Board Nomination

CPA Alberta Board Nominations

Introduction

Introduction

The CPA Alberta Board consists of 12 members—nine CPAs and three public representatives. CPA Alberta recognizes the benefits diverse perspectives, experiences, and talents can bring to the board, and strives for a board that is reflective of the diversity of our membership.

Being a member of the board requires a time commitment of 10–15 days per year, depending on the specific responsibilities assigned to the board member. The board usually meets four times per year. Meetings may be held virtually or in-person. In-person meetings are regularly held at CPA Alberta offices in Edmonton and Calgary, and may be held throughout the province. Board members are also expected to attend key CPA Alberta events, including Convocations and activities during Elevate week, the annual celebration of the profession. Board members are elected for a three-year term (maximum two terms).

This year, there are two open positions, including one in which an incumbent is running for re-election. Ideal candidates for CPA Alberta board positions are engaged Alberta CPAs who bring a broad range of relevant experience and possess a demonstrated ability to make a significant contribution at the board level. CPA Alberta is committed to building a profession where the voices and experiences of all Alberta CPAs are reflected in the governance of the profession. As such, we encourage applications for board positions from all Alberta CPAs who are members in good standing—particularly members of equity-seeking groups that have been historically underrepresented.

This is a chance to contribute your time and expertise to advance your profession!

The CPA Alberta Governance Committee has identified the following competency areas, professional experience, and characteristics that would strengthen the diversity of thought and expertise of the CPA Alberta Board.

Capabilities and Technical Skills:

  • A CPA with legal expertise.

Demographics currently under-represented on the Board:

  • A CPA residing in a rural community.
  • A CPA who received their designation in 2014 or later.
  • A CPA with a foreign designation, a newcomer to Canada, or someone with international experience.
  • Our board has made significant strides in diversity, but our goal is to further broaden our candidate pool. At present, no Board members identify as having a disability, and we are seeking to include more ethnic diversity.

** Please note that there is no expectation for a single candidate to meet all the above criteria for skills or demographics.

Board Responsibilities

As per the CPA Alberta Directives:

2.7  Role and Duties of the Board

2.7.1  General Responsibilities

2.7.1.1  The Board governs the business and affairs of CPA Alberta.

2.7.1.2  The Board will fulfil the purposes of the Act, including protecting the interest of the public, protecting the integrity of the profession, promoting and increasing the competence of registrants and regulating the conduct of registrants.

2.7.1.3  The Board will exercise CPA Alberta's powers in the name of and on behalf of CPA Alberta.

2.7.1.4  The Board is responsible for overseeing the CEO to ensure accountability in the day-to-day operations of CPA Alberta.

In addition to these general responsibilities, the Board has a number of specific duties, including to:

  • Develop CPA Alberta’s overall approach to governance
  • Review and approve changes to CPA Alberta’s governing documents (the Chartered Professional Accountants Regulation, Rules of Professional Conduct, and Bylaws) for member ratification and, in the case of Regulations, for approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council
  • Provide leadership and oversight to the CPA Alberta mission, vision, operating principles, strategic plan, and annual operating plan, in conjunction with the CEO, including approving annual fees
  • Foster ethical and responsible decision making within CPA Alberta
  • Appoint members of statutory committees/rosters and other committees, as required
  • Provide input on national and regional issues
  • Monitor and evaluate financial performance
  • Ensure effective policies and procedures are in place to identify and manage risk

Eligibility

As per CPA Alberta Bylaws:

260 Board Membership

261 An elected member of the Board must be a member of CPA Alberta who:

  • (a) resides in the province of Alberta;

  • (b) is not currently employed by CPA Alberta (either as a direct employee or through an independent contracting relationship);

    • i. was not employed by CPA Alberta or a predecessor of CPA Alberta (either as a direct employee or through an independent contracting relationship) within two (2) years of the member’s election to the Board;

  • (c) was not employed by CPA Alberta or a predecessor of the CPA Alberta (either as a direct employee or through an independent contracting relationship) and whose employment or contract was terminated for cause within five (5) years of the member’s election to the Board; or

  • (d) does not have the status of a bankrupt or an insolvent person under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) or any other applicable federal or provincial legislation.

262 In addition to the eligibility requirements set out in Bylaw 261, where a member has:

  • (a) been found by CPA Alberta or a predecessor of CPA Alberta or any other professional or quasi-judicial body or court to have committed unprofessional conduct; or
  • (b) entered into a settlement agreement with a chartered professional accountant organization or a predecessor to a chartered professional accountant organization in Canada, the member is not eligible to be nominated as a Board member of CPA Alberta for five (5) years following the member complying with any orders or terms imposed as a result of the finding of unprofessional conduct or settlement agreement.

