Board Meeting Highlights

CDHA’s board of directors works year-round in service of all members, setting priorities for the association and advocating for the profession and the importance of oral health to overall health. Twice a year, board members normally meet in person to discuss important operational and policy matters and review the association’s progress in meeting its strategic goals.

Fall 2024 Board Meeting Highlights

The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) hosted a virtual Annual General Meeting on September 28, 2024. The CDHA Board of Directors also met in person October 20 -21 at the Marriott on the Falls, in conjunction with the CDHA national conference in Niagara Falls. A meeting was also held in Niagara Falls with the CDHA Board, Provincial presidents/executive directors/representatives from all provinces and territories.

Key highlights from these meetings include the following:

Annual General Meeting

Over 1,500 members registered for the 2024 virtual AGM.

CDHA’s president, Francine Trudeau, encouraged members to download the full Annual Report to see all of CDHA’s achievements for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Financial Statements and Appointment of Auditor

The president-elect of CDHA and member of the audit committee, Alexandra Sheppard, presented the 2023-2024 audited financial statements. KPMG was appointed as auditor for 2024-2025.

CDHA’s Board of Directors

Anne Caissie, CDHA President for 2022-2023 and Director from New Brunswick, finished her term on the board and was recognized.

CDHA welcomed one new Director, Paulette Dahlseide (Alberta).

CDHA Board of Directors

The presentation of the CDHA Board of Directors for 2024-2025:

Front Row (left to right):Kaylen Anholt – Saskatchewan; Francine Trudeau – Quebec and Immediate Past President; Alexandra Sheppard – Alberta & President; Donna Lee – British Columbia; Tayyaba Fiaz – Quebec;
Back row: (left to right): Nicole Mainville – New Brunswick; Bev Woods – Ontario; Cindy Holden – Newfoundland & Labrador; Paulette Dahlseide – Alberta; Kathy Yerex – Manitoba; Wendy Wells – Nova Scotia; Heather Cassidy, Prince Edward Island; Tracy Bowser – North

2024 Awards

CDHA recognized the 2024 award winners:
Award of Merit:

Sally Lockwood

Lara Timler

Denise Pawlyshyn

Leta Zaleski

25-Year Member Recognition
CDHA honoured our loyal, longstanding members. A total of 250 members were recognized this year for having maintained membership in the Association for 25 years.

CDHA Partner’s Circle

CDHA's Partners' Circle is comprised of dental industry firms dedicated to the advancement of the dental hygiene profession and who recognize the important role that dental hygienists play in the oral health care team. CDHA acknowledged these highly valued and long-standing partners of CDHA:

CDHA thanked outgoing president Francine Trudeau.

Alexandra Sheppard, from Alberta, was elected as President of CDHA for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

CDHA Board of Directors Meeting

October 20—21, 2024
Niagara Falls
& November 12, 2024 by Zoom

The in-person Fall meeting of the CDHA Board of Directors was held on the traditional unceded territory of the Anishinaabe (ah-NI-shi-NAH-beh) and Haudenosaunee (Hoh-DEE-noh-SHoh-nee) peoples. The board recognizes the long history of First Nations and Métis peoples in Ontario. From the beginning, this land has been inhabited by the Indigenous Peoples who were stewards of this place. As settlers, the president stated that we are grateful for the opportunity to meet here and we thank all the generations of people who have taken care of this land for thousands of years. The board offered this land acknowledgment as an intentional and thoughtful way to thank those upon whose land we reside and noted that this acknowledgment should not serve as closure, resignation, or acceptance of the past or present but should remind us of the true history of this country and provoke thoughtful reflection, conversation, and lasting change.

Key highlights from the Board meeting included:

• Board directors are the fiduciaries who steer CDHA towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies and ensuring we have adequate resources to advance our mission. This was informed by the CEO’s presentation on an environmental scan and an update on the strategic plan, as they support the Board's Ends (goals).
• The board then used this information, in addition to a report on the recent membership survey, to inform the development of new Ends:

Mission (Global End):
CDHA exists so that its members are able to provide quality, equitable, inclusive oral health care and health promotion for all persons living in Canada.

Public Recognition
The Canadian public recognizes our commitment to quality and innovation, acknowledging dental hygienists as primary health care professionals.

Professional Knowledge
Members contribute to and utilize evolving professional knowledge and research, demonstrating leadership in advancing the profession.

