Using a combination of web and teleconference connectivity across Northern Ontario, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held its Annual Members and Board of Directors meetings on Wednesday, September 21, 2016.

Board members Dr. Roger Couture, Dr. George Doig, Dr. Lori Livingston, Dr. Krista Marcotte, Ben Petersen, Tim Pile, Angela Robson, and Carolyn Sinclair were thanked for their significant contributions to the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, as their terms completed at this meeting.

At the recommendation of the Board’s Governance Committee and Nominations and Community Relations Subcommittee, the Board recommended and the Members appointed nine new members to NOSM’s Board of Directors:

In accordance with Board policy regarding Officers of the Corporation, Dr. Moira McPherson, Provost and Vice President Academic of Lakehead University, was reconfirmed as Chair of the Board and Dr. Pierre Zundel, Vice President, Academic and Provost of Laurentian University, was confirmed as Vice-Chair.  Angèle Brunelle was also reappointed as a Board Member.

This meeting marks a milestone for the NOSM Board. The appointment of the nine new members concludes a three-year transition process that involved modifying the Board’s size and composition. Comprised of 19 directors, the new structure gives priority to the recruitment of a variety of skills, expertise and experience amongst Board members, while still reflecting the geographic and demographic diversity of Northern Ontario, including Indigenous, Francophone, and rural/remote communities. The nine new members who joined the Board at this meeting were chosen from 32 qualified applicants.

The audited financial statements for the year ending April 30, 2016 were approved as presented, and the Board approved that BDO Canada LLP be appointed as auditors for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2017.

At the meeting, Board Chair Dr. Moira McPherson congratulated Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM’s Dean, on behalf of the Board’s Executive Committee, on achieving his performance goals of 2015/2016. “The continued success of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine as a whole is a result of the dedication of Dean Strasser, as well as the hard work of the School’s teams of staff and faculty members,” she said. “The Executive Committee commends the Dean for his efforts and accomplishments last year, and looks forward to a successful 2016/2017 year.”

Prior to the official Board meeting, all members were invited to an orientation that included an overview of governance, technology, and communications at NOSM, as well as to participate in tours of the medical school buildings at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and Laurentian University in Sudbury.

The next Board of Directors meeting will be held in Sudbury on November 24 and 25, 2016.

For a complete list of Board members, please visit our website at nosm.ca.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is committed to the education of high quality physicians and health professionals, and to international recognition as a leader in distributed, learning-centred, community-engaged education and research.