Members voted to pass two special resolutions amending the bylaws of Tourism Whistler at the annual general meeting held on May 20.
The first resolution will now allow members to vote on proposed special resolutions regarding the organization's bylaws by mail or online prior to the annual general meeting (AGM). Until now, such voting was held only at the AGM, requiring members to be present or to provide a valid proxy. This amendment will increase the opportunity for voter participation among members with regards to bylaw changes.
Members have also voted to adjust the classifications of accommodations members. This second resolution will amend the bylaws to allocate board of director representation based on whether or not a complex is predominantly managed by a single manager rather than the previous method, which relies on the presence of a front desk. This amendment will also change the number of votes allocated to members, so that votes will be determined based on the number of assessable units owned by the member, as opposed to the "one man, one vote" system previously used.
"These changes to our bylaws will ultimately make it easier for our members to exercise their right to vote," said Diane Mombourquette, vice president of finance and operations for Tourism Whistler. "The advance voting will increase accessibility for many members who cannot be present at an AGM and the re-classification will make things clearer for accommodations members when the times comes to vote for their representative on the board."
During the AGM, Tourism Whistler also declared the new board of directors for 2006-07. Each of the available director positions were gained by acclamation following the receipt of valid nominations by members on or before the March 11 deadline. The acclamation of these positions meant that an election of directors, normally held prior to the AGM by advance mail-in and online voting, was not required.
John Richmond will hold the position of non-hotel lodging director, replacing Christopher Ford; Patrick McCurdy will hold the position of director-at-large, replacing Scott Carrell; and Paul Tormey will retain the position of single owner hotel-lodging director. Victor Burt, who was acclaimed as hotel-lodging director, had to recently decline the position following a decision to relocate to Vancouver as part of his promotion with Starwood Hotels. The board of directors announced the appointment of Les Pederson to the position of hotel-lodging director, replacing Victor Burt, who was in turn replacing David Demers.
The 2006/2007 Board of Directors:
Commercial Director - Rick Clare (2005/2006 Chair)
Hotel Lodging - Jim Allard, Les Pedersen
Non-Hotel Lodging - John Richmond, Kerry Wallace
Single Owner Hotel Lodging - Paul Tormey
Director-At-Large - Patrick McCurdy
Whistler Blackcomb - David Brownlie, Stuart Rempel
Resort Municipality of Whistler - Ken Melamed, Bill Barratt
President - Barrett Fisher
Chamber of Commerce (Ex-Officio) - Kathy Barnett