Advocacy
Advocacy Decision makers have the necessary information to positively impact the dental hygiene profession and the health of all persons living in Canada.

Professional Practice
Professional Practice Members are equipped with resources to promote a standard of excellence as an integral part of a health care team, ensuring a healthy and respectful workplace.

The board also committed to adding an End regarding Reconciliation at its fall 2025 meeting to ensure members have the resources to support their learning journey toward Truth and Reconciliation.

These new Ends will be effective May 1, 2025.

• The Chair of the Audit Committee, Tracy Bowser, presented an Audit Committee report at the November Zoom meeting.
• The Chair of the Ownership Linkage Committee, Francine Trudeau, presented a report. This included an outline of possible Ownership Linkage Activities for the next few years.
• The board welcomed Cheryl Hopkins, RDH, as an observer from Canada’s military.
• The board reviewed a written update from the Federation of Dental Hygiene Regulators of Canada (FDHRC).
• The Board directs, controls, and inspires CDHA through the careful establishment of broad written policies reflecting the Board's values and perspectives. Thus, one of the key roles of the Board is monitoring and assessing Board policies and executive limitations at each Board meeting. The Board reviewed and accepted the CEO Monitoring Reports at the November 12, 2024 meeting and reviewed and made a slight amendment to the Governance Process policies.
• The CDHA Board has two representatives to the International Federation of Dental Hygienists (IFDH)- Francine Trudeau and Tayyaba Fiaz. The board reviewed the reports from the IFDH delegates. Due to a change in IFDH policies, whereby there is now one vote per country (instead of one vote per delegate, the CDHA Board decided that they would only support one delegate to IFDH starting in the 2025-2026 year).
• Donna Lee, Chair of the DEI Committee, provided a written report on the Committee’s activities.
• The Board appointed committee members for all of CDHA Board committees and elected Nicole Mainville as Chair of the Audit Committee.

The Board approved the following meeting schedule
2025 Winter Board Meeting
February 27: Lobby Day
February 28- March 1
Ottawa, ON

2025 Summer Board Meeting
July 30, 2025
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET
Via videoconference

2025 Annual General Meeting – Virtual
September 27, 2025
12:00 p.m. ET
Via Zoom Webinars

2025 Fall Board Meeting
October 15-16, 2025
October 17: CDHA Leadership Summit
October 18: AAP Symposium
Toronto, ON
Venue: TBC

The board also participated in two workshops on the first day of their board meeting:

1. On Crucial Conversations to support the board in having open and productive conversations about difficult topics. The Board also developed a draft “board charter” to guide the board’s work moving forward. A Board Charter working group was struck to define this work further.
2. Governance orientation. This workshop, presented by the Board Governance Coach, Andrew Bergen, provided an in-depth orientation to policy governance and their role as a director.

Executive Director’s meeting

Provincial executive directors (and presidents in provinces without an executive director) and CDHA staff met on October 18 in Niagara Falls. Very productive discussions were had on the dental hygiene workforce, advocacy priorities, and provincial fee guide methodology.

Back row L to r: Roshni Desai (QC), Sylvie Martel (CDHA), Kelie Watson (SK), Ondina Love (CDHA) Margaret Harrington (ON), Nicole Kielly (NL), Natasha Pelley (NL)
Front row L to R: Lee Hurton (MB), Cynthia Wilcott (QC), Melissa Woodacre(PEI)

Provincial President’s Meeting

Provincial presidents, executive directors, and the CDHA board of directors met in Niagara Falls, in conjunction with CDHA’s national conference. Recognizing that it’s an important time to be politically engaged federally and provincially, with elections taking place across the country, Huw Williams and Sara Clark, from Impact Public Affairs provided an insightful hour of advocacy and media training for our dental hygiene leaders. The training recognized that advocacy doesn’t just mean talking to government representatives. It is also helpful in speaking to groups and bodies such as regulators and/or dental associations, ensuring priorities, goals, and needs are considered at every level. A strong advocacy strategy is complemented by strong media engagement. As a spokesperson, provincial and national dental hygiene associations can bring recommendations to the public through media interviews, driving and influencing meaningful change. This training featured relevant, real-life examples and interactive components, to help prepare, empower, and support our leaders in meeting with key decision-makers, relevant stakeholders, and the media, bringing our goals and priorities to the forefront.

This was followed by a presentation of updates for each province and territory in attendance. Due to time constraints, CDHA’s presentation was recorded and distributed post-event.