April 30, 2021 – (St. Catharines, ON)
GSA Annual General Meeting Sees Conclusion of a Successful Virtual Year
On Thursday, April 29, the GSA virtually held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and saw a
gathering of current and incoming executive, current and incoming Board members, members of
the Program Assembly, students-at-large and GSA staff persons.
This year’s AGM was different, not only because it was virtual but because it was a celebration
of all the work done over the last year with our first formal Annual Report. Increased
institutional representation, organizational restructuring, incorporation of leading practice
through the creation of over twenty legislative documents, inaugural Cultural Integration Event
Week and Grad-itude Week, and a successful referendum for a new graduate student building are
just some of the incredible accomplishments we look forward to sharing with you from the past
year.
The AGM also marked a new era of commitment to growth for the organization. These
commitments extend to developing a land acknowledgement that gives deeper respect to the
original custodians of the lands which the GSA is physically seated upon; a plan for the future,
through the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan (Document 007A), solidifying our mission, vision, values
and strategic priorities for the next half-decade; as well as the appointment of our first auditors,
to improve our financial accountability and transparency to our members.
“Our 2021 AGM capped off a transformational year, one that has moved the GSA forward across
a number of different areas that will be critical to our continued success over the next decade”,
reflected Christopher Yendt, continuing GSA President. “We have made great strides to improve
our efforts in advocacy and service for our members over the twelve months and it is fantastic to
see it all come together and be recognized in this way”.
Beyond the approval of the Annual Report and the GSA’s first strategic plan the AGM also saw
the appointment a new slate of Board of Directors who will serve for the 2021-2022 year. The
incoming Directors were selected through a redeveloped recruitment process featuring
application, vetting and recommendation by the Governance, Elections, and Nominating
Committee, then followed by Board approval before presentation at the AGM.
“While I remain incredibly proud and thankful for the 2020-2021 Board of Directors, I am truly
elated for the incoming Board,” shares outgoing-Chair of the Board, Haley Myatt. “They will be
coming into a space that has been completely rejuvenated and a space that now has clearest sense
of purpose because of new legislation and the Strategic Plan. For this alone, I have the greatest
faith in this group in helping guide this organization.”
The 2020-2021 Board of Directors are:
Eric O’Neill, Applied Health Sciences
Alessandra Gabriel, Applied Health Sciences
Amanda Williams, Mathematics and Sciences
Jacob Medeiros, Mathematics and Sciences
Felisia Milana, Social Sciences
Shealin Murray, Social Sciences
Owen Angus-Yamada, Goodman School of Business.
For more in-depth information on the happenings of this past year, visit Board of Directors page to find our
full Annual Report. There, you will also find information on our 2021-2026 Strategic Plan.