Candidate Sample Form

Candidate Photograph

Placeholder image

Professional Career

• Chief Financial Officer, XYZ Company (date)
• Controller, 123 Company (date)
• Senior Accountant, 123 Company (date)
• Designation received (date)
• BComm, University of Calgary (date)

Relevant Activities

• Board Member, Calgary CPA Chapter (date)
• Member (date) and Chair (date) of Management Advisory Council
• Member, Legacy body committee (date)
• Treasurer, Town Community League (date)
• Finance Chair, an Alberta Foundation (date)
• Member, Local Chamber of Commerce (date)

Candidate Statement

(maximum 200 words)

I have been an active member of the profession for the last twenty years. I have reached the point in my career where I feel I have the knowledge, experience and passion needed to benefit Alberta CPAs and the CPA Alberta Board. As a board member, I will work diligently to ensure that CPA Alberta maintains its self-regulating status, protects the public, and provides the services required to ensure Alberta CPAs can achieve success.

Answers to the following two questions:

(maximum of 150 words each)

Sample question 1:
What do you see impacting the CPA profession, and how can CPA Alberta best respond?

The impacts of new technology is the biggest factor that will impact individual CPAs and the profession itself in years ahead. New technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are set to fundamentally change the nature of the work CPAs do. Rather than replace CPAs, these changes will allow CPAs to focus on contributing at a more strategic level. However, that will require CPAs having the appropriate skills to effectively leverage the technology, as well as organizations understanding the invaluable contributions CPAs can make to businesses and organizations of all kinds. To help facilitate this shift, CPA Alberta should help ensure members have access to resources to improve their technological competencies, while broadly promoting the value of the CPA designation and enhancing the CPA brand.

Sample question 2:
How do your skills and background position you to positively contribute to the CPA Alberta Board and lead the governance of the profession?

My previous board experience, especially on other regulatory entity boards, provides me a solid understanding of the mandate and governance of a professional regulatory organization. As well, my career in a variety of industries has given me insights into the Alberta business environment and the trends that will impact our province. Further, I understand the needs and expectations the business community has for CPAs, and the competencies that will help CPAs meet those needs, now and in the future. As well, I have devoted much time to mentoring the next generation of CPAs and am ready to share my insights in how the profession can best assist current and prospective CPAs thrive in our new reality.

Nomination

Nomination Form

If you are interested in being nominated as a candidate for the CPA Alberta Board, a Nomination Form must be completed and submitted by 4:30 pm on Friday, April 26, 2024.

You must include the name and email address of both a nominator and seconder for your nomination in the form. These individuals must be Alberta CPAs in good standing. When the nomination form is submitted, the nominator and seconder will automatically receive an email through which they can verify the nomination.

Prior to submitting the candidate form, we strongly encourage interested candidates to thoroughly read all the information provided on this webpage.

All nominated candidates for the CPA Alberta Board must provide through the nomination form:

Nomination Form

Required Information

All nominated candidates for the CPA Alberta Board must also provide:

  • Your biographical information (maximum of 200 words):
     Please provide the content in bullet form, describing your role as a professional and other relevant experience relating to the CPA Alberta Board positions, as well as a Candidate Statement outlining why you are interested in being part of the CPA Alberta Board and what your priorities are.
  • Answers to the following two questions (maximum of 150 words each):
    1. What do you see impacting the CPA profession, and how can CPA Alberta best respond?
    2. How do your skills and background position you to positively contribute to the CPA Alberta Board and lead the governance of the profession?

  • A head-and-shoulders photograph

For examples of the required information, please view the 'Candidate Sample Form' on the previous tab.

Your submitted information may be subject to editing for grammar and length prior to distribution.

We encourage you to contact CPA Alberta with your questions about the role of the board or the election process. Please contact the CPA Alberta Governance Committee through Megan Wesolowski by phone at (780) 420-2373 or 1-800-232-9406, or e-mail to mwesolowski@cpaalberta.ca.

Note: All election procedures and counting of ballots are overseen by the Chief Scrutineer.

The current CPA Alberta three-year strategic plan runs until 2025 and includes the following priority areas:

  • Protect the public: CPA Alberta will protect the public through the appropriate level of regulatory oversight.
  • Ensure a sustainable professional accounting ecosystem in Alberta: Through education, outreach, and branding, CPA Alberta will learn, adapt to, and influence relevant societal issues that affect Alberta citizens’ and organizations’ economic well-being.
  • Fulfill market needs: CPA Alberta will meet the existing and emerging needs of the province for CPAs through the recruitment of new CPAs and the retention and ongoing development of existing CPAs.
  • Empower a responsible, accountable, and resilient organization: CPA Alberta will be responsible stewards of its resources, demonstrate fiscal accountability and resilience in its operations and embody workplace culture that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Read More: CPA Alberta Strategic Priorities
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