The CAPS Nominations Committee is very excited to announce the results of the call for nominations for the 2023/24 positions on the National Board of Directors. We had space on the board for 1 position, and at the close of nominations, we had 2 CAPS members indicate their interest to serve on the board. This position will be acclaimed to the board at the Annual General Meeting later this year.
Marc Haine
Colleen Santini
Marc Haine
Who Am I
- I am a father of 4 grown amazing adults. I am a husband to the most patient lady on the planet….. trust me…. you wouldn’t put up with half the doo, doo, she has.
- I am the self-appointed adoptive father of my youngest daughter’s Great Dane/Mastiff mix (Zoe) and a Great Dane-something-or-other mix. (Zariyhah). My motivation was simple…. self-preservation… I didn’t want to wake up one day with one of them using my face as a chew toy.
- I graduated from the Fast-Track program in 2017 after I got my Toastmasters DTM (2015 after 3 years with the organization). Turns out, after 51 years on the planet, Toastmasters uncovered the biggest lie I’ve ever told myself, “Who me???? I can’t talk in public!”
(oops…. running out of space..) - I am a long-winded (obviously), author, actor, speaker, and closet comic. I am the Past President of CAFP, my industry association… oh, yea… I’m a hospitality specialist, rebuilding brands and designing employee and customer experiences.
Why am I running for the CAPS National Board of Directors?
I have a specific set of skills. that I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare to…. (sorry… that keeps happening). The short answer is I am happiest when I am serving and providing value. The longer answer (I’m sorry you asked), I have been on member-based National Boards and have seen firsthand the effects of low member engagement, attrition and volunteer burnout.
Aside from serving me an incredible Macadamia Nut cookie at one meeting, I believe that CAPS is a phenomenal association of subject-matter experts, and after completing FastTrack, wanted to support this organization (maybe I can score another cookie?).
I have already stepped up as a part of the Calgary CAPS Chapter Leadership Team and jumped on board with Nathalie Plamondon-Thomas’ initiative to revamp the CAPS Academy to create a non-dues-based revenue stream as well as to support a community of up-and-comers.
From a National perspective, I believe we need to be the voice of the speaking industry – the voice to MPI, CSAE and national industry boards across the country… the value of belonging to this association should be undeniable, regardless of where people are in their speaking journey. I believe that I have the capacity and experience to push back when necessary.
What qualifies me to be a CAPS Board Member
- For my industry association (Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals, I served 4 years as the VP of Student Development, earning my credentials as one of 100 Credentialed Foodservice Executives in the country. I served 2 years as president-elect and 2 years as national president.
- I sat on the committee for our annual conference and drove membership attraction and retention programs…. spearheading strategic planning for the same.
(hold on… I have to puff up my chest some more) - I am the Charter President of Go Pro Speakers Toastmasters, supporting aspiring and emerging professional speakers.
- I am the charter President of Walk the Talks, a community non-profit focused on bringing the Town of Devon together to learn and explore community and environmental sustainability.
- I am the founder of the Arts Association of Devon, creating community vitality through the arts, and supporting the monthly Devon Arts Market.
- I have served on a waft of other positions.
CAPS- Challenges and Opportunities
CAPS must create undeniable value… I mean, that we have the means to serve even the most experienced speakers. Our membership should be driven by that value, not by, “I’m a member of CAPS because I’ve always been a member of CAPS!”
We must have a seed source for new members (expanding the CAPS Academy). This could be an emerging speaker community, that has realistic exposure to the industry.
One idea I have, having come through the emerging phase, to the paid speaker phase, is why hasn’t CAPS established its own, world-class speaker bureau. This self-sustaining enterprise could support all levels of speakers while building a substantial non-dues revenue base, creating the un-deniable value proposition I mentioned earlier.
I also see an opportunity to explore the diverse ways speakers and sharing their messages, reach their audience, and build their communities. Welcoming those speakers into our membership and learning from their experience and expertise, I believe, will be key to attracting and growing our membership and providing value to our existing members.
Strong partnerships with organizations/associations/individuals who are striving to be on the cutting edge of the meeting industry are key to fostering a culture of ingenuity and expansion to position CAPS at the forefront of Speaker’s Associations.
Learn about Marc Haine through his youtube channel: Marc Haine Live
Watch a video message from Marc:
Colleen Santini
Who Am I
- Passionate about helping leaders and their teams grow to their full potential.
- Seasoned international retreat organizer & facilitator for over 30 years. Privileged to work with clients in England, Italy, and Central America, and throughout Canada and the US, both online and in person.
- I am thrilled to share that during my tenure as President of the Toronto Business Networking International (BNI) Danforth Chapter, we experienced a growth in membership of 35%. Additionally, I’ve been honoured to present at the Global BNI Conference.
- Intrigued by Yoga and Enlightenment for over 4 decades, my fascination has evolved into my life’s mission. I’m enriched by lifelong learning & service in my chosen field. I’ve travelled and taught, giving retreats in businesses and communities all over North America and around the world.
- My qualities: are authenticity, strong work ethic, lifelong learning and service, and clarity of purpose.
- I love walking in the forest & swimming with my adult son.
Why am I running for the CAPS National Board of Directors?
Honestly, I would have run sooner, except last year I was honoured to become the President of my local BNI Chapter, and I didn’t want to split my energies. I’m happy to say that after 5 years of gradual membership attrition, under my leadership our BNI chapter grew by 35% last year. Now with my BNI Presidency passing to the next incumbent, I would like to shift the focus of my energies and get more deeply involved with CAPS, and what better way to do that than by serving on the National Board?
What qualifies me to be a CAPS Board Member
- I’ve served as a volunteer for the programming committee of our local CAPS chapter (Toronto)
- As a response to COVID, I began teaching yoga daily online to members of my community who were struggling. I still offer daily Yoga classes online.
- In my work, I organize and facilitate large and small in-person retreats with professionalism, warmth, and attention to detail. I also lead meetings, classes, and events over Zoom several times weekly.
- As a member of my BNI chapter for 8 years, I have experience serving as President, VP, and most of the other roles needed to run the chapter. I also volunteer to help other local BNI chapters by supporting their Executive Leadership Teams to manifest their goals.
- Under my leadership, our BNI chapter grew by 35% in one year.
CAPS- Challenges and Opportunities
Caps is a member-driven organization. Our members are the lifeblood of our growth and our success. Even though many of our members will be with us for a lifetime, there will always be some attrition each year and the growth and renewal of our membership is important.
I want to help inspire members to continue to build our chapters by inviting the people they want as CAPS associates. This will insure a happy, productive future for our fabulous CAPS organization and its members.
Watch a video message from Colleen: