2025 Board Nominations

• February 27, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. (ET) – Deadline to let the CFPC know you are interested in joining the Board of Directors
• February 28, at 4:00 p.m. (ET) – Deadline to submit a CFPC Board Director application and CV. Please note applications submitted after this deadline will be considered for the 2026 election cycle
• March 1, 2025, to May 2025 – Nominating Committee and Board of Directors to review applications
• May 30, 2025 – Deadline for the Nominating Committee to confirm with each applicant whether they are nominated in the 2025 CFPC Board of Directors election
• End of June 2025 – Deadline for nominees to contribute to a video and provide written content to support their nomination
• September 10 to 24, 2025 – Nominee information is circulated to members to review. During this time, members have an opportunity to provide feedback to the Nominating Committee, including adding their names to the list of nominees if they feel the nominees are not qualified.
• September 24, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (ET) – Deadline for information from any additional nominees
• October 1, 2025 – The final nominee list is circulated to members for review
• October 8 to 22, 2025 11:59 p.m. (ET) – Practising members will receive personalized invitations to vote in the election
• October 29, 2025 – Annual Meeting of Members (AMM) where the names of the successful nominees for the 2025/26 Board of Directors are announced

The deadline to apply for board vacancies is Friday, February 28, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. (ET).

Applications received after this date will be considered for the 2026 election cycle.

• There are two Director-at-Large vacancies for the period of October 29, 2025, to the time of the 2028 AMM.
• The Nominating Committee will put forward at least one nominee for these positions

The CFPC is looking to fill two vacancies.

Out of the 12 Board Director positions, one Director must be filled at all times by a CFPC member in their early years of practice (first five years of practice or a family medicine resident).

For the 2025 election, at least one of the two Director-at-Large vacancies will be filled by a member in their early years of practice.

Voters will be asked to identify their top two selections. The first new electee will be the nominee in their early years of practice receiving the most votes. The second new electee will be the individual receiving the most votes among all remaining nominees (including those in their early years of practice).

Our members represent enormous diversity both professionally and personally. Below are some priority attributes we’ve identified that will help us function together as a Board. No one board director can embody all of these attributes, and you may have special skills we have not yet articulated. Please consider applying even if you do not see yourself in the list below.

The attributes that are bolded are skills we have identified as being of greatest need.

• Diversity in patient populations served (remote, rural, small town, suburban, urban, inner city, Indigenous people, vulnerable people)
• Diversity in care provided (comprehensive care, focused care and holding a Certificate of Added Competence, area(s) of special interest)
• Diversity in clinical practice location (British Columbia, Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Saskatchewan)
• Diversity in number of years in practice/stage of career (First five years in practice or family medicine resident). This is a 2025 election requirement for at least one new director
• Diversity in number of years in practice/stage of career (In first 10 years of practice)
• Diversity in self-identification and lived experience (sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, Black or other people of colour, Indigenous, person living with a disability, immigrant)
• International medical graduate (IMG)
• Facility to communicate in Canada’s two official languages, English and French (bilingual)
• Engagement in the CFPC’s activities and knowledge of them (committee participant, reviewer)
• Engagement in Chapter activities and knowledge of them (committee participant, reviewer)
• Experience with boards and governance
• Financial acumen
• Knowledge in risk management
• Understanding of legal matters
• Knowledge of not-for-profit organizations
• Familiarity with systems thinking and experience in strategic planning
• Experience in patient and health care advocacy
• Comprehension of ethics and conflicts of interest
• Possession of political acumen and understanding of public affairs, and experience in government relations
• Experience in communications, including leveraging various platforms to engage stakeholders effectively
• Experience in fundraising that could help to further connect the CFPC and the Foundation for Advancing Family Medicine (FAFM) Boards
• Experience in community leadership and advocacy, leading change, and social justice initiatives
• Engagement in faculties of medicine, hospitals, teaching, research, and administration
• Acumen regarding the CFPC's core functions including setting standards for certification in family medicine, curriculum, accreditation of postgrad training in family medicine and of continuing professional development (CPD)

• Until February 27, 2025: Email the Nominating Committee to let them know you are interested in a position on the CFPC Board of Directors. You can say “interested in applying for the Board of Directors” or briefly share what interests you about a Board position. We will then provide the link for you to share how you relate to the recruitment attributes (online form).
• By February 28, 2025: Submit your CV and how you relate to the recruitment attributes online. View the recruitment attributes before launching the online form.

