ANNOUNCEMENT - KWSC Board of Directors

Attention: All Members & Partners of KW Skating Club

Since May 2009 the Board of Directors and the Advisory of the KW Skating Club has engaged in a process of education and discussion regarding the roles and responsibilities that a not-for-profit Board and its employees must undertake periodically in order to provide better strategic direction, accountability, sound operational practices and visionary leadership.

It was very apparent to the Board and Advisory that the lines between Board responsibility and volunteer task-based contributions were often crossed and that the Board was often involved in day to day operational decisions, micromanaging and problem solving. The Board felt this lack of clear accountability and responsibility led to inefficiencies and confusion within the organization.

As a result, the KWSC Board of Directors engaged the consulting services of Kathy Durst to help us work through a re-engineering process by facilitating meetings and conversations. Kathy is the current Chair of the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network and a former employee of the City of Waterloo, who was Commissioner of Recreation and Culture, Director of Human Resources and General Manager-City Operations among other titles during her years with the City. Kathy is also currently enrolled in the Chartered Director Program – Governance Studies at McMaster University and provided a wealth of experience and perspective as we undertook this initiative last May.

The discussions that took place resulted in the Board defining:

• a new Mission Statement,
• a new Code of Conduct,
• our critical success factors,
• what the Board should start doing, stop doing and continue doing,
• a draft Strategic Plan – which includes the following 7 specific Strategic directions:
  1. Retain and attract strong coaches;
  2. Develop a marketing campaign utilizing KWSC’s reputation in order to improve and elevate our brand;
  3. Maximize the potential of the Athletic Centre as revenue-producing and improve program opportunities;
  4. Recruit new Board members from the community and, if possible, have a focus on marketing, finance and/or previous governance experience;
  5. Improve Communications – internally and externally;
  6. Provide affordable, accessible skating programs for all ages, ensuring flexibility and variety;
  7. Develop programs targeting other ice sports in under-utilized facilities

With the strategic plan in mind, the Board proceeded to review our current staffing and volunteer structure. One piece of this review was the current management structure consisting of two Co-Manager Roles and an Athletic Centre Director. Through this process, it became apparent that a new management structure would provide a better opportunity to realize our Strategic Plan, as well as to provide individuals with a better opportunity for success in the roles. The Board has therefore created a new management structure consisting of an Executive Director, a Technical Manager and an Athletics Manager.

• The Executive Director will report directly to the Board and will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and decision making.
• The Technical Manager will report to the Executive Director and be ultimately responsible for all technical matters and our coaching team.
• The Athletics Manager will report to the Executive Director and be accountable for developing off-ice programs for skaters at all levels and managing the assets in the Athletic Centre.

There will be a recruitment and hiring process for these roles and the current incumbents have been strongly encouraged to apply for one of these newly created positions. The Board believes these positions will offer excellent opportunities for advancement and leadership. At this time, the Board expects the new structure in place by the end of March.

One of our strategic priorities is also to recruit dedicated and self motivated Board members to help move this organization forward. Board members are stewards of the membership’s assets (resources, facilities, and relationships) and responsible for making high level strategic decisions that benefit the entire membership.

The RENEW process does not stop here. It will evolve over time to include regular membership focus groups where we will periodically ask for your feedback on how we can work through all 7 of these strategic directions. Please look for communications about those focus groups in the future and plan to attend them so you can share your ideas on how we can make KWSC an organization that meets your needs and the needs of our skaters.

The process of self-reflection, review and analysis is not an easy one for any organization and the people involved. The KWSC Board and Staff are committed to continuing to provide the best possible skating experience for all of our members. The RENEW process is a work in progress. The outcomes will continue to be reviewed and assessed along the way.

In the meantime, all comments, suggestions and Board member applications are welcome at any time by contacting Lesley Germann at

Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season!

On behalf of the KW Skating Club Board of Directors
Lesley Germann, Chair