The nomination period opened on June 21 and closed on July 12 at 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT.  Voting will open on July 30 and close on August 23 at 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT.

Any member of the CMPA in good standing may provide its own nominees for the Board of Directors by obtaining the signature of at least two CMPA members who are in good standing on any such nomination. Self-nominations (i.e., nominations from the candidate themself or from individuals working at the candidate’s company) are not permitted.

We strive for a board comprising talented and dedicated directors with a mix of expertise, experience, skills and backgrounds. The CMPA is committed to a board comprised of talented and dedicated directors operating in an inclusive culture that solicits multiple perspectives and views. As such, we welcome candidates that are passionate about the work of the CMPA and its board from across Canada and from all communities.

The CMPA believes in an inclusive board that reflects the full diversity of producers and creators across Canada, including different experience-levels, sizes and scales of companies, genres and formats of production, and especially equity-seeking and sovereignty-seeking communities including but not limited to Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, persons from the broad spectrum of sexes, gender expressions and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities. We will therefore seek to ensure gender balance, inclusive of gender fluidity, and that at least 35% of board directors come from equity-seeking and sovereignty-seeking communities.

There is a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 28 directors on the board.  The upcoming elections will be predicated on the election of 21 directors and a 28-member board.

Per section 3.2 of the CMPA’s by-laws, board seats are filled by first satisfying the following geographical requirements:

• Three directors from British Columbia
• Three directors from Ontario
• Three directors from Quebec
• Three directors from Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador) with no fewer than two of the four Atlantic provinces represented
• One director from Alberta, one director from Saskatchewan and one director from Manitoba.

Seats are then filled by satisfying the following set areas of production activity, noting that may represent more than one area of production activity:

• At least 12 directors in television
• At least six directors in theatrical feature film
• At least two directors in interactive media
• A maximum of one director that provides production services

In order to ensure that the composition of the 2021-23 Board of Directors is inclusive and representative of the CMPA membership as detailed in the previous question, once the 21 elected seats are filled, the outgoing board of directors will recommend to the incoming board the appointment of seven additional directors selected from the pool of candidates who ran in the election. The final decision on appointments will be made by the directors elected to the incoming 2021-23 Board.

In addition to a minimum of three half-day to full-day long board meetings held each year of their two-year term, directors are expected to attend the CMPA’s Annual General Meetings and annual day-long strategic planning sessions, and are encouraged to serve on at least one of the CMPA’s Policy and/or Operational Committees. Most Committees meet at least six times a year and each meeting generally lasts one hour. Board meetings have been held virtually since March 2020. Some travel to locations across Canada may be required in the future.

There is expected preparation time prior to all committee, board and strategic planning meetings. If a director misses more than two board meetings per year over the course of the two-year term, it could affect their eligibility to stand for re-election. Directors elected to the 2021-2023 Board are expected to participate in the incoming CMPA Board meeting and Annual General Meeting currently scheduled to be held on September 30, 2021.

In addition to the minimum of three board meetings held over the one-year term, directors are expected to participate in the CMPA’s Annual General Meetings and are encouraged to serve on at least one of the CMPA’s Policy Committees. Most Committees meet at least six times a year and each meeting generally lasts one hour. There is expected preparation time prior to all committee and board meetings.

Directors serve as volunteers and, as such, are not financially remunerated for their service. However, basic expenses for travel to board meetings are reimbursed.

Yes, nominees may reach out to CMPA members to solicit support for their candidacy. Nominees may request a list of current CMPA members along with their email addresses to conduct a direct email campaign. In order to gain access to the list, nominees will need to sign a declaration attesting that they will only use the information for campaigning purposes. Nominees may also campaign using social media and other avenues if they wish.

The voting phase will be conducted online, through a secure website managed by Simply Voting, the company that the CMPA has engaged to conduct the election and assume the function of Scrutineer.

On July 26, Simply Voting will send the main contact of each eligible CMPA member company a link to the website to access all candidates’ bios and candidacy statements. Eligible Members are those who have renewed or taken out CMPA membership for the April 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022 year.

The results of the elections will be shared at the CMPA’s next Annual General Meeting, currently scheduled to take place on September 30, 2021.

For any questions, please contact Susanne Vaas (VP, Corporate & International Affairs) by email (susanne.vaas@cmpa.ca) or phone (1-800-656-7440 ext. 337).