Call for Applicants for Board of Directors

Ontario Cycling Board of Directors is accepting Nominations for the Board to be elected at the Annual Meeting, June 12, 2025.

The Nominations Committee of Ontario Cycling is issuing a Call for Candidates, to stand for election for the Board of Directors of Ontario Cycling at the Annual Meeting to be held via Zoom on June 12, 2025.

Positions to be filled:

• 3 Director-at-large positions (2-year terms for each)
• 1 Athlete Director position (2-year term)

Currently, Ontario Cycling is placing particular emphasis on candidates with the following skills:

• Not for Profit Governance Experience
• Strategic Management & Planning
• Accounting & Financial Management
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion implementation
• Legal & Regulatory Compliance
• Sponsorship / Strategic Partnerships
• Fundraising Management

Candidates with other competencies are also invited to apply.

Ontario Cycling welcomes applications from members of racialized minorities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of various sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to help Ontario Cycling engage productively with
diverse communities and contribute to the mission of the organization.

Ontario Cycling welcomes candidates within our cycling community as well as those from outside the sport. The goal of the Ontario Cycling Board Nominations Committee is to identify and recommend individuals that have the necessary competencies and commitment to participate in the strategic leadership and governance of the organization.

About Ontario Cycling

Ontario Cycling (OC) is the recognized authority by Cycling Canada as the governing body for the sport of cycling in Ontario including Mountain Bike, Para-Cycling, Road, Track, Cyclo-Cross,
Gravel and BMX. The OC works within an established strategic plan and a set of annual operating plans to achieve identified targets. All personnel are required to operate within the policies and procedures as established by the association’s volunteer Board of Directors and
are expected to act in alignment with the association’s values.

OC receives financial contributions from the provincial government and other agencies and organizations and is accountable for the disbursement and reporting of funds according to the contracted terms and conditions. Programs, activities, and services are operated within the limitations established in an annual operating budget approved by the Board of Directors. OC staff is responsible for managing and administering the association’s finances and providing administrative support for all association activities.

Governance of Ontario Cycling

The governance of Ontario Cycling is the responsibility of a Board of Directors and is currently composed of seven (7) Directors-at-Large and one (1) Athlete Director, elected by the membership at the Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors is a “policy” or “governance” board, focused on establishing strategic direction, approving appropriate policies, and applying effective oversight to ensure the organization is advancing toward its goals. Day-to-day operations of Ontario Cycling are the responsibility of a full-time President & CEO who reports to the Board of Directors. The President & CEO and the OC staff work with various volunteers, committees, and technical experts and advisors to develop and implement programs that achieve the organization’s objectives while complying with the board’s policy framework.

Eligibility Criteria to be a Director-at-Large
To serve as Director-at-Large on the Board of Directors of Ontario Cycling, one must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be a resident of Ontario.
• Not be of bankrupt status.
• Not have been declared incapable under the laws of a Canadian province or territory, or by a court in a jurisdiction outside of Canada.
• Not be a director, officer, employee or committee member of a cycling club or
  association other than Ontario Cycling.
• Not be employed by or own an organization which is contracted by the Ontario Cycling.
• Not be an employee of Cycling Canada or Ontario Cycling or an employee of a member of Ontario Cycling.

To ensure that members of the Board of Directors understand their duties and obligations, Ontario Cycling has adopted a Directors Agreement which all board members must execute. A candidate for election to the board must submit a signed Directors Agreement with their candidate documents, and the agreement will take effect only if they are elected to the OC Board.

As a volunteer board member, you will be encouraged to participate in a variety of developmental opportunities. Opportunities to engage in governance training, Safe Sport, Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders, and Making Way in Sport are a few of the developmental pieces board members are encouraged to participate in.

Eligibility Criteria to be the Athlete Representative
To serve as the Athlete Representative on the Board of Directors of Ontario Cycling, one must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• A member of Ontario Cycling for the 2025 season with either a Provincial Race License or UCI Race License.
• An Athlete actively competing at the U23 to Elite levels including Para OR an athlete who has retired in the last two (2) years.
• An Athlete who has actively participated in Ontario Cup(s) and/or Ontario Cycling Provincial(s) in their discipline(s) in the last three (3) years.
• Be a resident of Ontario.
• Not be of bankrupt status.
• Not have been declared incapable under the laws of a Canadian province or territory, or by a court in a jurisdiction outside of Canada.
• Not be a director, officer, employee or committee member of a cycling association other than Ontario Cycling.
• Not be employed by or own an organization which is contracted by the Ontario Cycling.
• Not be an employee of Cycling Canada or Ontario Cycling or an employee of a member of Ontario Cycling.

Expectations and Commitment
Members of the Ontario Cycling Board of Directors typically spend an average of 3-5 hours per month on board-related activities, but this may increase if they hold a position such as the Chair of the Board or Chair of a Board Standing Committee. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors take place in January, April, August, and November of each year. The meetings are held virtually and may last up to two (2) hours with the August meeting tied to an in-person Board Retreat for the onboarding of new board members and Professional Development. Briefing materials are distributed one week in advance of the meeting and members are expected to have read and considered the material in advance of the meeting.

