FCM is seeking nominations for the Green Municipal Fund Council: 1 member of the public with investment expertise

The GMF Council is seeking one individual from the broader public to serve on GMF Council and its Investment Committee who demonstrates the following:

• broad knowledge of the investment landscape, including experience with public and private markets;
• knowledge of new trends in investments, particularly green investments;
• proven expertise with adopting new and/or emerging clean technologies;
• knowledge of federal-municipal policy priorities related to climate change, infrastructure, energy
• knowledge of legislative frameworks that govern municipal financing;
• the ability to think independently, act in the best interest of GMF, and be free from any real or perceived conflicts of interest; and,
• proven governance skills and experience.

It is an asset to also have industry experience in the one or more of the following GMF-funded sectors:

• Energy (energy efficiency and renewable energy generation, waste energy recovery)
• Water (improving water quality and reducing water use)
• Land use, planning, housing and the built environment
• Transportation
• Waste (reducing landfill and increasing diversion of waste materials)
• Integrated projects (community planning and development projects integrating one or more activities related to energy, transportation, water, waste, and brownfields)

How to express your interest

Please note the deadline has been extended to March 27th, 2022.

If you are interested in serving on the GMF Council, please complete the GMF Council Expression of Interest form, including a copy of your curriculum vitae, no later than midnight (EST), Sunday, March 27, 2022. If you’re having any problems with the form or have any questions, you can contact us at governance.gmf@fcm.ca. All applications will be confidential. Interviews will be scheduled in April 2022.

Expectations

Attendance

The GMF Council meets approximately 10 times per year. This includes four face-to-face meetings, usually held in Ottawa, and approximately six meetings held by electronic means. The four Council Committees — Audit, Investment, LC3, and Governance — generally meet four times a year, prior to Council meetings, with some of these meetings being held also via electronic means.

A calendar of all meeting dates will be established at the beginning of each year. Occasional ad hoc meetings may be held by telephone or web conference. Members agree to participate in such calls wherever possible, to ensure a quorum.

Attendance is expected at all scheduled Council meetings.

Orientation

Staff will provide a comprehensive Governance Handbook outlining your responsibilities and legislative requirements. Individual meetings will be held with the GMF Council Chair and senior staff. You will gain insight into the culture of the organization and the guiding philosophies and methods used in the management process. The Chair will discuss your role as a GMF Council member, Council’s expectations of you, and help you determine where you might serve on one or more committees. All incoming Council members are also paired with a veteran member of Council as a go-to individual for questions and insight.

All Council members are expected to follow the Confidentiality, Code of Conduct, and Conflict of Interest policies of the GMF and will be asked to sign these agreements annually.

Meeting preparation and follow-up

Approximately 8-10 business days prior to each Council meeting, an e-mail will be sent to all members with the meeting package — agendas, minutes of previous meetings, and material to be reviewed in advance of the meeting. Council members are expected to review this information and to direct any questions to the GMF Council Chair or GMF staff, so that clarification can be made or any additional information required can be brought to the meeting.

A staff member will take minutes for each meeting. Draft minutes will be submitted for approval by all Council members at the following meeting. Members are asked to review the minutes and to immediately address any questions or concerns, so that they may be dealt with prior to the next meeting.

Supplemental Information:

FCM compensates GMF Council members for their time or efforts only if they are not members of the FCM Board of Directors. The current honorarium is a total of $700 for a full-day face-to-face meeting, which covers preparation time and attendance. The honorarium for a web-based meeting is a total of $350 for preparation and attendance.

Expenses incurred for traveling (airfare, taxi, personal mileage) to a Council meeting will be reimbursed. GMF staff will arrange for direct billing for hotel accommodations and meals are provided during meetings. GMF staff are available to assist with travel arrangements, including the purchase of airline tickets.

The successful candidates can expect to be appointed to the GMF Council in March 2022.

About the Green Municipal Fund (GMF)

FCM’s mandate includes delivering programs that help build municipalities’ capacity to do what they do best: deliver innovative, cost-effective, local solutions to environmental challenges. The Green Municipal Fund is one of FCM’s flagship programs contributing to this objective. The GMF equips communities with the means to plan, design, and implement sustainability projects. GMF-supported initiatives aim to improve air, water, and land, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Through GMF, FCM funds municipal environmental initiatives in five sectors of municipal activity. These projects lead to innovative solutions that can be readily scaled-up and replicated in other municipalities, for the benefit of all Canadians. GMF’s support includes grants and loans, but also a range of valuable knowledge services- resources such as case studies, training and networking opportunities.

About the GMF Council

The Green Municipal Fund Council is comprised of 18 members. One-third of the members are Government of Canada representatives, one-third are municipal officials, and one-third are members from the public, academic, environmental, and private sectors. GMF Council members are leaders in the federal, municipal, and environmental sectors, and are innovators and champions of environmental sustainability. FCM strives to ensure diversity in gender, ethnicity, regions, and community sizes among GMF Council members.

Council members’ work is supported by their collective, in-depth knowledge and expertise in areas of: risk management, accounting and auditing, investment and fund management, the law as it applies to organizations and funds like FCM and GMF, communications, community engagement, capacity building in the Canadian municipal context, and other related disciplines. Able to provide a balanced perspective, GMF Council members exhibit exceptional ethical integrity as they act in the best interests of GMF and FCM. They speak with one voice, are collaborative in approach, and are capable and familiar with fulfilling a governance role for the GMF and its applications, as well as providing an advisory role to FCM’s national Board of Directors. Always willing to actively and effectively listen, learn, and develop, they ask challenging questions and exercise sound judgment as they diligently apply themselves to the work of the GMF Council. They proactively make wise, strategic choices based on proven best practices.