National Magazine Awards announces important changes to board and procedures

The National Magazine Awards Foundation has announced some important changes to its board and its process in preparation for its 40th anniversary year and for its recently inaugurated Digital Publishing awards. (The announcement comes in the same week when Magazines Canada is unveiling its own, contending, awards program.)

As reported here earlier, the NMAF initiatives include changes to judging procedures and an expansion of the board membership to include individuals drawn from the business community and sponsors. Among the changes agreed by the board the following were announced:

• Refining the categories of the National Magazine Awards to a more focused number of awards;
• A reformatted awards event to facilitate more conversation and networking;
• Introducing a more rigorous definition and criteria of the Magazine of the Year award;
• Expanding the Digital Publishing Awards;
• A more streamlined judging process for assessing English and French submissions in the same category;
• In a first for any Canadian publishing awards, raising the profile of Canadian creators on the international stage, by:
• recognizing the excellence of Canadian contributors to international media, and
• introducing judges from the international magazine community;
• Enhancing the national footprint of the awards through more regional events and closer collaboration with regional institutions outside of Ontario;
• Being more inclusive of the diversity in Canadian magazine and digital publishing.

The new members of its board include

• Nino Di Cara has elected president for a two-year term effective August 30. He is the executive vice-president, content marketing, at Spafax, and formerly held senior titles at Rogers Communications and TC Media.  
• JoAnne Caza is a member of the Mercedes-Benz Canada executive team, heading its communications and public relations department which is responsible for several of the marketing activities at Mercedes-Benz Canada. 
• Derek Finkle, the founder of Canadian Writers Group which represents independent Canadian writers, and which aligned with Parcel, a brand strategy and communications design firm, in 2016. He is the former editor of Toro magazine, contributing editor of Saturday Night, and a National Magazine Award-winning writer. 
• Tom Gierasimczuk was publisher and GM of Vancouver magazine and Western Living and has worked in senior leadership roles with Canada’s largest media and communications companies including Rogers Media, Transcontinental, Canada Wide Media and Yellow Pages, 
• Peter McNeil is the National Director of KPMG Enterprise and a marketing executive with over twenty years of experience providing leadership and strategy to both start-ups and major Fortune 500 brands. He has previously served as chair of the board of directors of United Way of York Region.
• Raf Katigbak is creative lead at Virtue, the agency arm of VICE. He started at VICE as a columnist in the magazine in 2004, eventually becoming the Canadian editor of the publication, and then senior editor of the ‪VICE.com website.

They join  returning members of the board:

• Liana Bell, CA, CPA, Partner, Clark-Henning LLP (Treasurer)
• Joyce Byrne, publisher, Avenue Magazine (Past President)
• Julie Cailliau, editor-in-chief, Les Affaires
• Christopher Frey, Toronto Correspondent, Monocle
• Curtis Gillespie, editor, Eighteen Bridges
• David Hayes, Freelance Journalist
• Judith Pereira, senior editor, Report on Business
• Marnie Peters, associate vice-president, public relations, Royal Ontario Museum
• Paul Roelofs, creative director & publication designer, Vancouver Magazine & Western Living
• Terry Sellwood, former President, Cottage Life Media (Executive-At-Large)
• Melony Ward, Publisher, Canada’s History & Kayak
• Lisa Whittington-Hill, publisher, THIS Magazine