Congratulations to all new and re-elected municipal officials!
Are you looking to expand your reach beyond your local council, or get more involved in SUMA?
A seat on SUMA's caucus is a great way to accomplish both of those things!
We kick off the beginning of each year with the Virtual SUMA Summit (formerly SUMA Sector Meetings) where all members are invited to discuss priorities for their sector, hear from SUMA, and participate in learning opportunities. We will also be holding elections for the towns and village/resort village caucuses during the Virtual SUMA Summit. This year's Virtual SUMA Summit takes place on February 13.
Caucus representation differs slightly from caucus to caucus, with the each city appointing one member to the cities caucus, the northern caucus appointing members based on geographical quadrants, and the towns and villages/resort villages caucuses electing one member from each of the existing SUMA geographical regions to each caucus.
What does it mean to be on a caucus?
Caucus representation is replacing the former regional director positions on SUMA's Board of Directors.
Under the former governance structure, all advocacy issues roll up to the Board of Directors through a series of sub-committees, primarily comprised of board members. Moving to a caucus-based model moves the primary responsibility for advocacy to sectoral caucuses, elected by the sectoral representatives in each region. The caucuses are where most of the sector-specific advocacy will occur.
The Board of Directors will exist for the general governance of SUMA (budget, audit, convention planning, compensation of CEO, etc.) and province-wide advocacy. Still, most advocacy efforts will be determined by and advocated by the caucuses, with assistance from SUMA staff.
If you’re interested in running for the town or village caucus representative for your region, you must submit your nomination forms to SUMA by January 30. Nominations from the floor will only be considered if no nomination forms are received in advance for a position.
Watch the video below for more information on how you can make the most of SUMA's offerings
