The Yonge + St. Clair BIA is Inviting Applications for a Treasurer and for Board Members At-Large

The Yonge + St. Clair Business Improvement Area (BIA) is inviting applications by interested BIA members to join the Board of Management. Applicants must be a business tenant and/or the owner of a commercial property within the Yonge + St. Clair BIA boundaries.

The Yonge + St. Clair BIA represents 450+ businesses and 90+ property owners in the Yonge + St. Clair community in Midtown Toronto, Ontario. Formed in 2018, the BIA strengthens the economic health and livability of the neighbourhood through strategic investments in the public realm, exciting cultural programming, brand awareness, and advocacy on behalf of members.

Board Members are critical parts of our organization’s success and oversee and manage the BIA’s annual levy and service delivery. You’ll play a key role in supporting our neighbourhood alongside a diverse group of local business owners, property owners, and tenants.

Under this model, the Board of Directors focuses on setting the BIA’s strategic direction, ensuring long-term sustainability, and advocating for community development. At the same time, the Executive Director, Hannah Thresher, handles the day-to-day operations and management of the BIA staff. This clear division of responsibilities allows the Board to remain focused on vision-setting and high-level decision-making while the Executive Director manages the execution of those strategies.

This approach provides numerous benefits for both the Board and the Executive Director:

• The Board can concentrate on broader, community-centered goals such as economic development, community engagement, and fostering partnerships.
• The Executive Director is empowered to manage the daily operations with clear decision-making authority, ensuring efficient execution of the BIA’s initiatives.

A description of Treasurer and Board Member At-Large responsibilities are provided below.

Commitments

+ Attend monthly Board Meetings, approximately 1 hour in length
+ Highly encouraged to join additional subcommittees
+ Approximately 2-5 hours of additional time commitment per month
+ Be available for occasional communications with BIA staff

Qualifications + Eligibility

+ Ownership or Tenancy: Be an owner or tenant of commercial or industrial property within the BIA or an official representative of such a corporation.
+ Age: Be at least 18 years old.
+ No Conflicts of Interest: Board members must not be family members (spouse, child, or parent) of a current Council member or the City’s or its agencies’ employees.

Applicable Skills / Assets

+ Leadership
+ Strategic thinking
+ Communication
+ People management
+ Legal / Risk management
+ Knowledge of the Yonge + St. Clair Community

Responsibilities of Board Members

+ Act on the behalf of the Yonge + St. Clair BIA and our membership though strategic decision-making with your fellow Board Members at Board Meetings
+ Support BIA organizational operations and service delivery
+ Provide oversight and accountability on behalf of the BIA membership
+ Review monthly Board packages prepared by BIA Staff which include information relevant for decision-making
+ Support BIA staff with leadership and insight

Additional Responsibilities of the Treasurer

In addition to the regular duties of a Board Member At-Large, the Secretary shall:

+ Oversight and consultation of budgets, accounts and financial statements
+ Join one additional (1) BIA committee, either i) Marketing + Events Committee or ii) Streetscape Committee, once per month
+ Ensure that appropriate financial systems and controls are in place
+ Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation
+ Ensure effective monitoring and reporting of the Yonge + St. Clair BIA
+ Review and present staff-prepared budgets at/for monthly board meetings
+ Support and review the BIA accountant’s submission of Executive Director T4 Slips, Canada Revenue Reports, HST Rebates and Salary
calculations
+ Oversight of annual financial audit with City Auditors

We will be reviewing all interested applications by January 31, 2025