A letter from our President

President’s Letter - May  2010

Spring is in full swing and a sense of growing excitement and optimism is in the air.   And that excitement pervades the virtual offices of IWFCanada,  where we have so much activity on stream.  Firstly, we successfully completed our annual membership process with an approximate 97% renewal rate.   And we did so in record time, with credit cards adding to members’ convenience.  Membership Chair Michele Stanners and her Chapter colleagues led this new process, supported by our new National Administrator, Marilyn Mirabelli, and we salute them for a job well done. 

Secondly, some 28 members and their guests from Canada are planning their ‘once in a lifetime’ trip to the Cornerstone Conference in Guayaquil, Ecuador from May 26 to 28. The event will begin with our celebrated ‘Canada Cocktail ‘where members from across Canada converge for a ‘catch up’ over a glass of wine before the Opening Reception of the Conference. 

Thirdly, as you all know by now, Canada Forum is in full planning mode as we get ready to welcome IWF members from around the globe at the October World Leadership Conference (WLC) in Montreal.   The Sponsorship sub-committee has concluded the majority of its activity and the response to our requests has surpassed even our loftiest goals.  

 We always knew that our Canadian members were not only leaders, but influencers, and the Sponsorship Committee witnessed the power of our members’ influence firsthand as they generously connected our Committee to their personal and professional networks.   We are thrilled to announce that more than 40 blue-chip Canadian corporations iwfcanada.com/conf-sponsors.html from Quebec to Ontario to Alberta have dug deep into their coffers during this challenging economic time to support their colleagues (and our members), acknowledging the IWF mission of advancing women’s leadership around the world and to be a part of a Conference where the theme, Water, resonates as being just so right and so timely. 

We are also delighted with the high interest from many members who want advance registration to ensure a spot at the Conference. However, registration opens only once formal invitations from International are mailed which we are advised will be in early July.  In the meantime, take a moment and check out our new online Conference FAQ iwfcanada.com/conf-faqs.html and learn all about the Conference and Gala. 

Finally, your Board is preparing for its virtual Annual General Meeting to be held on June 15, 2010 at 6 pm EDT by video conferencing.  To attend is easy;  an invitation is in this newsletter and the information will be on our website. The AGM is a great way to get to know your Directors and Officers  iwfcanada.com/board-of-directors.html,  as well as to learn what your Board has accomplished on your behalf.   We encourage you to mark your calendar to attend: it’s a great way to better understand Canada Forum’s unique and effective, country-wide governance structure.   

A year ago, a goal was set out by the Board to work on increasing Canada Forum members’ engagement. Attending a World Leadership Conference is a great start.  Moreover, to be a part of a WLC as the Host Forum, as we are this October, is clearly an extraordinary opportunity to showcase to IWF members from around the globe the best that Montreal and Canada and our Forum membership have to offer.    And if you would like to actively participate as a volunteer ‘host’ and work with other Canada Forum members during the Conference, please contact Conference Co-Chair Monette Malewski, monette@mbacal.com

I encourage you to mark October 13 to 15 in your calendar and get ready for an outstanding IWF experience.

Best,

Shirley Dawe, President IWFCanada