This two-hour workshop offers a first look at becoming a board member for a charity or non-profit organization. The workshop is the first of three which examine the roles and responsibilities of board members and the characteristics of effective boards. This workshop invites you to a conversation about what is asked of you as a board member. Participants will develop confidence and understand how they can make an effective contribution to the board of an organization.

Learning objectives:
During this workshop, with practical applications and discussion we will discuss:

• Roles and responsibilities of boards
• Contributing to organizational culture
• The role of committees
• Assessing tasks and time commitment
• What to expect in an orientation manual
• Addressing risk

Who Should Attend
Board members and anyone thinking of joining a Board
Past members of a Board of Directors and who want to explore the experience in a structured way.
NPO staff, for example Volunteer Resource Managers or EDs, who recruit Board members

Instructors
Lola Dube-Quibell has over 30 years of industry experience which includes a long association with Volunteer Ottawa and many of Volunteer Ottawa’s members and related associations. She is currently Ottawa Public Health’s Coordinator of Volunteer Resources; a role she has held for the past 17 years. Earlier in her career, Lola spent over a decade in sales and marketing at Canada Post. She has been a past Co-Chair of the Ontario Public Health Volunteer Resources Management Network (VRMN) and the Ottawa Administrators of Volunteer Resources (OAVR), as well as a Board Director at Centre Soleil and the Civic Institute of Professional Personnel. Lola has a Masters from Laurentian University and obtained a Certificate in Volunteer Administration from Algonquin College.

Maria Lahiffe is the Education Coordinator with Volunteer Ottawa. In this role, Maria coordinates all aspects of the VO Education program, including recruiting instructors, developing instructional content, and marketing. Before joining VO in early 2016, Maria worked in a diverse range of roles and organizations, including Outreach Coordinator for Queen’s University , K-12 teacher for a public school board, Senior Chemistry Teacher at a Secondary School in Ghana and Environmental Engineering Consultant in Northern BC. Maria’s varied background in education, business and the voluntary sector provided the perfect foundation for leading workshops geared towards Non-Profit professionals. A proud alumna of both UBC and UOttawa, Maria is a member of both the Ontario College of Teachers and the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers.