The National NewsMedia Council (NNC) welcomed a new board chair, vice-chair and public director at its recent board and annual general meeting of members held earlier this month.
Directors unanimously selected John Hinds to serve as the Council’s next board chair. Hinds is the former president and CEO of News Media Canada where he served as the industry’s voice on public policy issues and managing the organization’s comprehensive research and marketing material portfolio.
A lawyer by training, Hinds has previously served in senior political roles both federally and provincially. He also has extensive experience as a public affairs consultant and has served on a number of boards, including: The United Way of Toronto, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Harbourfront Centre and Solus Trust Company. He is also the former chair of Casey House Hospice and former vice-chair of St. Joseph’s Health Centre.
The board also unanimously selected Janice Neil, currently an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan’s School of Journalism, as its vice-chair.
Neil, who has been as an NNC director since 2019, has served as editor-in-chief of J-Source.ca, a national website providing information, commentary and resources on the Canadian journalism industry. Her earlier professional journalism career included working as the senior producer of CBC Radio 1’s Metro Morning, TVOntario’s Studio 2 and as a reporter for CBC in London (UK), Toronto and Regina.
Joining Neil as a public director is Myles Leslie, who is an associate professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences and School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary.
Leslie is a seasoned researcher whose academic fields are rooted in both criminology and media. The subject of his Master’s thesis at the University of British Columbia was “Risk Reporting in the Canadian Media” which followed a stint working for CBC News before he returned to university to pursue a doctorate in criminology. His award-winning academic work is today focused directly on primary health care policy and research.
Departing the board are three long-standing public members.
John Fraser served as the NNC’s executive chair since transitioning into the role in spring 2018. Fraser served as the founding president and CEO of the NNC after a distinguished career as a journalist, writer and academic.
Ann Dillon joined the NNC as public director in 2017. During the time, she was an integral part of the NNC’s senior administration, serving as the chair of the organization’s nominations and governance committees. A corporate lawyer for more than two decades, Dillon also served as a Canadian citizenship judge in Vancouver where she participated in a number of national working groups and represented the Citizenship Commission on legal panels. She also lent her extensive experience in mediation and conflict resolution to the NNC.
Also departing is Ray Gerow, who was one of the NNC’s founding directors in 2015. For many years, he served as the NNC’s vice-chair and chair of its finance committee.
In addition to serving in the Canadian Armed Forces for six years, Gerow’s work history has ranged from construction to management, with an emphasis in economic and community development. He has served as the vice-chair to the board of governors for the College of New Caledonia, a board member of the Northern Sports Centre at the University of Northern B.C. and the Nechako Kitimaat Development Fund. He was previously the chair of the Aboriginal Business Services Network and B.C.’s Native Economic Development Advisory Board.
The NNC directors and staff thank all of the outgoing directors for their exceptional and long-standing service to the organization over the past decade.
The Council regularly accepts applications of interest from individuals who are interested in serving as public directors. Those interested in being considered should send a copy of our CV and a cover letter outlining your interest in the NNC’s work to: info@mediacouncil.ca.