Council Appointments

About the Governance Committee

The Governance Committee is designed to serve as a resource for prospective candidates. The Committee’s goal is to ensure that prospective candidates have the information they need to make an informed decision. Chief responsibilities of the Committee include developing and maintaining a formal, rigorous and transparent appointment process for Council positions, and developing recommendations for the slate of candidates for Council’s review and appointment.

If you are considering Council service and have questions, please email any of the Governance Committee below via council@theccoa.ca. Be sure to put the name of the Council member you would like to reach in the subject line, i.e.: Attention: Name of Council Member.

Nominating Committee

• Dr. Kirsten Baxter, Chair
• Dr. Susanne Morris
• Ashley Runka Owens

Process

As per the Terms of Office (Bylaw 2.4), terms of two regulated members serving on Council end on June 30 each year. Council terms are staggered to facilitate continuity of Council operations and decision making. Terms coincide with the CCOA’s fiscal year (July 1-June 30). The appointment process fills two Regulated Council Member vacancies annually.

Note: Public Council Members are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. 

For more details on how the appointment process for regulated members is implemented, please read Bylaw 2.9 – Appointment procedure.

Eligibility for Council Appointment

As stated in the CCOA Bylaw 2.8 – Eligibility for Council Appointment, in order to be eligible for election, a regulated member must:

• be a regulated member on the general register; and
• have been engaged for a minimum of five years in the active practice of chiropractic in Alberta at the time of appointment; and
• be in good standing with the CCOA and any other colleges of regulated health professions that they are a member of; and
• practice in full compliance with CCOA legislation including the Health Professions Act, Regulation, Bylaws Standards of Practice, Code of Ethics, Administrative Policies, and Directives.

A regulated member on the general register is not eligible for appointment to Council if that member:

• has not consistently maintained all professional obligations without interruption for the five-year period immediately prior to appointment; or
• provides false information at any time during the application process; or
• is currently subject to certain undertakings, conditions imposed under section 55 or 65, or directions under section 118 of the Act; or
• has been formally charged with unprofessional conduct that has not yet been determined by a Hearing Tribunal; or
• has been formally charged with criminal offences under the Criminal Code of Canada that have or have not yet been determined by legal proceedings; or
• has been found to have committed unprofessional conduct pursuant to Part 4 of the Act for the five-year period immediately prior to the application; or
• has been found guilty of unprofessional conduct related to sexual abuse, misconduct, or any sexual boundary violation at any time in any jurisdiction, including outside of Canada; or
• is elected to federal or provincial public office; or
• occupies a senior position (Assistant Deputy Minister or higher) with the Government of Alberta; or
• is an officer, board member, or senior employee of a professional association or a labour union that represents members of a regulated health profession; or
• has been employed by the College in the three years immediately prior to appointment

Competencies

Eligible registrants who are interested in serving on Council will be asked to submit an application, which includes the completion of the Competency-based Skills Matrix.

Each year, existing Council members are also asked to complete the matrix (self-assessment of the skills, knowledge, and attributes of each member). The combined results of Council will be assessed to determine where needs may exist in the upcoming year. This exercise was adopted by Council in 2021.

The decision to transition to a competency-based eligibility model helps the College and regulated members in several ways, including:

• Ensuring successful applicants have the key experience and skills needed to effectively govern in upholding the mandate of public interest. It will also reduce onboarding and orientation time for new Council Members, resulting in more consistent governance for the College over the long term. 
• Positions Council, and new Council Members, for success. Competency-based eligibility models are the recognized gold standard of good governance practice, are legally sound, and allowed under the Health Professions Act. 

Commitments

Council Members serve their terms by participating in extensive onboarding, and annually attending four meetings, a three-day retreat in the fall and, as needed, participating in any Special Meetings (virtually or in-person). If assigned to a Committee, there are additional virtual meetings required. All meetings require that Council Members read each agenda and all associated materials, provided one-week in advance, to prepare for the meetings.

Council is composed of individuals who govern the chiropractic profession in the public interest, including five regulated members of the College of Chiropractors of Alberta and the number of public members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council (as recommended by the Minister of Health) in accordance with the Health Professions Act.

Council terms are staggered to facilitate continuity of Council operations and decision-making, with the terms of two of the regulated members serving on Council ending each year in June and new Council member beginning their terms in July.

For more details on Terms of Office, please read Bylaw 2.4.