The PIAA has cancelled its proposed Special General Meeting (SGM) and instead issued an open call to members for nominations to fill four casual board vacancies as soon as possible.
The PIAA has cancelled its proposed Special General Meeting (SGM) and instead issued an open call to members for nominations to fill four casual board vacancies as soon as possible.
The surprise move follows a closed meeting last month between the board and a members action group (MAG) over the direction of the peak industry association. Under the new plan outlined in a press release on Monday, existing board members would choose the successful appointees through the process outlined in the Association rules.
“Our association needs talented people who are committed to great outcomes," said Kieran May, acting president of the PIAA. "We need people on the board, and within the organisation, who understand our history but are focussed firmly on the future.
"We will fill vacancies to ensure appropriate regional focus. There is a need for a new director to replace those elected by the members in Victoria, Queensland and NSW. Given the acting President is domiciled in the ACT and can represent local members’ interests, the vacancy resulting from the resignation of David Leach can reasonably be filled by a National or ACT based member (or member nominee)."
There are four casual vacancies to be filled as soon as possible, said the PIAA press release. The appointees will sit for the remainder of 2016. With elections due in October for a new Board, there is an opportunity to seek a further term. Successful appointees will be determined by the existing Board Members, through the process outlined in the Association rules. The Board would like to have a short list for appointment by 17 March, with all appointments confirmed by the end of March.
"Ideally, we need to balance the skills and experience of board members," said May. "There is also the need to seek gender balance and of course achieve nationwide coverage. While there are no special qualifications required, at the moment, the board has plenty to do, so the time commitment between now and the end of the year will mean a greater involvement than would otherwise be the case.
"As an organisation, we need to move forward to meet the needs of our changing industry," he said. "We need people with an understanding of governance and a grasp of the strategic issues we face, both in the traditional and emerging sectors of the industry. A good knowledge of communications, marketing and stakeholder engagement will be valuable."
Members who would like to be considered to fill the casual vacancies should email Theresa Leong (theresa@piaa.org.au) .
The SGM scheduled for 23 February had been postponed for 14 days following the resignation of former president Ross Black.