Last spring, the SOCAN membership elected a new board of directors, and online voting was implemented for the first time, attracting much interest. After the election, we have some new faces around the board table, both writers and publishers, with fresh perspectives and a wealth of experience and knowledge.

Publisher members make up 50 percent of the SOCAN board. Of course all royalty earners have an interest in how SOCAN is run; however, music publishers bring their own unique point of view, very often a global perspective at a grass-roots level. As business people our-motivation may be skewed more towards the bottom line. But we recognize that without music creators, there would be no need for publishers.

Publisher issues that the board deals with tend to revolve around administrative processes, such as assigning or claiming works, how distribution guidelines are structured and the cost of SOCAN operations. Publishers recognize that even the smallest adjustments in distribution rules, the work registration process, a drop in SOCAN revenues or an increase in costs might have a dramatic impact on their own operation as well as their writers’ welfare.

Looking back, my first term as a SOCAN director was an eye-opener on a couple of levels. First, I was impressed with the level of professionalism and dedication of SOCAN’s management. They run a tight ship. More so, I felt overwhelmed sitting with 17 other representatives from across Canada, every one of us there for the same reason: to contribute to the growth and development of SOCAN, helping steer it down the path of excellence. What a tremendous responsibility.

I am excited about serving my second term as a publisher board member representing Nettwerk (25 years young in 2009!), Western Canadian members and the publishing community as a whole. My goal is to support initiatives that promote the efficient and effective collection and payment of royalties while maintaining a best-of-class level of service to our members.