TORONTO, ON – The Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) and MusicOntario held their Annual General Meeting (AGM) today, where they hosted members, stakeholders, and supporters virtually to elect a new Board of Directors.
The event kicked off with a stunning performance from Toronto based singer-songwriter NEFE which led attendees straight into AGM business. CIMA’s Board Chair Tim Potocic explained how, over the last eighteen months, the organization has pivoted and adapted under the leadership of new President Andrew Cash.
“Over the last eighteen months, CIMA has had to make drastic changes to its business model. To service the membership, the staff and the President have done a remarkable job shifting to a new online model, and they’ve been able to provide some valuable mentoring services to the industry as a whole. This year has seen CIMA execute a massive amount of programming and information sessions to educate the industry and assist us in making connections domestically and Internationally,” says Tim Potocic, Chair, CIMA Board of Directors.
Next members heard remarks from CIMA’s President Andrew Cash who broke down CIMA’s overarching strategy moving into 2022 with a strong focus on equity and diversity, his vision for the organization and what CIMA can do for its members.
“In the last year, CIMA’s voice has been loud. Throughout weekly webinars, social media, policy papers, research, government decision-making tables, and advocacy, our goal was and is to support and inform our community throughout the covid-19 pandemic and beyond. This year’s AGM is once again taking place in a particularly important time, a time following a federal election and a time of transition as our country begins to enter a new stage of the pandemic, one where music is ready to take its place back on stage again.” says Andrew Cash, CIMA President. “This year’s policy agenda is filled with important legislative reform that are essential pillars to the development and success of industry and our music. I look forward to making sure our voices are heard and that those pillars are strengthened because of it.”
MusicOntario’s Executive Director Emy Stantcheva gave an overview of the programming and showcasing that the organization has done over the past year, highlighting that the pandemic gave MusicOntario the chance to slow down and dedicate time and resources to impactful projects such as the Trans in the Music Industry summit, a first of its kind in Canada.
Members then got the chance to watch a presentation from the NFT Agency’s Jesse Galati and Jay Devonish who demystified NFT’s and the metaverse. The event came to an end with a full band performance from Alberta-based R&B pop singer-songwriter Josh Sahunta.
Most importantly, during today’s AGM, CIMA members re-elected incumbents Shauna de Cartier (Six Shooter Records), Sandy Pandya (ArtHaus Music/Pandyamonium), Kieran Roy (Arts & Crafts Productions Inc.), Kesi Smyth (604 Records), and Iain Taylor (Cadence Music Group) to 3-year terms also re-electing Amanda Rheaume (Ishkode Records) and Jake Gold (The Management Trust Ltd.) to 1-year terms. Newly elected one-year term board members include Gourmet Délice (Bonsound), Meagan Davidson (Tiny Kingdom Music), Susan de Cartier (Starfish Entertainment), and Daniel Turcotte (Monstercat).
These directors will be joining incumbents: ; Tim Potocic (Sonic Unyon Records); David “Click” Cox (CLK Creative Works); Gord Dimitrieff (Aporia Records); Simon Mortimer-Lamb (Nettwerk Music Group); and Justin West (Secret City Records).
The above incumbents will be completing their three-year terms (2020-2023) under CIMA’s modernized governance rules. Last year, CIMA members approved bylaw changes that will see the Board of Directors transition to three-year terms for Directors over the next three years. The Board will now comprise 15 elected Directors.
In addition, new rules give the Board the authority to appoint two new directors to one-year terms. The purpose of these new appointments is to give the Board the flexibility to add Directors to balance ethnic or cultural diversity, gender, skillsets, geography and/or genres of music.
“I’d like to extend my congratulations to both the newly appointed and newly elected Board members as well as those who will be returning. Your unique vision and expertise will be invaluable during these pivotal times for the music industry. Alongside CIMA’s staff, I look forward to working with you all and seeing what we can achieve in 2022. I expect in the near future we will all meet in person with friends (new and old), drink in hand, artists on stage and a smile on our faces” says Tim Potocic, Chair, CIMA Board of Directors.
CIMA extends a warm thank-you and appreciation to the 2019-2021 Board of Directors for its hard work and leadership, as well as to congratulate and welcome the 2021–2024 Board of Directors.