• The Nominating Committee reviews the applications and scores them based on an objective criteria to find candidates who best fit the attributes with greatest need
• Applicants may be asked for additional information and/or be invited to participate an interview conducted by video conference
• The Nominating Committee will make recommendations to the Board and the Board will confirm the nominees
• Applicants will be informed by May 30, 2025, whether they are being nominated for member consideration in the 2025 election
• Nominees will be asked to provide the following items by mid-June to be shared with CFPC members on the CFPC’s website:
  • A written summary (up to 500 words) describing themselves to members
  • A video introduction presenting themselves to members (up to 60 seconds, recorded with the help of the CFPC)
  • A picture of themselves

Applicants will receive communications from Sarah Scott, Governance and Strategic Planning Director, regarding the status of their application.

Board Directors are expected to be prepared for and attend a mix of in-person and virtual meetings. See “What is the time commitment?” in these FAQs for details.

Board Directors are also expected to participate actively on one Board Committee when vacancies exist.

Board Directors engage in regular email discussions and teleconferences as needed. Email correspondence may, at times, occur weekly.

The participation of Directors in Board discussions and the expression of opinions are highly valued. The respectful consideration of the opinions of others is necessary. In addition to being part of the decision-making process, being a Board Director is a learning opportunity that enables members to develop a broad perspective on issues affecting family medicine and family physicians. Members of the CFPC’s Board of Directors are also members of the FAFM.

For a full description of the responsibilities and expectations of the CFPC Board Directors, please review the CFPC’s Board Director Policy on Roles and Responsibilities.

• CFPC Board Directors are expected to be prepared for and attend approximately five meetings per year (two in person and three virtually)
  • Two days in person in May or June
  • Two days in person in October/November at the beginning of Family Medicine Forum (FMF) week, followed by the four days at FMF
  • Three three-hour video conferences per year
• Directors participate in the CFPC’s virtual AMM (1.5 hours) and the FAFM’s virtual Annual Meeting (1.5 hours)

These are estimates and actual participation may vary slightly, depending on the College’s needs.

The CFPC’s current Volunteer Reimbursement Policy applies to Board Directors. All travel, accommodation, and meal expenses are covered by the CFPC when Directors are participating in Board responsibilities. In addition, expenses unrelated to income loss that may be incurred while volunteering (e.g., ongoing clinic-based expenses or child care) are covered up to specified maximums.

The CFPC’s Volunteer Reimbursement Policy is currently being reviewed.

• The CFPC’s Board of Directors is composed of 12 Directors
• The CEO/Executive Director and Governance and Strategic Planning Director work with the Board in a non-voting capacity

Changes/opportunities effective October 29, 2025, include:

• Four Directors holding Officer positions will complete their one-year terms  and the individuals elected to fill those positions will be confirmed:
  • Our current Past President, Dr. Michael Green, will complete his term and time as a Board Director
  • Our current President, Dr. Carrie Bernard, will be acclaimed as a Director holding the office of Past President for 2025/26
  • Our current President-Elect, Dr. Sarah Cook, will be acclaimed as a Director holding the office of President for 2025/26
  • The results of the vote to elect our current Secretary-Treasurer, Dr. Sarah Funnell, as a Director holding the office of President-Elect for 2025/26 will be revealed
  • The results of the vote to elect our current Director-at-Large, Dr. Helen Cuddihy, as a Director holding the office of Secretary-Treasurer for 2025/26 will be revealed
• Among the remaining seven Directors-at-Large, the following changes will occur:
  • One vacancy is created by Director-at-Large, Dr. Helen Cuddihy, being the nominee for Director holding the office of Secretary-Treasurer
  • One vacancy is created by a Director-at-Large completing his second three-year term
  • The results of the vote to elect two new Directors-at-Large will be revealed
  • The results of the vote to re-elect our current Director-at-Large, Dr. Alykhan Abdulla as a Director-at-Large for a second term (2025 to 2028) will be revealed
• The following Directors-at-Large will continue their terms:
  • Dr. Amanda Condon (2024–2027)
  • Dr. Magaly Brodeur (2024–2027)
  • Dr. Meena Natarajan (2023–2026)
  • Dr. Avik Nath (2023–2026)
  • Dr. Sarah Lespérance (2024–2027)

