The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) held its 63rd Annual General Meeting today, to reflect on the achievements from 2021 and carry out the election of a new Chair and Vice Chair for the 2022 Board of Directors’ term.
The Business portion of the meeting was called to order by CAO, Chandra Sharma, who conducted the election of officers. Niagara Regional Councillor, Robert Foster, was elected as Chair, and Ward 2 Councillor for Haldimand County, John Metcalfe, accepted the role of Vice-Chair.
“I am very pleased to be taking on the role of chair for this new term. We have made great strides in the past three years, understanding, stabilizing and planning the NPCA for the future. We have a strategic plan that has been developed, and that is guided by principles based on a conservation-first and ecosystem philosophy, collaboration ethics, and an importance of innovation rooted in science,” says Robert Foster, NPCA Board Chair. “This year, we will be focused on fully implementing this plan and continuing the focus on good governance, something this Board takes great pride in achieving. There remain pieces of the puzzle regarding provincial Conservation Authorities Act changes, but our Board looks forward to implementing them.”
Chair Foster is Lincoln’s elected Regional Councillor, having first been elected to Town of Lincoln council in 2001 and elected to regional council in 2018. He is also Chair of the Corporate Services Committee at Niagara Region, is a Director on the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), and is Niagara’s representative on the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) project.
“Our goal is to ensure the NPCA continues to be one of our preeminent environmental organizations here in the Niagara Peninsula watershed,” adds Foster. “I look forward to working alongside Vice-Chair John Metcalfe who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience.”
At Haldimand County, Vice-Chair Metcalfe serves as Chair, Engineering & Capital Works, Vice Chair, Corporate & Social Services, Member of the Agricultural Advisory Committee, Court of Revision, and Heritage Haldimand. On the NPCA Board, he now serves as Vice-Chair, in addition to participating on the Source Protection Authority.
The next meeting for the Board of Directors is the first Full Authority Meeting of 2022 on Friday, March 25, and will continue to take place virtually. Meetings are live-streamed and available at https://npca.ca/about/board-meetings.
For more information on the NPCA, please visit www.npca.ca. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more updates. Photos of Chair Foster and Vice-Chair Metcalfe available at the links above.
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About NPCA:
The NPCA manages the impact of human activities, urban growth, and rural activities on the Niagara Peninsula watershed with programs and services that help keep people and their property safe from flooding and erosion, while retaining the safety of our drinking water.
NPCA manages 41 Conservation Areas, including Ball’s Falls, Binbrook, Long Beach and Chippawa Creek. These lands are held in public trust for recreation, heritage preservation, conservation, and education. NPCA’s Conservation Areas marry nature, culture and adventure to create limitless opportunities for discovery.
Questions related to the above release should be directed to:
Erika Navarro, Communications Specialist
Mobile: 905-650-4027
enavarro@npca.ca