within its mandate.
• Leadership (relationship building, teamwork, servant leadership)
  Able to build relationships within the board, CNA, stakeholders, partners across the country, and staff. Promotes teamwork and actively contributes to board decision-making. Is open, respects diverse opinions and constructive disagreement, and actively participates in group discussions to determine unity of purpose, dismantles obstacles to board effectiveness, and coaches and develops new board members. Understands the board’s authority is as a group and once a board decision is made is willing to honour it, even if they did not vote for it.
• Community orientation (public)
  Willing and able to connect with stakeholders to understand the range and intensity of their perspectives and make decisions on their behalf. Becomes familiar with the expectations, priorities and values of CNA and the stakeholders. Seeks to become more knowledgeable about key issues affecting CNA through input from the members to make the best possible decisions and set CNA’s strategic direction on the members’ behalf.
• Visionary and future orientation (outward focus)
  Demonstrates the capability and inclination to work on future-focused issues by understanding the forces that are shaping health and health care. Proactively assists in shaping the vision, future direction, and positioning of CNA for long-term success, including setting the strategic direction and the development and monitoring of policies.

The nominating committee issues a call for nominations for president-elect every two years. The candidate nomination process is made available to members and is to be completed and sent to CNA’s governance office of each nomination year.

The nomination form must be accompanied with letters of support from five members of CNA, one of which can be from the nominating individual.

The call for nominations will include a request for a high-resolution colour photo of the candidate as well as their curriculum vitae.

If there are two or more appropriate candidates, there will be no second/final call for nominations. The nominating committee will finalize the slate of candidates for presentation to the board.

In the event there are less than two candidates, the nominating committee will encourage additional nominations by putting out a second/final call for nominations.

The nominating committee can also nominate a candidate if there are fewer than two candidates and if the majority of committee members votes in favour of the candidate, consent of the nominee has been given, and if the letter of nomination is signed by the committee chair.

The nominating committee reviews the president-elect nominations in every even-numbered year and prepares a list of candidates, known as the “slate of nominations.” As soon as the slate of nominations has been declared, it is sent to the CNA president. The nominees’ names will be made available to the public as soon as the slate of nominations is finalized.

In the event there is only one candidate for president-elect and they are unable to stand for election for any reason, the nominating committee may do either or both of the following:

• Issue an additional call for nominations, with appropriate timelines and requirements, subject to the fact that all nominees must meet the eligibility criteria
• Put forth, on its own initiative, additional nominations for president-elect

All nominations so made must be filed with the president of CNA before the election. Such nominations must be supported by the consent of the nominee in writing.

Pursuant to the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, additional nominations may be made by a member at one of CNA’s annual meeting of members, providing such nominations are supported by the consent of each nominee in writing. All such nominations must be moved and seconded by a member prior to being put before the members for consideration.

Electing the leadership of CNA is one of the most important responsibilities of membership. Candidates for elected office in CNA are highly qualified leaders in Canadian nursing. As such, the campaign activities and election processes should be dignified in nature and content. The goal of the campaign activities and election processes is to enable the membership to make an informed choice based on the leadership qualities and attributes that candidates bring to the position.

The following guidelines provide for equitable, open, and fair elections. They are intended to support candidates in running an effective campaign that includes opportunities for visibility and for communicating with the membership so they can make informed decisions.

After the slate of nominations is finalized, a teleconference/video conference will be arranged for the candidates. During this meeting, candidates will be welcomed, the election guidelines will be reviewed, and questions from candidates will be answered. A CNA staff member will be assigned as the key contact for candidates during the campaign.

The purpose of pre-election activities is to assist candidates in preparing for the election, which is held during the CNA annual meeting of members.

Promotional materials (print and electronic) may be prepared, used, and distributed according to the guidelines below.

The candidates will be profiled prominently on the CNA website and promoted on CNA social media accounts. Information will also be provided with the annual meeting documents. Each candidate for president-elect must provide CNA the following:

• A photograph
• A statement demonstrating leadership ability (up to 200 words)
• Contact e-mail address

Candidates may use a number of promotional materials as part of their campaign. These include:

• A statement of qualifications, including what expertise the candidate would bring to the elected position
• A statement of how the candidate envisions meeting the mission and goals of CNA
• Contact information (e.g., for obtaining the candidate’s curriculum vitae)

• Candidates may provide their promotional materials in response to requests from individuals or groups.
• In the event of an in-person meeting, distribution of the candidate promotional materials shall not occur within the room where an event is occurring, but the flyer may be left at the candidates’ table or be given to attendees outside event meeting rooms.
• CNA staff will provide logistical support to candidates (e.g., communication about date, time, and location of relevant meetings) and answer or forward questions from candidates, as required.

For virtual meetings of members, meet the candidates sessions will be set up prior to the meeting to provide an opportunity for them to share their qualifications for the position and answer questions the members may have. These sessions will be recorded and posted on the CNA website so that all CNA members have an opportunity to watch them.

Should an annual meeting take place in a face-to-face format, candidates will be provided with an identification symbol, which must be visible and secure.

The candidates will be provided an opportunity to share their qualifications for the position and engage in conversations with members to promote their candidacy and receive feedback from members on same.

CNA will provide a well-lit, prominent, and identified table for the candidates to share outside of the annual meeting room. The location of the table and the availability of candidates will be well advertised in the annual meeting agenda.

Candidates are encouraged to mingle with members and annual meeting attendees outside of the meeting room during breaks and mealtimes.

The candidates will be presented to the membership and annual meeting attendees during a meet-the-candidates session. This session will be placed on the agenda of the annual meeting and be early enough in the day to allow the maximum number of members to be present.

Each candidate will have the opportunity to interact with CNA members at a meet-the-candidates session. One of the CNA officers will preside over the session (which can be virtual or in-person), which is held ahead of the election.

• The speaking order of the candidates will be determined by a draw.
• Each candidate will have 10 minutes to speak to the members.
• After all the candidates have spoken, the presiding officer will call for questions.
• The question period will include time for three brief questions.
• No one individual in the audience may ask more than one question during the session.
• Each candidate will have a maximum of two minutes to reply to a question.
• The order of response to questions shall alternate from candidate to candidate so that no candidate is always the first to answer.
• After candidates have answered the first question posed, the presiding officer will call for the second question in accordance with the above sequence. The third question will be posed and answered in the same sequence.
• The presiding officer may extend the time limit for more questions if the allotment time for the meeting allows for it.

The presiding officer has authority to:

• Set the order of questions when more than one member has expressed an interest in asking a question
• Ensure the above guidelines are met
• Monitor the response time of candidates to ensure they do not exceed the time allowances.
• Rule on which part of a two-part question will be entertained.

Members will cast their votes at the appointed time during the annual meeting. Results are posted almost immediately, and then the successful candidate is announced and congratulated. All candidates are thanked and acknowledged publicly at that time. (After the annual meeting, each candidate will also receive a formal letter of thanks.) At the end of the annual meeting, the successful candidate officially accepts the office of president-elect.

Should there be a malfunction of the digital voting system the vote will be taken as soon as the voting system is working again.

In the event of a tie vote, a run-off election will be held.

Candidates and the membership at large will be asked to submit an evaluation of the campaign process.