Special board meetings may be called if warranted.

There are three standing committees of the board, the Governance and Human Resources committee, the Audit and Risk Management committee, and the Nominations Committee and board members may sit on one of these committees. These committees meet at least once in
advance of a full board meeting, with additional meetings if required. All significant policy proposals pass before these committees for review and discussion before they come to the full board. Committee Members meet quarterly and generally spend 2-3 hours per month on
committee related activities, which may increase if there are specific projects being worked on.

Meetings of board committees are virtual.

Some roles, such as the role of Chair or Chair of a standing committee, will from time to time require engagement during business hours and candidates for these roles should have this flexibility in their schedule.

Board members are not compensated for their position on the board but will be reimbursed for pre-approved expenses directly related to board activities, including, but not limited to, accommodations, travel, and meals.

Qualifications and Competencies
Effective Board and Committee members will be those whose life and work experience and background equip them to contribute in a meaningful way to setting Ontario Cycling’s strategic direction and priorities, evaluating, and adopting appropriate policies, overseeing financial performance relative to expectations, and delegating operational responsibilities to others while holding them accountable for achieving results while complying to policy.

GENERAL COMPETENCIES

• Minimum 3 years of Not-For-Profit governance experience
• Awareness and understanding of the duties and responsibilities of a director of a governance board.
• Experience working in an executive, managerial, or oversight capacity.
• High standards for personal integrity.
• Collaborative, constructive working style.
• Excellent communication skills.

BOARD SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES
The Nominations Committee of the Board of Directors has assessed the skills and competencies that would be of value to Ontario Cycling at this time. These skills are:

• Not for Profit Governance Experience
• Strategic Management & Planning
• Accounting & Financial Management
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion implementation
• Legal & Regulatory Compliance
• Sponsorship / Strategic Partnerships
• Fundraising Management

Other competencies of value to the board are enumerated on the candidate information form, and candidates are encouraged to document their qualifications on each of these dimensions.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
Ontario Cycling works to promote Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the sport of cycling and we also seek to make the leadership of Ontario Cycling diverse and inclusive. We welcome candidates from members of racialized minorities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities,
persons of various sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to help Ontario Cycling engage productively with diverse communities and contribute to the mission of the organization.

The Ontario Cycling Association is dedicated to ensuring open, accessible, equitable and respectful environments, and is committed to reflecting the diverse communities it serves. We encourage applications from members of our diverse communities, including Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, women, persons from racialized groups,2SLGBTQ+ persons, those who can speak fluently in another language(s), and anyone committed to a rewarding experience as a Board Member with Ontario Cycling. The Ontario Cycling Association supports equality, diversion, inclusion and will provide accommodations in all stages of the selection process, as necessary. If you require accommodation to apply to this advertisement, please
advise the Ontario Cycling Business Manager, Kim Drolet via email at kim.drolet@ontariocycling.org when you apply.

Nominations Process
Anyone seeking to be a candidate for election to the Board of Directors of Ontario Cycling must submit a fully completed Candidate Package no later than Monday, March 24th, 2025, by 8:00pm.

A complete Candidate Package includes:
1. A completed online Candidate Profile Form outlining the candidate’s professional experience. The information on this form will be made available to the membership in advance of the Annual Meeting.
       a. 2025 OC Board of Director Candidate Form
       b. 2025 OC Athlete Representative Candidate Form
2. A written Expression of Interest & Resume uploaded with the Candidate Profile Form
3. A signed Directors Agreement which must be completed and emailed to nominations@ontariocycling.org with subject line: Candidate Directors Agreement.

Submission of a signed Directors Agreement indicates your willingness to stand as a candidate, and your agreement to comply with the duties and obligations of a director if you are elected. The Directors Agreement will be provided to you once you have submitted your Director-at-Large Candidate Form with CV and Expression of Interest.

Please note that all incomplete Candidate Packages will not be placed for consideration by the Nomination Committee.

To ensure that there are sufficient well-qualified candidates for consideration by the membership, the Nominations Committee may seek out and nominate candidates in addition to those who self-nominated.

A candidate’s nomination by the Nominations Committee merely admits them to the process of evaluation by the committee, it does not represent an endorsement of the candidate. The nominating committee’s report to the Membership reflects the Committee’s final recommendations following careful evaluation of all the candidates eligible to stand for election at the close of nominations. The purpose of the Nominations Committee evaluation process is to identify those candidates that are best suited to meet the needs of Ontario Cycling, given their knowledge, skills, values, experience, integrity and their understanding of the duties and obligations of a being a member of a governance board.

Following the close of nominations, the Nominations Committee will evaluate the nominees and select a short list of nominees to be interviewed. Following deliberations, the Nominations Committee will develop a list of candidates to be recommended to the membership at the Annual Meeting.

The Nominations Committee will advise all nominees of the list of those recommended by the Committee at least 14 days prior to the date of the Annual Meeting and at least 3 days before the committee’s recommendations are published to the membership.

Timelines

Questions
Questions about this nomination process should be directed to nominations@ontariocycling.org