Item - 2024.CC19.5
Tracking Status
- City Council adopted this item on June 26 and 27, 2024 with amendments.
CC19.5 - Appointment of Public Members to the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Amended
- Wards:
- All
City Council Decision
City Council on June 26 and 27, 2024, adopted the following:
1. City Council treat the portion of the City Council meeting at which the May 30, 2024, letter from the Corporations Nominating Panel on Appointment of Public Members to the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors is considered as a special meeting of the Shareholder for Toronto Hydro Corporation and adopt the following as resolutions of the Shareholder of the Toronto Hydro Corporation:
a. City Council, as Shareholder, appoint the following candidates to the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on June 27, 2026, and until their successors are appointed:
Michael Eubanks;
James Hinds; and
Ersilia Serafini;
b. notwithstanding the Public Appointments Policy and the Shareholder Direction, City Council, as Shareholder, appoint the following candidates to the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on June 27, 2027, and until their successors are appointed:
Sheila Block;
Joyce McLean; and
Ken Neumann;
c. notwithstanding its Shareholder Direction, City Council, as Shareholder, extend the appointment of David McFadden as member and chair of the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors, until December 31, 2024, or until his successor is appointed.
2. City Council direct the Corporations Nominating Panel to recommend a candidate and a nominee for Chair to the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors to the December 17, 18 and 19, 2024, City Council meeting.
3. City Council direct that Confidential Attachments 1a, 1b, 2 to 4, and Revised Confidential Attachment 4 to the report (May 30, 2024) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Toronto Hydro Board.
Confidential Attachments 1a, 1b, 2 to 4, and Revised Confidential Attachment 4 to the report (May 30, 2024) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety in accordance with the provisions of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Toronto Hydro Board.
City Council Decision Advice and Other Information
Candidates' biographies:
Sheila Block
Sheila Block is an economist with experience in research institutes, the labour movement, and the Ontario government. A focus of her research has been public finance at the provincial and
municipal levels. Sheila is on the board of the My65+ retirement savings plan and was on the board of the Canada-Wide Industrial Pension Plan and the Central Toronto Community Health Centre, as well as the University Pension Plan. Sheila has a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Toronto.
Michael Eubanks
Michael Eubanks has more than 30 years of diverse and complex entrepreneurial, retail, financial services, operations, supply chain, digital and information technology experience with national retail firms in Canada and the United States Negotiated acquisitions and mergers, led enterprise strategic planning, and implemented complex technology changes to meet shifting business models. He is a transformational and enterprise-wide thinker, and a collaborative strategist.
James Hinds
James is a resident of Toronto and a customer of Toronto Hydro and has been involved in various agencies and companies in the Ontario electricity business from 2005 until 2018. Electricity is a vital service to our city and our society. The need for more electricity – reliable, affordable and clean – is an important part of supporting economic growth and mitigating carbon dioxide emissions in the future.
Joyce McLean
Joyce is a communications and policy professional with a focus on sustainability and climate resiliency. Prior to retiring, she was the Director of Strategic Issues and managed the Office of the President at Toronto Hydro. Prior roles included senior political policy advisor to two Ontario Environment Ministers and Chair of the Canadian Wind Energy Association. She is currently Treasurer of the Greenbelt Foundation and studied political science, marketing, journalism and negotiations at various institutions.
Ken Neumann
Ken has 45 years of experience as a union activist/leader as well as 17 years as the United Steelworkers National Director for Canada. He has directed and managed pan-Canadian and global projects and programs dealing with environmental matters, diversity, equity, and inclusion, occupational health and safety issues, as well as labour relations and community outreach. Ken has held numerous board seats across the country playing a key role in a wide variety of sectors, from telecommunications, railways, mining to forestry, manufacturing, and university sectors.
Ersilia Serafini
Ersilia Serafini is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Summerhill, a Canadian owned and operated energy efficiency implementation company operating in nearly every province and territory. With a career dedicated to the country’s environmental and energy sector, she builds and leads teams working to achieve measurable reductions in energy use. Ersilia is also the Chair of the Clean Economy Fund, an active member of Young Presidents' Organization, and a proud mom to two teenage daughters.
Confidential Attachment - Personal matters about identifiable individuals who are being considered for appointment to the Toronto Hydro Board.
Background Information (City Council)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-246809.pdf
(May 30, 2024) Report from the City Clerk on Appointment of Public Members to the Toronto Hydro Board
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-246810.pdf
Confidential Attachment 1a - List of Interview Candidates, Qualifications, Confidential Diversity Information Summary, and Applications for Appointment to the Toronto Hydro Board
Confidential Attachment 1b - List of Interview Candidates, Qualifications, Confidential Diversity Information Summary, and Applications for Appointment to the Toronto Hydro Board
Confidential Attachment 2 - Current Members' Interest in being Considered for Chair of the Toronto Hydro Board
Confidential Attachment 3 - Skills Matrix for the Toronto Hydro Board
Confidential Attachment 4 - Interview schedule for June 10 and 12, 2024
Revised Confidential Attachment 4 - Interview schedule for June 10, 12 and 14, 2024
Motions (City Council)
That City Council delete the recommendations from the Corporations Nominating Panel and adopt instead the following:
1. That City Council treat the portion of the City Council meeting at which the May 30, 2024, letter from the Corporations Nominating Panel on Appointment of Public Members to the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors is considered as a special meeting of the Shareholder for Toronto Hydro Corporation and adopt the following as resolutions of the Shareholder of the Toronto Hydro Corporation:
a. City Council, as Shareholder, appoint the following candidates to the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on June 27, 2026, and until their successor is appointed:
Michael Eubanks
James Hinds
Ersilia Serafini
b. Notwithstanding the Public Appointments Policy and the Shareholder Direction, City Council, as Shareholder, appoint the following candidates to the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on June 27, 2027, and until their successor is appointed:
Sheila Block
Joyce McLean
Ken Neumann
c. Notwithstanding its Shareholder Direction, City Council, as Shareholder, extend the appointment of David McFadden as member and chair of the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors, until December 31, 2024, or until his successor is appointed.
2. City Council direct the Corporations Nominating Panel to recommend a candidate and a nominee for Chair to the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors to the December 17, 18 and 19, 2024, City Council meeting.
3. City Council direct that Confidential Attachments 1a, 1b, 2 to 4, and Revised Confidential Attachment 4 to the report (May 30, 2024) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Toronto Hydro Board.