Nominees running for a spot on our Board of Directors must be active, adult members in good standing with Servus Credit Union. Call for nominations for the 2022 Board election officially opens on August 30, 2021. The deadline to submit nominations is September 27, 2021 at 4:30pm MT.

Please review the following important information regarding the nomination process and criteria for being a nominee:

• Overview

  Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of the Board of Directors of Servus Credit Union. Please read through each of the sections on this page (or download the entire nomination kit available August 30, 2021) before submitting your nomination package.

  Nomination submissions must include the following to be considered eligible:

  • Candidate consent form*

  • Candidate release form*

  • Candidate questions*

  • Interview scheduling form*

  • Candidate skills matrix*

  • Your resumé

  • A written statement of intent (no more than 200 words)

  • A completed, detailed criminal records check (bring two pieces of government-issued ID to your nearest RCMP or Police Service Office as soon as possible to meet the nomination deadline)

  Prior to submitting your nomination package, review the following documents:

  • Director nomination criteria

  • Board functions, commitment and liability summary

  • 2022 Board elections timelines

  • Sections of the Credit Union Act about director qualifications

  • Sections of the Servus Credit Union Bylaws about director qualifications

  • Governance Policy 15 – Governance Succession Planning

  • Governance Policy 16 – Election Campaign

  * Documents will be provided through the nomination kit, available on August 30, 2021.

• Eligibility

  A person who becomes a member of Servus’s Board of Directors must:

  • be an individual who is at least 18 years of age

  • be a member in good standing of Servus Credit Union or a designated representative as of October 31, 2020

  • will make a reasonable attempt to conduct the majority of their personal banking with Servus Credit Union

  • be bondable in the amount determined by the Board of Directors

  • be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada

  • not be employed by or be a director of a competing financial institution

  • not have a loan from Servus or any credit union where the repayment of principal or interest is in arrears for the prescribed period under the Act

  • not, within the immediately preceding five years, have been convicted of an indictable offense

  • not have the status of a bankrupt

  • not be, or within the three-year period immediately preceding his/her election or appointment to the board, an employee of any body corporate

  • not be a director or officer of the Corporation or of another credit union

  • not be a professional advisor to the credit union

  • not be employed with the public service of Alberta or by a provincial agency and whose substantial duties are directly concerned with the business or affairs of credit unions or of Central

  • not have been an employee of Servus Credit Union in the past three years

  • not be the spouse or adult interdependent partner of a Director or employee of Servus Credit Union or is a relative of or a relative of a spouse or an adult interdependent partner of, and has the same home as a Director or employee of Servus Credit Union

  • not be in a real or perceived conflict of interest through personal, business or other relationships

  • not be a duly elected member of a municipal, provincial or federal public office or a candidate for the same during the nomination and election period for the Servus Credit Union Board of Directors

• Director competencies

  In considering the nominations of individuals to serve on Servus’s Board of Directors, the Nominating Committee assesses applications against the following criteria defined and reviewed by the Board of Directors.

  Personal attributes
  Every director must adhere to the highest ethical standards, display solid business judgment and have strong interpersonal skills. Preferred candidates will be financially literate. In addition, the committee will consider:

  • The candidate’s ability to commit the time required to the work of the board

  • The candidate’s ability to serve in an un-biased capacity

  • The candidate’s desire to act in Servus’s best interests

   

  Board leadership

  Preferred candidates will have the experience necessary and be willing and able to assume leadership positions on the board such as board and committee chair, vice chair and Alberta Central board director.

  Diversity

  Recognition of diversity and inclusion principles are key to the sustainability of our board and organization in the long term. The board, as a whole, strives to reflect diversity of thought, background, experience as well as the diversity of our membership. Diversity of thought and background leads to better decision making. Members in good standing from diverse communities and backgrounds are encouraged to apply to run for the Board of Directors.

  Specific skills and experience

  For the 2022 board election, potential candidates will be assessed on the categories in the included skills matrix with additional focus on the following criteria:

  • Business skills and strategic knowledge
  Financial acumen, regulatory and legislative experience, digital business applications, technology, agriculture, behavioural economics, risk management, executive compensation, strategic planning, financial industry and business experience board experience and leadership, understanding of corporate social responsibility and the co-operative business model.

  • Personal and behavioural qualities
  Passion for the credit union system, community involvement, active participation, willingness and ability to listen, flexibility (open to new ideas and change), dependability, sound judgment and critical strategic thinking, integrity, team player, commitment to learning and volunteer experience.

• Board functions, commitment and liability

  Servus Credit Union’s Board of Directors consists of 12 members from around the province, elected by the membership. In 2022, three directors will be elected for 4-year terms.

  Functions

  The Board of Directors sets policies and governs activities according to the Credit Union Act and Servus Credit Union bylaws. It formulates and monitors policies to ensure organizational objectives are met. It is responsible for the election of the board chair, vice chair and directors to the Credit Union Central of Alberta board from the members of the board. The Board of Directors represents the membership in governance, setting and tracking the strategic direction, monitoring appropriate organizational performance and ensuring an effective risk management framework is in place.

  Commitment

  The entire board meets regularly throughout the year, usually during the day, and each meeting can take up to six hours. All directors also sit on one of the following board committees: Audit and Finance, Enterprise Risk Management and Governance and Human Resources. Directors not in the final year of their term may also sit on the Nominating Committee. Committee meetings are held throughout the year and can take up to four hours each.

