Our Annual General Meeting saw some progressive changes this year, as our members approved key changes to modernize OPA’s board structure and voting rules.
The Governance and Nominating Committee (GNC) introduced By-Law amendments for member approval at the AGM. The motion for By-Law changes was passed and these impactful changes are now in effect.
In case you missed it, here’s a summary of the most significant changes.
Board seats no longer divided by district
We’ve made an exciting change to OPA governance that will dramatically impact the accessibility of board positions. Under the old By-Law, board seats were tied to district representation. There were seven “district representative” seats, divided into the regions of Eastern Ontario, Central Ontario, Metro Toronto, Western Ontario, and Northern Ontario.
Under the new By-Law, those district groups will be dissolved and replaced with seven Generally Elected Directors. These directors will be elected by all OPA voting members and will not be tied to a specific region. This change will be phased in as the current board members’ terms conclude, and the positions come up for re-election.
This change opens up more opportunity for any qualified individual to apply for a board seat, without having to wait for a vacancy in their district.
Voting rights extend to technician and hospital pharmacists
The right to vote on the election of Directors and other matters has now been extended to Pharmacy Technician Members and Hospital Pharmacist Members.
What else is new?
- Under the new By-Law, the Board will be composed of seven generally elected Directors, one elected Pharmacy Technician Director (who must be a Pharmacy Technician), and up to 6 appointed Directors-at-Large.
- The “Corporate” membership category has now been removed.
- The OPA annual award categories will be reduced to four: Pharmacist of Year, Technician of the Year, New Practitioner of the Year and (when appropriate) the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Want to learn more? Read the Governance and Nominating Committee Report here, and catch up on everything from the 2025 AGM here. (Please note, you must be logged in to access the files.)
