CEO Update – AGM 2023
The CSAE Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place virtually on Oct. 18, 2023 at 12 pm ET. As with other CSAE meetings, the AGM opened with a land acknowledgment, presented by Board director Bryan Woo. Bryan—in addition to acknowledging the land he was on—noted that CSAE continues to encourage the Government of Canada to make good on their promises in the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s report. CSAE also makes donations, at events throughout the year, to support local and regional First Nations initiatives.
The meeting was presided over by outgoing Board chair Dan García, CAE. In his remarks, Dan talked about the important work that CSAE was able to carry out in the past fiscal year, despite the challenging economic climate. “While the past 12 months have been a period of transition, CSAE is fortunate to be guided by a strong strategic plan that allows us to keep moving forward amidst a rapidly changing financial and social environment. Where there are challenges, opportunities often await,” he said.
He reflected upon the need for a new network planning structure, which shifted from councils to event-specific planning for network activities. CSAE now has several virtual networks that allow members to connect based on special interests. The change in the overall volunteer ecosystem was also noted, which Dan said would yield equitable access to opportunities.
Dan also briefed CSAE members about the upcoming CSAE Association Marketplace—a unique platform, the first of its kind for Canadian associations, where businesses can connect with association professionals seeking quality products and services to help them succeed. Members will receive more updates on this in the coming days.
The AGM agenda included the election of the CSAE 2023/24 Board of Directors. Dan welcomed the new and returning members to the Board under the leadership of incoming chair, Shannon Bott, CAE.
Secretary-treasurer Marc Lapointe presented his financial report, which can be found in the 2022-23 annual report, Into the New. The 2022-23 fiscal yielded a deficit at year-end, due to the unanticipated high rate of inflation, reductions in the disposable income of many CSAE members, and smaller, local events that underperformed. CSAE’s investment portfolio performed far below budgeted expectations, negatively impacting results with its $130K variance from budget. Unbudgeted, Board-approved activities such as the development of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, and the new CSAE brand also contributed to the year-end deficit. These are noted as one-time investments that will not recur in coming years.
For the current year, CSAE has built an annual operating plan, advancing the current strategic plan and direction, that is focused on continuing to deliver value to members and growth. Leveraging the sector research, member needs assessment and soon-to-come Membership Trends report (help inform this report by completing this survey now), programming and service delivery are focused on what CSAE members have identified as priorities. The newly established Membership Advisory will examine and recommend best practices for recruitment, retention and engagement. CSAE continues to implement revenue generation and expense mitigation strategies to move the organization into a more favourable financial position in the years ahead.
The meeting concluded with an exciting unveiling of CSAE’s new brand identity. The fresh new logo aligns with CSAE’s progressive and innovative nature while maintaining the connectedness and sense of community. Going forward, CSAE will be used as a name, not an acronym and will be used for both French and English applications. This move continues the strong brand equity associated with CSAE while eliminating language that is less inclusive than the present-day association. The new image is bold, confident and clear while, at the same time, familiar. The accompanying tag line is: Inspiring Association Excellence / Inspirer l’excellence des associations—setting the tone for the association. You can read all about CSAE’s new visual identity here.
As for the business of the day, all motions were carried with the majority of the votes cast on the questions per the bylaws. CSAE used Associations Connect to conduct the voting. This proprietary platform, thanks to Higher Logic, allows for accuracy and privacy of votes.
Motion – that the members approve the AGM minutes of Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Motion – that the members approve the changes made by the Board to CSAE bylaws:
- The renewal timing from 60 days to 45 days which is aligned to common renewal practices
- A wording change to the annual appointing of officers
- The removal of reference to network councils based on the revised structure supporting both regional and virtual networks
Motion – that the members elect Lindsay Murray, CAE and Deepy Sur as directors for a two-year term.
Motion – that the members elect Joel Neuheimer, Jamie Ryan, CAE and Heather Terrence, CAE to their second, two-year terms
Motion – that the Audited Financial Statements, as approved by the Board of Directors, along with the relevant Independent Auditor’s Report for the period ending April 30, 2023, be received
Motion – that the members appoint Welch LLP as auditors for the 2023/24 fiscal year
All the meeting materials, including the annual report, Into the New, are available to CSAE members on Associations Connect and the CSAE website. If you have not yet read the annual report, we encourage you to do so. Should you have any questions related to the AGM please feel free to send a note to melissa@csae.com.
At CSAE, we are thankful for the many volunteers who contribute to our ongoing success, including the Board, committee and working group participants. CSAE thanks its outgoing Board members Danielle Russell, CAE and Patrick Gauch, CAE. We are also grateful to our partners, Higher Logic (Associations Connect) and Minutes Solutions, for their support with the 2023 AGM.
A most sincere thank you to you, CSAE members, for your continued engagement and participation. We look forward to supporting you in the years to come.
