LONDON, Ontario, April 19, 2024– Members of Pillar Nonprofit Network elected two new board directors at our annual general meeting Wednesday, April 17 and heard from Mayor Josh Morgan about how Pillar will figure in the City of London’s new economic development plan.
A completely new board of directors was elected in 2023, with some members agreeing to shorter terms so that new members could be added each year afterward. This year, the members elected Maheshi Wanasundara, Founder and CEO of Musey, and Johann Wong, Founder and Managing Director of Joulewatt Inc.
Nearly 100 people gathered at Innovation Works, Pillar’s downtown coworking space where the Mayor brought greetings from the City and outlined the role of Pillar in a new “overarching economic development plan,” a City initiative he first mentioned at his State of the City Address in January and reiterated at City Hall during deliberations over the Multi-Year Budget. “One of the visions I have for that,” the mayor said, “is for the organization Pillar, on behalf of nonprofits, to be intimately involved in the development of that new economic strategy, because not-for-profits need to rightly take their place and recognition in the city as significant contributors to the economic prosperity of the City of London.” We regard this as a major advocacy win, having sought this recognition for many years, and we look forward to working with City Hall and other organizations focused on economic development to craft this new, overarching plan.
The new board met briefly after the members’ meeting and re-elected all its 2023 officers. Kapil Lakhotia, President & CEO of the London Economic Development Corporation remains Board Chair; Pam Tobin, CEO of CMHA Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services was re-elected Vice Chair; Shahrzad Pooya, Financial Reporting Manager at Libro Credit Union continues as Treasurer; and Vikas Sharma, Principal Lawyer at VS Law Professional Corporation will serve another year as Secretary.
Other directors re-elected Wednesday are Teri Hibbs, Retired Community Development Consultant; David Hill, WFS London, and member of Community Living London’s Board; and Joseph Santarelli, Senior Advisor, Business Development, Mitacs Inc. Outgoing directors are Wendy Arnott who had served on the board of Pillar’s social finance arm and Janet Grantham who was a member of the organization’s Governance Committee and Finance and Audit Committee.
Board Vice-Chair Pam Tobin opened the event with a thoughtful Land Acknowledgment reminding members that Land acknowledgements were a recommendation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, "but they were never meant to be the beginning and end of reconciliation," and that "as Pillar is a settler-led organization, we need to earn the trust of the local Indigenous community, and that takes time to ensure that we move forward in a good way."
Board Chair Kapil Lakhotia remarked on the work of the Board and organization in stabilizing operations while recovering from pandemic challenges, noting the total recovery of the organization’s downtown coworking space, the development of a provisional strategic plan, and the appointment of Maureen Cassidy as permanent CEO as key accomplishments. “As we look ahead,” he added, “our focus remains firmly on serving the needs of our local nonprofit sector and social impact organizations. Our dedication to long-term stability and sustainability has never been stronger, and our board, staff, and members are united in our shared mission to cultivate an engaged, inclusive, and dynamic community.”
Pillar CEO Maureen Cassidy delivered a similar message to the AGM attendees, noting the organization’s continued commitment to making Pillar services accessible to more nonprofits, to leadership and governance training, to public policy and advocacy work, and to its community-informed provisional strategic plan. “Together, we stand on the brink of an exciting chapter for Pillar Nonprofit Network and the communities we serve. Together, our shared vision and unwavering dedication will pave the way for a future that is equitable, thriving, and inclusive for all.”
Noting that the meeting was happening during National Volunteer Week, Cassidy also gave recognition and thanks to the organization’s key and occasional volunteers and highlighted that greater than half of all Canadian nonprofits are entirely volunteer-run. The meeting concluded with a video tribute to one such organization, City Art Centre, one of the cotenant organizations at Innovation Works.
Members were also presented with the organization's 2023 Impact Report and received Pillar's 2023 Audited Financial Statements as presented by Treasurer Shahrzad Pooya.
Both of those reports can be found here.