  Directors are required to complete the director development course through Credit Union Director Achievement (CUDA) and are encouraged to participate in the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) program or credit union education programs like the Credit Union Executives Society (CUES) Governance Leadership Program to become a designated Certified Credit Union Director (CCD). Directors are expected to be computer literate and have a working knowledge of application software. Directors also represent Servus Credit Union at various functions, seminars, planning sessions and conferences. Many of these occur during weekday evenings and on weekends.

  Directors must be prepared to make a substantial time commitment, which includes board and committee meeting preparation, meeting attendance, planning sessions, training, Community Council meeting attendance and travel.

  Liability

  Directors are individually and collectively responsible to the shareholders/members of the credit union. The board is ultimately accountable for the actions of employees where the employees are acting within the confines of their duties whether such duties are expressed or implied within the delegated framework. Director liability insurance is provided.

• 2022 elections timeline

  August 30, 2021: Call for nominations and nomination kits available

  September 27, 2021: Completed nomination forms due at 4:30pm MT

  November 1 – November 3, 2021: Nominee interviews

  November 17, 2021: Interview de-brief and candidate selection meeting (Recommendation to the Board)

  November 25, 2021: Candidate orientation session at 4:30pm MT

  November 25 – December 16, 2021: Candidate video sessions, as required

  January 2022: Ongoing promotion of election and support for candidates

  January 17 – February 4, 2022: Board elections

  March 2, 2022: Successful candidates announced at Annual General Meeting (Calgary)

  March 3, 2022: Board organizational meeting (Calgary)

  March 11, 2022: New director orientation (Edmonton)

• Filing your nomination papers

  Submit all your nomination materials to terri.grant@servus.ca by 4:30pm MT on Monday, September 27. 
  
  Nomination submissions will only be accepted electronically. Incomplete nomination packages will be returned for re-submission, if they are received before the nomination deadline.

• Nomination review process

  The Nominating Committee includes members of the Board of Directors and external resources. The committee reviews all applications and is responsible for the following:

  • Assessing the experience and skills of candidates for election as director against the board-defined director criteria and taking into account the background and expertise of existing directors and the specific ongoing needs of the credit union

  • Identifying, recruiting and, if considered appropriate by the Nominating Committee, recommending to members candidates for election as directors who meet the criteria established

  • Preparing for delivery to the members the notice of election required by Sec 58(1) and Sec 64(1) of the Credit Union Act, which shall include a summary of the criteria established

  • Conducting the election of directors in accordance with the policies and the guidelines relating to the election and the conduct of the election

  The Nominating Committee will review each nomination received and determine whether the nomination complies with the Act, Bylaws and the policies. The committee will evaluate all nominations and is empowered to reject any nominations that are not in order or do not comply.

  The committee will also evaluate all nominations that are in order for alignment with the board’s stated candidate profile. They will conduct interviews with only the nominees who have met these criteria. The committee will accept the best-aligned nominations up to twice the number of available positions, rejecting any others. The board, exclusive of those directors having submitted their nomination, will then consider and select from those accepted nominees as recommended by the Nominating Committee. All nominees, whether accepted or rejected, will be notified accordingly.

• Election campaign policy

  The campaign policy has been developed to guide all candidates through the election process. It has been developed to ensure that all candidates, regardless of their means or influence:

  1. Have the opportunity for equal exposure to the members

  2. Preserve the organization’s brand during the election

  3. Protect Servus employees from undue influence

  Accordingly:

  1. Each candidate must submit to the Nominating Committee a written statement (maximum 200 words), digital and/or photographic material as specified in the Director Nomination Form. Servus Credit Union will publish supplied materials in the appropriate forms and media as determined by the Nominating Committee. No other campaign literature or materials may be produced or used by a candidate unless vetted through the Nominating Committee.

  2. The Nominating Committee has the right to review all campaign material and may reject any material that in the opinion of the Nominating Committee contains defamatory, prejudicial or misleading comments. All candidates shall act independently and not appear to belong to a “slate” of candidates.

  3. Each candidate will be given the opportunity to participate in the production of a video profiling them as a candidate. The video will be available to all members on servus.ca and played in all Servus branches leading up to and during the election period. Other material may also be displayed in Servus branches at the discretion of the Nominating Committee.

  4. Candidates may not actively campaign within 30 metres of any Servus Credit Union branch or office.

  5. Candidates may not advertise or otherwise publicize their campaign in the paid media. The organization will administer social media for campaigning on behalf of the candidates. Any independent use of social media by the candidates will ensure the organization’s brand is preserved and Servus employees are protected from undue influence.

  6. No candidate shall interfere with or permit any person on his or her behalf to interfere with the duties of any person appointed as a returning officer in connection with the election. During working hours any employee assistance will be limited to administrative or informational details. Staff shall not be involved in the campaign of any candidate.

  7. Any dispute about the interpretation, application or alleged violation of the guidelines shall be dealt with by the Nominating Committee. The restrictions on candidates also apply to any person campaigning for, or acting on behalf of a candidate.

If you have any questions, please contact Terri Grant at 780.638.8647 or terri.grant@servus.ca.