Renewing The Friends’ Board of Directors

While the board of The Friends is elected at our Annual General Meeting in June, the process of renewal also continues throughout the year. When individual members leave the board between AGMs, the board appoints their successors as our bylaws allow so we are not left short-handed. As a hundred per cent volunteer organization with no support staff, we must get all our work done by members of the board or others who want to help.

Examples of this were the retirement last August of Matt Blackett, a highly-valued, six-year veteran of the board, followed sadly by the death in December of George Waters who had been a director since 1996. After much discussion and consideration, the board acted in January 2014 to appoint Jeff Evenson as a director, confident that his interest and ability would bring strength to our organization. Other appointments are being explored currently.

Jeff lives in the Fort York neighbourhood where he works too as a vice-president of the Canadian Urban Institute, a post he has held since 2002. Few people have his breadth of city-building experience spread over thirty years as a former chief of staff to two mayors (Eggleton, Rowlands), director of Central Waterfront Projects for the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, and one of the developers of Toronto’s 2008 Waterfront Olympic bid. He was off to a quick start with us when he opted recently to join the Fort York Precinct Advisory Committee which exists to encourage good development in the fort’s environs.

Currently the board is looking to identify a new director who can take over from Nancy Baines the duties of membership secretary. Nancy, who also curates our Resource Centre, wants to spend more time there as it moves into the new Visitor Centre later this year. The tasks of the membership secretary include mailing out membership renewal reminders and processing replies; increasing our numbers by promotions and outreach; and creating incentives to join The Friends through members-only benefits and activities. Anyone who’d like to explore joining the board as membership secretary should contact the Nominations Committee at info@fortyork.ca.