Equestrian Canada, the national body for equestrian sport and horse welfare, seeks candidates for three (3) volunteer Board positions (2025-2028). Apply now!

Dear Prospective Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in serving on the Equestrian Canada (EC) Board of Directors.

Our Vision

Fostering a love of horses and sport, for life.

Our Mission

Uniting the Canadian equestrian community in the pursuit of excellence while inspiring and serving people and their horses.

Our Core Values are Responsibility • Community • Quality • Proud

For more information about Equestrian Canada governance and operations, please visit www.equestrian.ca.

Vacancies

In 2025, there are three (3) vacancies and there will be three (3) Directors elected.

Per Bylaw 4.1 and 4.2 Directors to be Elected

Subject to any increase or decrease by the Board within the minimum and maximum as set out in the Articles, the number of Directors to be elected at an annual meeting shall be the number of Directors whose terms expire in the same year as the election.

Three (3) positions will be for a three (3) year term ending in 2028.

Term Limits: Per Bylaw Article 4.9

Current Directors can be eligible for re-election, but no Director may serve for more than three (3) consecutive three-year terms. Fulfilling an incomplete term is not considered part of the term limit. Directors shall serve staggered terms to balance continuity with new perspective.

Commitment

You should be prepared to devote approximately 10-20 hours monthly to the Board, including monthly tele/video conference meetings, potentially one face-to-face board meeting, committee work and other duties. If elected, attendance at board meetings must be set as a personal priority and engaged participation in committee work is critical for the success of EC. Please review the, EC Bylaws, EC Governance Manual, EC Code of Conduct & Ethics, and the Canada Not For Profit Act to become familiar with both the EC governance and operations when applying.

Competency of Nominees

All nominations shall be reviewed by the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall provide the Category Members with a list of candidate Directors, taking into consideration the required skills and diverse needs of Equestrian Canada, the community it serves and a balance of new and experienced Directors. Some of the skills desirable, but not limited to, include competency in digital communication, technology, fund raising, marketing, sport development, coaching, competition, risk management, governance, and finance. The Nominating Committee shall adhere to Board approved policies respecting the requirements to ensure appropriate diversity, independence, and the need for athlete representation on the Board.

The list of candidate Directors shall exceed the number of vacant positions by at least one and at most three (3) persons. No candidate may be eligible for election as a director unless such candidate has been reviewed by the Nominating Committee and included on this list of candidates to the Category Voting Members. The Nominating Committee reserves the right to follow up and verify the accuracy of all information in the application.

Eligibility: Per Bylaw Article 4.5

Eligibility – Subject to the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act and the EC By-laws, any Person who:

(i) has the power under law to contract, (ii) is eligible to serve as a director of a registered charity, (iii) is not an employee of Equestrian Canada or a Recognized Affiliate Organization, and (iv) is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada, and (v) may be elected or appointed as a Director provided that: A) Directors shall not be a committee member on any EC Operational Committee; and B) Directors may not be Category Voting Members save and except that a Director whose term is ending and is not standing for re- election may be a Category Voting Member at the Meeting of Voting Members where such Director’s term is ending, and C) Any Operational Committee member or Category Voting Member elected as a Director shall resign as a Category Voting Member or Operational Committee member within ten (10) days following the later of (i) date of election; and (ii) the provision of such Person’s consent to be a Director in accordance with the Act.

Nominations: Per Bylaw Article 4.6.

Nominations – Nomination of an individual for election as a Director shall be submitted to the Nominating Committee in accordance with Equestrian Canada's nomination policies, procedures and timelines, and shall include a written confirmation by the candidate expressing a willingness to stand for office and a detailed profile of the nominee.

Please note that Director Application Packages will remain confidential and will be destroyed after the election results are confirmed.

Candidate Application Package

Candidate Application Packages must include the following items to be considered by the Nominating Committee:

1. Letter of Interest (maximum one page - 500 words) including why you would like to serve on the EC Board along with the skills and value you feel you would bring to the Board and organization;

2. CV (maximum five (5) pages) must include contact information, education, work experience, volunteer/community service experience, language, technical and soft skills; CVs will be publicly circulated to the Nominating Committee and, if selected as a successful candidate during the election process, it will be presented to the Category Voting Members at the voting stage; therefore, please consider personal/confidential information within your CV before submitting with your Candidate Application Package;

3. Complete Skill Matrix – upon submission of your Director Application Package (Letter of Interest, CV, Nomination & Acceptance Form) you will receive a skills matrix via email. The skills matrix lists many of the skills that are assets when serving as a director. You will be required to evaluate yourself using the skills matrix and return the completed matrix to nominations@equestrian.ca within the time period stipulated in the email;

4. Completed and Signed Director Nomination and Acceptance Form;

5. Social Media Profiles (optional)

Questions

If you have questions regarding the Director Application Package, please contact Kelly Gravelle, Chair Nominating Committee at nominations@equestrian.ca

Please submit your completed Director Application Package by 4 p.m. ET, April 11, 2025, to the attention of Kelly Gravelle - Chair, Nominating Committee at nominations@equestrian.ca.

Key Timelines

March 17, 2025 Call for Nominations Opens

April 11, 2025 Call for Nominations Closes at 4pm ET

April 28, 29, 30, 2025 Interviews for selected candidates via tele/video conference

May 5, 2025 List of candidates to run for election announced/published

May 27, 2025 Voting Members cast their ballot at AGM

May 28, 2025 Election results announced/published

Nomination and Acceptance Form (*mandatory fields)

*Name of Nominee/ Applicant: (PRINT NAME):

*Nominee/Applicant Email Address and Phone Number:

Registered Participant Number OR Name of Equine Affiliate of Nominee (OPTIONAL)

*Name of Nominator (PRINT NAME): (Please note: The nominator must be someone other than yourself)

*Nominator’s Email Address and Phone Number:

Registered Participant Number of Nominator (OPTIONAL)

Dear Nominating Committee Members,

I hereby apply as a candidate for Director on the Equestrian Canada Board. I certify that I support the Vision and Mission of Equestrian Canada. I will accept nomination, will serve if elected, and agree to support and be bound by Equestrian Canada’s policies.

I wish to be considered a candidate for the EC Board for a Three-Year Term. Should I be selected for an interview, I am aware that the dates in which interviews will be conducted are during the following times (5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time zone) on April 28, 29, 30, 2025 and that I will be available during this period for a tele/video conference interview (specific interview dates/ times to be appointed and communicated by the Nominating Committee by April 23, 2025).

I understand and agree that all election results will be made public.

I certify that I satisfy all requirements for directors of non-profit corporations, including those under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. I authorize Equestrian Canada to verify the accuracy of my application and agree to cooperate and complete such documents as may be reasonably requested by Equestrian Canada to confirm the accuracy of any information contained herein.

I certify that, to the best of my knowledge, the information I have provided in this application is true, accurate, and complete.

*Signature of Nominee/ Applicant

*Print Name (Nominee/Applicant)

*Date

Equestrian Canada

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Equestrian Canada 2025 Board of Directors - Volunteer Position