CCA prepares to revise governance structure with smaller board, increased membership engagement

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Ontario Construction News staff writer

The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) has approved a new governance structure with a smaller board of directors at a special general and board meeting in Whitehorse.

The membership at the Sept. 12 meeting voted to end the association’s previous three membership classes, and reduce the board of directors to 20 members.

The new structure will go into effect during board and annual general meetings at the CCA’s annual conference, March 13 to 18, 2020, in San Diego.

Under the previous system, the association had integrated members (members of provincial and local construction associations who are also members of the CCA), corporate members (businesses which join the CCA directly) and affiliate members, which are associations whose individual members don’t also belong to the CCA. Now there will just be one membership class.

The long-established former board included executive committee members, council and committee chairs, provincial and regional vice-chairs, regional directors-at-large and more than 20 additional directors-at-large.

The new system, enabled by updated bylaws in accordance with the Canada Not-for profit Corporation Act, will include the smaller governance board, supported by two new board committees (Audit/Finance and Nominations/Governance), as well as five National Advisory Councils (Civil; General Contractors; Manufacturers, Services and Suppliers; Local Construction Associations; and Trade Contractors).

“The new board will strengthen the voice of our association partners in at least two ways: two chief operating officers (COOs) will be nominated to the board and an LCA council has been created with a formal link to the board,” the CCA says.

“By separating governance from operations, and engagement from governance, CCA has created more opportunities for more members and partner associations to get involved with what matters to you,” says a statement on the CCA website.

The association says it will be inviting applications for the 2021Board of Directors and National Advisory Council members this month.

“An expanded CCA Nominating Committee will review the applications to ensure volunteers reflect the diversity of the industry, taking into account such things as geography, age, skills, experience, gender, sector, etc.,” the statement says.

The committee will be chaired by Zey Emir (immediate past CCA Chair) and includes John Bockstael (CCA Chair), Joe Wrobel (first national vice-president), Ray Bassett (second national vice-Chair), Rhonda Collings (past CCA board member), Paul Raboud (past CCA board member), John Rasenberg (current CCA board member and past Executive Committee member), and supported by CCA President, Mary Van Buren.

Under the association’s rules, with the exception of officers, anyone who serves on the nominating committee cannot serve on the board that immediately follows. Terms will also be staggered to ensure there is continuity while also creating room for new members to engage wth the association.

Joe Wrobel chaired a working group after the November, 2018 board meeting to modernize the association’s governance while strengthening engagement. Members include both volunteer leaders and COOs: Jean-Francois Arbour, Henry Borger, Mark Cooper, Brendan Nobes, John Mollenhauer, Mike Reinders, Stephanie Roll, Mark Van Bree, and the group was supported by CCA president Mary Van Buren and governance experts from tng and Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP.

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