Governance

February 2, 2026 Published by North Alberta Chapter - By Katy Campbell

Raising the Bar

How CCI North Alberta’s New Speaker Selection Policies Strengthen Confidence and Elevate Education

How CCI North Alberta’s New Speaker Selection Policies Strengthen Confidence and Elevate Education

Who gets to present to our members? How are decisions made about who we choose to platform through our education events? If there are multiple potential speakers on a topic, what factors go into making a decision on who is ultimately selected?

These are the kinds of questions our Education Committee considered as we documented the process and clarified the guiding principles that inform our committee’s decisions on speaker selection.

As a result, CCI North Alberta is proud to introduce a comprehensive Speaker Selection Policy—an important step in strengthening the quality, consistency, and integrity of our educational programming.

As demand for clear, trustworthy information continues to grow across our condominium community, this new policy provides members with greater transparency, enhanced member confidence, and assurance that presenters appearing at a CCI education event meet a high standard of professionalism and expertise.

CCI North Alberta has always relied on the generosity of volunteers who lend their time and expertise as Knowledge Contributors to help our members navigate the complexities of condominium living.

With this new policy, our aim is to establish a consistent framework that clarifies how speakers are chosen and ensures that each educational offering aligns with CCI’s mission to educate, support, and advocate for condominium communities.

One of the primary aims of the new policy is the creation of a fair, transparent, and criteria-based process for evaluating potential speakers. Speakers will be selected based on a combination of their professional expertise,

industry reputation, commitment to CCI, and track record of delivering valuable educational content.

This includes assessing their subject matter knowledge, their experience presenting to audiences, and their level of involvement within the CCI community. Past contributions, participant feedback, and the quality of submitted materials are considered, giving the Education Committee a well-rounded view of each candidate’s strengths and suitability.

By prioritizing fairness and clarity, the new policy helps ensure that members can trust that presenters are chosen thoughtfully, with objective criteria, and with the community’s best interests in mind.

Encouraging Diversity and Preventing Burnout

Another key component of the policy is attempting to address volunteer burnout and ensure we are hearing from a variety of voices.

We recognize the importance of offering a wide range of perspectives and ensuring that different professions, lived experiences, and membership categories are represented across our programming.

With this in mind, the policy outlines a goal for a maximum number of education sessions per year, per speaker with the aim to prevent over-reliance on a small number of contributors and the goal to open speaking opportunities more broadly across our membership.

Encouraging Diversity and Preventing Burnout

We hope that this will not only support volunteer well-being by preventing burnout, but will also enhance our educational offerings with a diversity of perspectives. By potentially reducing the number of major speaking engagements an individual takes on each year, the policy helps ensure presenters remain energized and able to deliver their best work.

Maintaining Educational Integrity

Integrity remains at the heart of CCI North Alberta’s education programming. The policy reinforces ethical expectations for all speakers, including the requirement to disclose conflicts of interest and refrain from using CCI events for commercial promotion. Presentations are to be focused on delivering accurate, relevant information, not engaging in sales activities. Additionally, speakers are expected to present content that is inclusive, accessible, and reflective of the diversity within our condominium communities.

Supporting and Recognizing Knowledge Contributors

This policy also recognizes that volunteers are the backbone of what we do here at CCI. Presenters who give their time and expertise enable us to deliver high-quality content and make a real difference in the condo community. In return, they benefit from professional visibility, recognition in CCI North Alberta communications, and opportunities to connect with peers and community members.

Setting Volunteers Up for Success

The policy outlines simple but important commitments for those who wish to continue contributing to CCI North Alberta’s educational programming.

This includes signing a Knowledge Contributor Agreement, submitting materials by deadlines, participating in preparation activities such as planning calls or technical run-throughs, and engaging constructively with attendees before, during, and after sessions. These expectations help ensure that all presenters are well-prepared, aligned with CCI’s values, and equipped to deliver high quality content that meets the needs of our members.

Strengthening Confidence Across the Community

By formalizing these policies, CCI North Alberta is raising the bar for what members can expect from our educational offerings, and offering a fairer and more transparent decision-making process to our volunteer presenters.

With these newly adopted policies and procedures now moving into implementation, our goal is to foster greater transparency, accountability, and consistency in how we deliver education. We want this framework to inspire confidence, promote inclusivity, and elevate the quality of our programs.

Above all, we hope it ensures that every seminar, course, and panel discussion reflects the professionalism, integrity, and community focus at the heart of CCI North Alberta’s work.

Condominium, Condo, or Apartment? Let’s Clear Up the Terminology

Many people use the term condo to describe any apartment-style home, whether it’s a registered condominium or a rental building owned by a landlord. However, the distinction matters.

A registered condominium can take many forms: High-rises, walk-ups, townhomes, duplexes, and row houses can all be condominiums if the individual units are owned. If the property is registered as a Condominium Corporation, it is governed by provincial condominium legislation, including the Condominium Act and its regulations.

If the building is fully owned by a landlord and rented or leased to tenants, it is not a condominium. Understanding this difference is the first step to understanding your insurance needs.

Download our new Speaker Selection Policy:

---

Katy Campbell, Executive Director, CCI North Alberta