CDA Updates
Dear member association reps,
I have good news to share, a meeting to call, and one action item to request.
Let’s start with the action item (while I have your full attention): If you wish like to provide us a with 2-4 expert names as go-to persons for the CDA’s media relations and research initiatives, please do so by sending me (reply here) their full name, email, phone, and topics of interest. In the event someone wants to lend their knowledge, but not go public or take on media interviews, that is no trouble, as my role as spokesperson for the organization regularly has me calling on a bit of help from friends before I take on media interventions. Once we’ve compiled the list, we’ll share it with all of you so we can all enjoy this shared insight collectively.
Good news: the CDA / DND MOU that LGen Guy Thibault (ret’d) initiated and presented to you at the last AGM was formally signed by the CDS and DM last week. As part of this agreement, we will be integrating a full-time liaison officer from the CAF (class b reservist) for the national office as of July 2020 for a period of 3 years. This will provide us with capacity to enhance CDA programming and joint initiatives with our members and in collaboration with the DND. The selected candidate for the position is LCol Meaghan Setter, an Air Combat Sensor Operator with degrees in Oceanography and IT, who has had sea time on HMCS PROVIDER. She is very motivated to take on the task of coordinating a strong national movement, is quick and energetic, and also has experience as a liaison officer for the DND with CIDA. She is the perfect fit. Her tasks will included internal communications (as were formerly handled by Sean McGrath), but will also play a role in coordinating events and developing shared content with the CDA Institute, and developing new services for your and your members. One challenge I would like all of us to take on in this new momentum will be to explore how a coordinated effort nationally could help many of your particular associations grow and renew their membership over time – that’s one of the big end goals for me. One area of services I am looking into is transition-to-civilian-life professional support, for which there are interested partners with whom I am discussing (government & private). I’ll update you shortly on this front, when I know more.
Finally, this summer, led by LGen Alain Parent (ret’d), the CDA will be setting up a formalized strategic plan, which we are hoping to vote upon at a meeting of the CDA Council in late August or early September. All of the regular member associations will receive an Outlook invitation in the coming week to join a Zoom meeting (in part because of the pandemic, but also because we want our reps from across the country to be able to take part easily). If you are not right contact for this, please let me know who in your organization would be designated and I’ll add them to the list (check if they’re cc’d here first).
Thanks,
Youri
Youri Cormier
Executive Director / Directeur exécutif
Conference of Defence Associations and CDA Institute
Conférence des associations de la défense & l’Institut de la CAD
p: 613-236-9903<tel:613-236-9903>
c: 514-653-3214
w: www.cdainstitute.ca
e: youri@cdainstitute.ca
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