The SWG Board of Directors
The SWG Board of Directors exists to provide guidance and direction to the SWG at legally constituted meetings. The board, made up of volunteers, is a policy governance board. Meetings consist of decision-making and policy establishment. The board and the Executive Director partner to lead and manage the SWG. In addition, a board member can volunteer to serve on Standing Committees and Board Committees.
The board holds between six to seven meetings a year. Meetings are generally held in person and occur in a variety of locations throughout Saskatchewan.
If you are interested in volunteering your time as a board member, please contact the Past President or the SWG Executive Director for more information.
Please click on the picture to see the full PDF.
Nomination Form
Nominees should:
1. Work towards SWG’s Mission, aims, objectives, and Strategic Plan;
2. Learn about, and participate in, governing through the Policy Governance Model;
3. Participate fully as a member of the Board of Directors, and in the Board’s work, which includes (but is not limited to: attending Board meetings, Orientation sessions, Annual General and other special membership meetings, committee work, etc.);
4. Agree to adhere to the SWG’s Organizational Policies (Board, Organization, HR, Harassment and Risk).
I hereby submit the following person for election to the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild Board of Directors at the AGM on October 26, 2024. Nominees are not required to be present to accept the nomination but must be in agreement, have completed and signed the application form, and be members in good standing of the SWG.
Self-Nomination Form
Nominees should:
1. Work towards SWG’s Mission, aims, objectives, and Strategic Plan;
2. Learn about, and participate in, governing through the Policy Governance Model;
3. Participate fully as a member of the Board of Directors, and in the Board’s work, which includes (but is not limited to: attending Board meetings, Orientation sessions, Annual General and other special membership meetings, committee work, etc.);
4. Agree to adhere to the SWG’s Organizational Policies (Board, Organization, HR, Harassment and Risk).
Submit a Bio
Please provide a brief biography which indicates your experience with the writing community, your interest in serving on the SWG’s Board of Directors, and any skills and experience you feel may be relevant to your work on the SWG Board.
This information will be circulated and distributed to the membership in preparation for the Annual Meeting.
In order for an applicant’s nomination to be promoted to the membership, it must be received by Oct 8. Applications received after this date will be treated as a nomination from the floor. The Nominations Chair accepts applications on the floor until the final call. If the nominee is not successful in their bid for President, they may run as a member at large, following the election of the President.
If you have issues with the form, please email info@skwriter.com.
Roles and composition
Roles
- Establish the guiding principles and policies for the organization.
- Delegate responsibility and authority to those who are responsible for enacting the principles and policies.
- Monitor compliance with those guiding principles and policies.
- Ensure that staff, and board alike are held accountable for their performance.
- Set policy and direction for the SWG and to continually evaluate its effectiveness.
- Make decisions as a whole - directors cannot act individually.
- Abide by the SWG’s code of ethics, conflict of interest, and confidentiality policies.
The SWG is committed to a collaborative work environment. In support of that commitment, the Executive Director is recognized as a trusted advisor to the board and invited to attend and contribute to all board meetings except when the board holds an in-camera discussion.
Composition
There are usually ten members on the SWG Board of Directors, and no more than half of the elected directors reside in one city in the province. There are Board Committees that directors from the board volunteer to chair (Audit, Governance, and Nominations Committees, and special ad hoc committees as they arise).
Current Board of Directors
Miguel Fenrich
David J. Schleich
Joy Brown
Tim Blackett
Helen Chang
Chinedu Ezela
Monica Johnson
Victoria Johnson
Julianna McLean
Daryl Sexsmith
Tracy Hamon
Time commitment and terms
- The SWG Board of Directors regularly meet six to seven times per year in Regina, Saskatoon or somewhere in-between.
- The board occasionally conducts board development activities and facilitated strategic planning sessions.
- The November meeting is the Board Orientation meeting when directors decide who will fill the role of Vice-President, and Chairs of committees.
- The SWG reimburses travel and accommodation expenses, where needed, to attend a meeting or approved events.
- The President shall be elected for a one-year term by a general vote at the AGM.
- All other directors shall be elected for two-year terms by a general vote at the AGM.
- Directors shall be elected on a rotating basis with ideally four positions filled every year.
- No director shall serve more than two consecutive terms.
- Fifty percent of the voting directors present shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of a meeting of the Board of Directors.
The office of a Director shall be automatically vacated if:
- The person ceases to be a resident of Saskatchewan;
- The person has the status of bankrupt;
- The person submits a bona fide letter of resignation to the board
- The person without satisfactory justification is absent from two board meetings within one fiscal year;
- The board votes by a vote of two-thirds of the directors to remove a director by due process; or
- The voting members by ordinary resolution at a special meeting of members vote to remove the person as a director.
Annual General Meeting
The Guild’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held in conjunction with the Fall Conference. The AGM takes place on Saturday of the Conference and is an event where only SWG members can vote.
Former Board Presidents
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