The Board is the governing body of the College, and is comprised of at least six elected directors, one academic appointee, and five public directors.

Elected directors are registered occupational therapists elected by their peers in accordance with the bylaws. Public directors are appointed by the Ontario government.

By participating in the election, either as a candidate or through voting, every registrant has an opportunity to help shape the future of occupational therapy practice and self-regulation. Serving as an elected director broadens your professional knowledge by offering you:

1. An opportunity to shape policy and decisions made by the College in the public interest.
2. An opportunity to be directly involved in self-regulation.
3. A greater understanding of governance.
4. An insight into the trends that influence professional practice.

Any registrant in good standing can run for election, with some restrictions. Detailed information regarding eligibility for election is available in the Bylaws (Part 5).

The College understands the uniqueness of every individual and believes in having people who reflect the spectrum of skills, background, identity and lived experiences available in our communities are essential to our success.

We welcome and encourage registrants to apply who enhance the College’s diversity, including age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression/identity, geographical location and national origin.

If you are interested in becoming a Director for the Board, please follow these steps:

1. Review and complete the online election orientation module to learn about the expectations and duties of Board directors and the public protection role of the College. (Completion of the module is required to stand for nomination.)
2. Download and save the Candidate Eligibility and Consent Form to your computer.
3. Complete and submit your Candidate Eligibility and Consent Form to [email protected].  
4. Complete the Online Nomination Form that will be received by email from Big Pulse.
5. Submit the completed Candidate Eligibility and Consent Form and Online Nomination Form on or before the deadline.     

The College will be presenting a live webinar hosted by Elinor Larney, Registrar & CEO, on December 10, 2024.

If you are unable to attend, you can watch a recording on the College's YouTube channel.

All nominees should read and be familiar with:

• COTO’s Strategic Priorities
• Bylaws, 2024 (Part 5 Elections of Board Members, and Part 8 Board)
• the Code of Conduct and,
• the College’s Conflict of Interest policy. 

In addition, the COTO Board approved the Board Competency Framework which represents the ideal composition of the Board. The framework includes attributes and specialized skills and experiences that make both a strong board member and a strong board.

The Board Competency Framework represents the ideal composition of the Board.

It recognizes that the Board and its committees need to reflect the diverse populations that use occupational therapy services in Ontario. This diversity includes culture, gender, race, age, geographical setting, and practice setting.

The attributes, competencies and identified by the Board are critical in ensuring that board members have a clear understanding of COTO’s public protection mandate, are willing and able to work in collaboration with others.

A registrant of the College can support a candidate’s nomination if they:

• Are a registered occupational therapist.
• Principally practise or if not currently practising, reside in the candidate’s electoral district.

Once steps 3-5 of the nomination process are completed, the College will contact you to confirm your eligibility to run for election.

Prospective candidates may not campaign for election until they have received written notification from the College that their nomination has been approved.

Each term is three years long. You may run for re-election at the end of each term. Elected Directors may serve up to three terms (nine years in total).

While registrants find serving on Board both personally and professionally rewarding, it requires a significant time commitment.

Directors must generally attend four Board meetings and a full-day Board education session. Preparation time associated with Board meetings averages two to four hours for each meeting. This generally involves reviewing material in advance of meetings in order to contribute constructively to Board discussions and decision-making.

In addition, there is an expectation that Directors may participate in the work of Board committees which can vary depending on the Committee. The minimum time commitment for Committee work varies from 4 to 8 days per year.

Registrants who are considering running for election should consider whether they can commit the time to serve and may also wish to discuss the commitment with their employer.

The next board meeting will be held on January 30, 2025 and observers are welcome to register to view the meeting via Zoom.  To register for the meeting, please contact [email protected].

The College provides Board and Committee members with a per diem of $250 for a full-day meeting. Board directors are also reimbursed for preparation time, travel time and travel costs.

Board meetings are currently held in-person at the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario at 20 Bay Street, Suite 900 in Toronto. Committee meetings may be either in-person or virtual.

For more information regarding the district elections, eligibility to run or vote, nominations and terms of office, please contact [email protected].

All occupational therapists eligible to vote in District 1 will receive a secure online ballot from Big Pulse electronic voting system that allows them to cast their vote in their respective electoral districts.

You have until March 5, 2025, at 2 pm to complete the voting process.