The Buzz

CEO Update October 19, 2021

Hello members and industry colleagues,  

As Autumn is upon us, the transition of seasons is becoming more apparent with the changing colours, falling leaves, and the days getting cooler. This transition of seasons also reflects a reality for many of our organizations and our professional and personal lives. With this change, I want to recognize that we remain in a challenging period across the country. While we persist, it is essential to acknowledge and respect that these challenges do very much exist for many of us. I kindly ask that we collectively do our best to take care of each other and ourselves to create brighter days ahead.  

At CPB Canada, we are still buzzing from last month's Ignite 2021 Conference. The event was fantastic, and much is owed to our Conference Committee, dedicated team of staff, and our partners at CanPlan for making it all come to fruition virtually. The feedback from our post-conference survey is nothing short of excellent. With that said, our team is already looking at making Ignite 2022 in Calgary an even better experience. 

A couple of conference-related reminders:  

• CPB Canada has opened up Post-Conference Registration of our Ignite 2021 on-demand content. Those who missed out on Ignite 2021can still take advantage of a lot of great professional development. 
• As of October 12^th, our registered attendees have been able to access the full on-demand content to enjoy at their own pace and leisure. If you haven't checked it out, log in today.   

Over recent times, the CPB Canada staff team has been operating shorthanded due to staffing transitions. Despite this, the team has been working hard on all fronts, including human resources. As such, we are pleased to be welcoming a new Manager of Communications, Events, and Technology in early November and anticipate adding a new Membership and Certification Specialist several weeks later. As my team continues to carry multiple portfolios, we appreciate your patience and look forward to staffing up! 

To wrap up this update, below are a few other highlights worth mentioning: 

• On October 4th, we held a successful meeting of our members at the Annual General Meeting. We conducted the member's business and provided an annual report of our accomplishments over the past year during this event.  
• We also announced our new Board of Directors for the 2021-22 term, including newly acclaimed Directors and our new Chair Rod Cox, CPB, FCPB and Vice-Chair in Lynne Moore, CPB.  
• Finally, I want to encourage our members to get involved with our association as a volunteer. Last week, our volunteer call-out provided a broad range of opportunities whereby member energy and expertise are sought to help advance our strategic priorities. 
  • If you want to get involved, be sure to review the documentation (i.e. Terms of Reference) and complete the webform by November 1st, 2021.  

That is enough for now, and I wish everyone the best for the Fall season.  

As always, stay tuned to CPB Canada for lots of new and exciting opportunities and initiatives!  

Cheers,  

Rick Johal, CAE 

Chief Executive Officer