As a returning BCNU regional council member, I have had the privilege of being part of a number of committees and bringing forward the knowledge I have gained over the last three years.

The work of the Member Engagement Steward Recruitment and Retention (MESRR) Committee is especially important, and I'm grateful to be elected committee chair and to have the opportunity to help drive this important work.

I truly believe BCNU's leadership – both elected and staff – is united in advancing our organization's strategic priorities in a way that will have a positive impact on our members' working lives.

The work the MESRR committee is doing is just one part of that larger effort that will help us move forward as an organization. The committee's primary objective is to align its activities with BCNU's strategic directions. This has involved fostering dynamic and inventive education, mentorship and support for stewards and members and boosting member activism and influence through constructive engagement.

MESRR is comprised of seven regional council members and one member of the provincial executive committee. With the support of staff we regularly engage with leaders throughout the organization to help develop best practices and foster new ideas to improve steward support and member engagement.

BCNU members are at the heart of everything we do as a committee and over the next year we will be working on bringing to life several recommendations that have come from extensive and prior consultation on how to support our BCNU activists and members.

BCNU's new regional member engagement strategy means the MESRR committee is better positioned than ever to liaise with various union departments to ensure the support members receive is aligned with the union's strategic priorities.

This is a time of change, growth and commitment to new ways of being and knowing.

Over the next year, the committee will be reviewing key deliverables like steward onboarding pathways, streamlined processes for regional events, helpful how-to guides for council and regional teams and technology options to better track and evaluate our member engagement.

Now, more than ever, we need to find ways to engage with every member. Together, we are the BCNU and I am so excited for the possibilities that exist when all members come together to move our key priorities forward.