President's Message - New Year, New Ideas: A time for coming together

New Year, New Ideas: A time for coming together

More than 30 of our community members – mainly Scholars but also several current and alumni Mentors and Fellows – took part in New Year, New Ideas 2019 at the Foundation office on January 25th. We had the grand pleasure of having Dr. Joe MacInnis with us. He is a passionate deep-sea diver, author and has been a member of the Foundation since its creation. Dr. Joe offered vividly told stories of time he spent with Pierre Elliott Trudeau, their relationship built around loyalty and trust – and diving. It was also an opportunity to reflect on the word leadership, and its many different meanings. In his book, Deep Leadership, Dr. Joe talks about leadership in high-risk contexts. He writes: "Deep leaders help their team partners navigate turbulent seas of change. They press for new skills, new behaviors, and new directions.” How inspiring for all of us who are part of a Foundation seeking bold innovation!

Our gathering on January 25th was an opportunity for members of the Foundation community to share their ideas and opinions, which led to some valuable exchanges. Participants offered their insights and ideas on Inclusive Excellence and Engaged Leadership in a format similar to the Future Forums. And, there was some inspired artistic creativity! Paper was folded, sheared and glued. Markers danced and drew. These oral and artistic contributions are essential to the Foundation’s strategic planning process. I warmly thank all those who came and made the day a genuine success!

You have likely figured out by now that the Foundation has proudly embarked on a journey into the world of creation and art. We had the opportunity to welcome Agnès Gruda to the Foundation office in Montreal on January 29th. A veteran journalist for the newspaper La Presse and an award-winning author of two collections of short stories, she led a Lunch and Learn session on her rich experience as a journalist and fiction writer. Foundation Mentor and journalist André Picard was also on-hand. Haven’t we all felt like we had two separate minds sometimes? How else can one ride a literary wave while letting ourselves to be guided by the characters which inspire us?

Appointment of the Application and Nomination Review Committee

The Board of Directors recently approved the appointment of the fifteen members of the Foundation’s Application and Nomination Review Committee. The ANRC plays a central role evaluating, interviewing and recommending choices to the Board of Directors for new Scholars, Mentors and Fellows. In a spirit of Inclusive Excellence, the Committee is made up of eight women and seven men and is diverse in terms of culture, language, geography and academic affiliation. I am also honoured to have Canada's Chief Science Advisor, Mona Nemer, as chair of the Committee. Members of the Committee were appointed for a one-year term, which is renewable.

Future Forums

More than half of our consultations on Inclusive Excellence and Engaged Leadership across Canada are now complete. Our most recent workshops were in Ontario, with sessions at the University of Toronto and York University on January 14th and 15th, followed by the Royal Military College in Kingston on January 16th, and at the University of Ottawa on January 17th. We returned to the Foundation enriched by these meetings which provided much to consider as we develop our strategic plan.

The next Future Forums will be held in Quebec during the first week of February, beginning in Montreal on February 4th at the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse. On February 5th we will be landing in Val-d'Or at l’Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue’s Pavillon des Premiers-Peuples. On February 7th the Future Forums will travel to Quebec City where participants will be welcomed at the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec. Visit the Future Forums section of our website for more details and to register for these or upcoming consultations in Regina, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Victoria.

Reminder: Search for 2019 Fellowship and Mentorship candidates

Do you know leaders with diverse backgrounds and experience whose originality and civic engagement inspire ideas and action? If so, I hope you will encourage them to apply to be a Fellow or Mentor at the Foundation. We are accepting applications until February 22nd.

In closing, I am pleased to announce that as of Thursday, January 31st, 2019, our new Mental Health Policy is fully in place in order to support the well-being of our members, Scholars, in particular.

It is with the greatest respect for each and every one of you that we continue to move forward!

Thank you for walking with us.