Moving Forward - The Future of Pride Toronto: A message to the Members and Community from the Board of Pride Toronto Pride Toronto’s 2014 Annual General Meeting (AGM) marked another significant milestone for Pride Toronto, coming off the success of WorldPride 2014. Thanks for helping us deliver the biggest Pride celebration that the LGBTTIQQ2SA* community has ever seen around the world! Thank you for supporting the organization and community, and for continuing to be engaged as we move forward and map out the future of Pride Toronto. Pride Toronto exists to celebrate the history, courage, diversity and future of Torontos LGBTTIQQ2SA* communities. As part of that, the Board of Directors is committed to engaging with our membership and the broader community to discuss the gaps in the organization and work with you to take meaningful steps to address them. Specifically, over the coming weeks and months, we will: • Continue our efforts to recruit a new Executive Director, who will ideally start in early 2015 • Engage in consultations regarding the new long-term Strategic Plan, including conducting online and phone surveys of our membership and the community in December 2015 • Engage with alumni members of the Board of Directors to serve in an advisory capacity to draw on their expertise, and ensure a presence in all facets of our diverse and vibrant community • Host a community town hall in January 2015 finalize the recruitment of new team leads for our volunteer teams in order to start planning the 2015 Festival. To assist in the important work ahead, the membership elected 4 talented individuals at the AGM to serve on the Board and represent the voices of our communities. Each of them brings a wide range of perspectives and skills: Alica Hall is a communications professional and community activist. In her current role as a Communications Officer at United Way Toronto, she works with community and media stakeholders to build awareness and understanding of the challenges facing diverse communities living in Toronto. Her personal, professional, and academic experiences will be impactful as we continue to strengthen our community engagement and communications strategies. Carolynn Gludish has been a proud member and volunteer of Pride Toronto for a number of years. Many of you will know her from the past 5 years as a Parade Team Lead. She is a Registered Nurse, specializing in paediatric rehabilitation, and also a year-round volunteer with the 519 Church Street Community Centre. Her in-depth knowledge of the organization and relationships with our staff and volunteers will assist the Board in understanding the broader impact of its decisions, with a view to improving the experience of all our volunteers and community partners. Michael Mirpuri is a Chartered Accountant, practicing at Deloitte. He is also a founder and former Chair and President of Out On Bay Street, a national non-¬profit organization focused on providing career opportunities to LGBTTIQQ2SA* students and young professionals. His professional skills and previous experience serving on Pride Torontos Governance Committee and the WorldPride Finance and Fundraising Committee will be extremely valuable as we strive to maintain the sound financial health of the organization and manage internal and external risks. Tatum Wilson is the Senior Advisor on Health Policy, for Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario. He has spent over 11 years working at Queen’s Park in various roles in several government ministries, and served on a number of boards and committees of a wide range of civic and non-profit organizations. His expertise in strategic planning, government relations, and stakeholder engagement will be crucial assets to help the Board achieve success with its key goals. These new Board Directors will be critical to the success of this organizations future. Pride Toronto appreciates your support for these newly elected members, and in their efforts to represent you and our diverse communities. They will be crucial in helping us complete the important tasks ahead of recruiting an Executive Director, establishing and implementing a new long-term Strategic Plan, and ensuring the sustainability of the Festival beyond WorldPride. We also face a number of challenges together, including possible constraints regarding funding/sponsorship of the Festival. It is crucial that we enjoy your ongoing support as we continue to build and strengthen this incredible organization together. We must seize the opportunities ahead as a united, vocal and, proud community! We want to thank our outgoing members of the Board of Directors, Chad Simon, Sean Hillier, Mark Smith, and Susan Gapka for their diligent service to the community during their tenure as Board members, and all of their incredible contributions to the organization and community. Once again, thank you for making Pride happen! We look forward to hearing from and working with all of you. Sincerely, Pride Toronto & The Pride Toronto Board of Directors
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 17:47:55 +0000
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