On Wednesday, May 27, members of Orchestras Canada gathered in beautiful Quebec City for OC’s 2009 annual general meeting, followed by two and a half days of learning, peer group discussion, and music. While we’ll report more in coming weeks on the outcomes and learnings from the members’ meetings (and will post new resources on our website, too), we’ll focus today on OC’s AGM.
Outgoing chair Jeff Alexander, Executive Director Katherine Carleton, outgoing treasurer Tricia Baldwin, and Nominating Committee Chair Ann Lewis-Luppino each presented reports to the membership.
The headlines? Orchestras Canada is in good financial shape, reporting an excess of revenues over expenses for the 2009 year of $20,424 and a clean bill of financial health from audit firm Cowperthwaite Mehta. A strategic focus on advocacy has resulted in a re-alignment of OC’s staffing and activities. Board succession planning is healthy, with three new members elected to the board of directors, and an orderly transition on the Board’s executive committee. Erika Beatty, CEO of Symphony Nova Scotia, Caroline Miller, General Manager of the Okanagan Symphony, and Luce Moreau, President and CEO of the Orchestre symphonique du grand Montreal were newly elected to the OC Board, and the Executive Committee for 2009-10 will consist of Ann Lewis-Luppino (CEO of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra), Chair; Therese Boutin (Directrice generale of the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivieres), Vice Chair; Cathryn Gregor (Chief Operating Office, Toronto Symphony Orchestra), Treasurer; Dr. Jeff Berryman (past chair, Windsor Symphony Orchestra), secretary.
The meeting also marked Vancouver Symphony Orchestra CEO Jeff Alexander’s last meeting as Orchestras Canada’s chair. He will now join OC’s ex officio directors, realizing (as he has put it) a “life-long dream to be the past chair of something.” Members acknowledged his participation in and leadership of Orchestras Canada since 2001 with hearty applause. Melanie La Couture, chief operating officer of the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal, also stepped down from the OC board at this time, and her contributions were acknowledged.
OC’s “rencontre a Quebec” would not have been possible without the support of an organizing team, consisting of Sophie Galaise, directrice generale of the Orchestre symphonique de Quebec, Therese Boutin, and Melanie La Couture. We were also immeasurably aided by Mme Galaise’s team at the OSQ, Louise Labelle and her staff at Les Violons du Roy, the staff at Palais Montcalm, and the conference staff at Quebec’s Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. Our heartfelt gratitude to all of them! And we look forward to getting to work soon on next year’s meeting, scheduled for Winnipeg MB in late June 2010.
