Supplied by the City of Sault Ste. Marie…
Sault Ste. Marie, ON (2020 01 16) – The City of Sault Ste. Marie is seeking citizens interested in serving as Board members for a new tourism corporation.

On December 2, 2019, City Council passed a resolution approving a new model for economic and tourism development in the community. As part of this model, a new non-share capital tourism organization will be created. A new Board of Directors will be formed and the duties of the Board will include:
” Providing expert insight into the development of tourism strategies
” Recommending strategic plans and annual business plans to City Council
” Assessing and recommending funding applications to a Tourism Development Fund
” Approving the expenditure of funds to strategically advance the tourism sector
” Reviewing and approving funding applications that would be submitted through the non-profit corporation to other levels of government

City staff within the Community Development and Enterprise Services service area will undertake the administration and support work required for this new corporation.

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by submitting an application form on or before Friday, February 7, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). Application forms can be found on the City’s website at saultstemarie.ca/boardscommittees or can be obtained from the Clerk’s Office at the Civic Centre.

The ideal Board will be made up of a diverse group of tourism industry professionals with deep experience in different facets of the tourism industry. It is envisioned the Board will be comprised of nine members – five individuals representing accommodation providers and four tourism sector stakeholders. Desired qualifications of Board members includes:

o Management experience within a tourism-related organization

o Demonstrated leadership in current position

o Ability to formulate and monitor the implementation of strategic plans

o Skills and competencies in areas such as:

o Marketing and promotion
o Finance
o Strategic planning
o Product development
o Event hosting

The time commitment required for Board members is anticipated to include one meeting per month and occasional special purpose meetings. The term for the initial appointments will be for the remainder of City Council’s term.

A Board Member is responsible to represent the best interest of the tourism sector as a whole. The role requires the Board Member to be accountable for the following duties:

” Meeting Participation – The Board Member is expected to participate in all meetings of the Board (reasonable exceptions can be accommodated).

” Be Informed – The Board Member must be informed about the tourism industry to properly perform their duty. The expectation is the Board Member prepares for each Board meeting by reviewing all material provided with the meeting agenda.

” Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality – The Board Member shall not participate in any decision when the Board Member has a material financial interest in the transaction in question.

City Council will meet in open session, either at a regular meeting or a special meeting called for that purpose, to make the appointments to the Board. The agenda for such meetings shall contain only the names of the applicants. Further to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the application form and supporting material of applicants shall be circulated only to Council and will not be disclosed for use by any 3rd party and will only be disclosed, as required, through the open discussions of Council, when considering applicants.

Council may request further information concerning an applicant, either in writing or by personal attendance at the meeting. When considering appointments to any particular Boards or Committees, the members of Council may nominate other members of Council or Interested Persons, as the case may be, from the pool of Applicants for other Boards and Committees.

Should the number of nominees exceed the number of vacancies for any Board and Committee, balloting will take place in accordance with the provisions for simultaneous recorded vote in the procedure by-law. Every appointment made by Council to Boards and Committees shall be at the pleasure of Council, whether or not the appointment is for a specified time period. The City Clerk notifies all appointees in writing of their appointments following the meeting.