Board of Directors Guiding Governance
The Board of Directors continue to oversee and govern the Society and its operations to support the achievement of
its vision and goals. The responsibilities of the Board include:
- Determining the strategic direction and vision
- Formulating Society policies
- Management of the Health Director (the Health Director manages the operational day to day running of the Society)
- Implementing risk management strategies
- Complying with legislation
- Ensuring robust and accountable measurements
- General performance monitoring
- Ultimately ensuring that the Society prioritizes the health and wellness needs of community members.
To support us in undertaking these responsibilities, the Board maintains an array of skills and expertise across its Directors. As our priority is to ensure the Society meets the expectations, needs and goals of the Skidegate community, it is important to us to ensure that all of the Directors are citizens of the Haida Nation and/or reside within the Haida community so we are able to apply our local knowledge. Key knowledge and experience that is currently held collectively by the Board includes health and home care, mental health and addictions support, Health Clinic operations, the broader Health system, governance, community advocacy, and Haida culture and language.
Further to the acknowledgements of our Chairperson, we would also like to recognize the contributions from two of our Board members who left the Board during this fiscal year – Michelle (Missy) McDonald and Isabel Brillon. Missy finished her service to the Board in November 2022 and Isabel finished her service on the Board in January 2023. Both Missy and Isabel served on the Board of Directors since the Society’s inception in 2013 and demonstrated constant commitment and dedication to the Society, its members and the Skidegate community’s health and wellbeing over their nine plus years of service. We express our deep appreciation and gratitude to you both for the wisdom, insights, and passion you provided to ensure the Society was delivering and performing to its maximum potential and for your strong governance to ensure the Society was accountable to the Skidegate community.
While we were saddened to see the departure of two strong and wise community leaders from the Society’s Board of Directors, we were fortunate to welcome former Health Director Lauren Brown as a Board of Director in November 2022 following her departure from the Society’s Health Director role in June 2022. Lauren’s experience in the Health Director role meant she was no stranger to Board meetings. Her significant wisdom with the healthcare system, and with the Society’s operations, brought in-depth knowledge and experience to the governing table as well as her dedication to cultural wellbeing.
Strengthening Our Voting System
Utilizing the Learnings from the past years, as a Board we Identified a need to strengthen our voting system for the Board Directors at the Annual General Meetings (AGM) to better reflect the Haida culture and values. Each Director is committed to a Board term of three years, with these terms having different starting years to ensure Directors’ terms do not end all at once and maintain some consistency across the Board. The current process for voting at AGMs, as required by the Society’s constitution, involves:
- A call out to the community for requests for Director nominations
- Sharing nominations with members for consideration before the AGM
- Members vote at the AGM on which nominations they would like to elect, or re-elect, to the Board Director positions for a term of three years.
We believe the process moving forward could involve voting prior to the AGM. This proposed bylaw amendment would also allow more time at the AGM to discuss strategic matters and seek guidance from the community. We intend to work with our membership to support a change to the process to ensure it is based on an approach of empathy and integrity.
Finally, the Society’s Board of Directors will continue to remain committed to the safety and wellbeing of the community, and to ensure that culture and traditions will underpin everything we do. It is an honour to support the Skidegate community in our governing role which we are so humbled to do.
Haawa.
Board of Directors
Ayushi Shukla
Director of Health
Biography coming soon.
Robert Russ
Director
Biography coming soon.
Terri Walker
Director
Biography coming soon.
Linda Tollas
Board of Director
Gaajiiaawa is a member of the Gaagyaals KiiGawaay Ravens of Skedans and a respected member of HIGaagilda Llnagaay. Aside from a twenty-five-year period, Linda has lived her whole life in Haida Gwaii, returning in 1997. Linda is a strong advocate for the community and has worked for the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. Linda serves as a local educator to university students from across Canada enrolled in the Haida Gwaii Higher Education Society (HGHES) since its inception in 2009. A highlight of her career with Gwaii Haanas was accompanying the Skidegate Haida Immersion Program (SHIP) as they circumnavigated Moresby Island for their Haida place-naming project. Inspired with SHIP’s work, Linda retired from Gwaii Haanas in 2012, and joined SHIP to learn the Haida language. Linda is constantly surrounded by a loving family and constantly advocates and cares immensely about the health and wellness of the Haida Gwaii community.
Aay Aay Gidins
Director
Biography coming soon.
Verica
Director
Biography coming soon.