• CFPC members elect Board Directors annually
• CFPC members elect individuals they trust will provide informed oversight, passionate stewardship, and sound decision making, which are essential for securing a vibrant future for the CFPC
• Voting is both a right and a responsibility for members
• There are two Director-at-Large vacancies for the 2025 Board of Directors election. There is one required competency among the 12 Board Director positions: one director position must be filled at all times by a CFPC member in their early years of practice (first five years of practice or a family medicine resident).
• For the 2025 election, at least one of the two Director-at-Large vacancies must be filled by a member in their early years of practice. Voting members will be asked to identify their top two selections. The first new electee will be the nominee in their early years of practice receiving the most votes. The second new electee will be the individual receiving the most votes among all remaining nominees (including those in their early years of practice.

Please see our Board Function Policy.

The Nominating Committee oversees the nomination and election process on behalf of the Board.

The Nominating Committee approaches the vacancies as follows:

• The President-Elect nominee is typically the current Secretary-Treasurer, provided that the individual holding this position is supported by the Nominating Committee and the Board, and the individual is interested in the President-Elect position.
• The Secretary-Treasurer nominee is recommended by the Nominating Committee from among the Directors-at-Large. The nominee may be at any point in their Director-at-Large term when nominated. If the Nominating Committee does not feel that any of the sitting Directors-at-Large can be recommended for the Secretary-Treasurer position in a given year, a nominee will be sought from among the membership.
  • Important factors in this determination include that the Secretary-Treasurer position is essentially a step in the direction of preparing for the role of President. An important feature in the election process is the opportunity for succession planning. Individuals ascending to the presidency need time to properly prepare for this responsibility both in terms of acquiring the required knowledge and making arrangements to cover their practices and family responsibilities during the presidential year. Another ongoing consideration is ensuring that the Board Directors, including the Officers, reflect our membership’s diversity. This is something the Nominating Committee considers.
• The Director-at-Large nominees come from two sources. One is a recommendation from the Board and Nominating Committee that a current Director-at-Large who is finishing their first term on the Board be elected to serve for a second term. The second source is through the Nominating Committee’s Call for Interest to all members. The Call for Interest is circulated in February and the CFPC welcomes applications from all members by February 28th. A skills and perspectives matrix is maintained to ensure a Board with a balance of skills and experience that also reflects the diversity of the profession. The Nominating Committee and the Board annually review any gaps on the Board to inform these priorities. The Nominating Committee reviews all the applications, conducts interviews with some applicants, and puts forward strong nominees it feels are suitable for the role. If only one such nominee is identified, then only one nominee will be put forward for voting. The Board approves the nominees forwarded for voting.

The Nominating Committee shares information about nominees with members by early September:

• Rationale for the nomination from the Nominating Committee
• Nominee’s responses to:
  • How I will resonate with members from across our country and at all stages of practice?
  • What I will bring to the CFPC Board of Directors?
• Short video introduction (up to 60 seconds)
• Nominee’s written description of themselves for members (up to 500 words)
• CV/resume
• Conflict of interest declaration and plans for mitigation, if elected

During this feedback phase we ask members to review the information carefully. If you feel the nominees are not qualified, there is an opportunity for you to indicate that you wish to be added or have another member who is willing to stand for election be added to the final list of nominees for the Director-at-Large vacancy. Members who come forward at this stage will be given a deadline to provide the same information that the other nominees provided: application form, CV/resume, the items outlined in bullets above (excluding the first bullet), and a written response (up to 500 words) to be shared with members outlining a compelling argument for why you are a better fit to serve on the CFPC Board than all other nominees, and why you are coming forward now.

Please contact Sarah Scott, Governance and Strategic Planning Director, at [email protected]