When registrants vote in the 2023 Council election, it’s going to look slightly different. To align with best governance practices for regulatory bodies and amendments to the Professional Governance Act (PGA), the terminology and process currently used for Council will be adjusted.
Going forward this spring, Council will be referred to as the Board, and the head of the Board will be the Chair, instead of the President; Vice Chair replaces Vice President and Board Member replaces Councillor. The functions are not altered; only the titles will change.
Registrants will continue to elect the organization’s registrant Board Members. However, the Chair will be elected by the Board Members—elected and appointed—rather than elected separately by registrants. This election process is currently in place for the Vice President position and will remain in place for that role. Only elected Board Members are eligible for leadership positions.
All regulators under the PGA are required to update their terminology to better reflect their roles as regulatory bodies. Engineers and Geoscientists BC is introducing the change to elect the President to support its drive to modernize the governance practices of the organization. Best practice in regulatory bodies is for registrants to elect Board Members and for the Board to select its own leadership. All regulatory bodies under the Health Professions Act, the Architectural Institute of British Columbia, and the Chartered Professional Accountants of BC follow this practice.
Image Credit: Mike Crane Photography