So long summer; autumn ahead!
It’s been another frenzied and full month here at the national offices of CIFST, continuing the work to point our organization in a new direction.
Recently, we have started pushing forward on three initiatives focused on building a stronger foundation and strengthening our membership numbers.
First, as a means of improving efficiencies, the Board of Directors has decided to re-structure our
Scientific Expert Panels (SEPs)
into one smaller and more streamlined
Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP)
with enhanced roles and responsibilities. The new SAP is designed to be more responsive to emerging topics in Canada, such as food nanotechnology and nutrigenomics, and capable of addressing our sector's concerns and needs.
Next, in advance of CIFST's membership renewal season, we will be introducing a refreshed
membership structure
and
fee schedule
in an effort to better attract and retain members. This could mean potential cost savings for many of you so be sure to watch for details.
Finally, over the past weekend (September 16 and 17) we completed a highly successful
strategic planning session
in Toronto.
The initiative brought together CIFST board members, Section chairs, and other invitees from across the country to help map out the next three years. A great deal of the discussion surrounded the valuable input we received as a result of our recent membership survey
. If you are among those who took the time to complete that survey, I can assure you that your voice was heard. I encourage you to have a look at the brief summary linked in the
Bits & Bites
section below.
As we head into what will doubtless be a busy fall, I want you to know how much we appreciate your membership commitment to CIFST. And since the season for giving thanks is upon us, I want to offer you a hearty
thank you
for taking a few moments to read some
Food for Thought.
Regards,
Dr. Michael Nickerson
CIFST President
