Board Meeting Highlights
CDHA’s board of directors works year-round in service of all members, setting priorities for the association and advocating for the profession and the importance of oral health to overall health. Twice a year, board members normally meet in person to discuss important operational and policy matters and review the association’s progress in meeting its strategic goals. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the most recent Board meeting was held virtually.
Winter 2022 Board Meeting Highlights
The CDHA Board of Directors met via Zoom, February 11-12, 2022.
Key highlights from the Board meeting:
Policy and Procedure
The Board directs, controls, and inspires CDHA through the careful establishment of broad written policies reflecting the Board's values and perspectives. One of the key roles of the board is the establishment of “Ends” to guide the association’s work. One of the board ends is focused on the important topic of Healthy and Respectful Workplaces. The board approved a slight revision to this End so it now reads: Members have the resources to ensure a healthier and more respectful workplace. The board also made a slight revision to CDHA’s mission statement to ensure more inclusive language. The revised mission statement reads: CDHA exists so that its members are able to provide quality preventive and therapeutic oral health care as well as health promotion for all persons living in Canada.
Another key role of the Board is monitoring and assessing policies and executive limitations prior to each Board meeting. The Board reviewed and accepted the CEO Monitoring and Assessment Reports. The Board completed a self-assessment on governance policies with the aim of continuous improvement and approved recommendations from the Policy Review Committee.
Reports
The CDHA Board appoints representatives to the International Federation of Dental Hygiene (IFDH). A report was received from IFDH Directors Tracy Bowser and Jennifer Turner.
Written reports were received from the Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Canada and CD Warrant Officer, Andrea Plante, from the Canadian Armed Forces.
Audit and Budget
- One of the key roles of the Board of Directors is its fiduciary responsibility. To ensure ongoing competency in this regard, the Board had a financial education session and approved the draft governance budget for the next fiscal year.
- In addition, the Chair of the Audit Committee, Kathy Yerex, presented an update of the audit committee meeting.
- The Board reviewed the audit engagement proposal and approved the signing of the audit engagement letter with KPMG.
Board Education
To enhance the boards competencies, the board received education on diversity, equity, and inclusion and cyber security. The board also engaged in discussion regarding future action CDHA can take on the important topics of DEI, anti-racism and anti-oppression.
Awards
The CDHA Board had struck an awards working group to review and update the criteria for the three board awards (Award of Merit, Distinguished Service Award, Life Membership Award). The board approved the recommendations from the working group and the call for nominations for the board awards will be launched in March 2022.
Nominations
An election will be held this year for the Director positions in the North, Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island.
Kathy Yerex was elected for a second term on the Board.
The Board elected Francine Trudeau, Director from Quebec, as President-Elect for CDHA for a term starting in October 2022.
Land acknowledgement working group
A working group of the board developed a land acknowledgement statement for CDHA. The board recommended that the working group reflect on when and how the board would be using this land acknowledgement and prepare recommendations for presentation at the summer board meeting.
CDHA Annual General Meeting
The board approved October 22, 2022 as the date for the 2022 Annual General Meeting, which will be held virtually.
Date and times of future board meetings
Summer 2022 Meeting
via Zoom
July 20, 2022
5:00 - 6:30 p.m. ET
Fall 2022 Meeting & Leadership Summit
Whitehorse, YT
September 28 & 29: Fall Board Meeting
September 30 & October 1: Leadership Summit