In May of 2013 group members decided they wanted to meet at the King’s Head with 3 people in attendance at this first meeting. From there Ahniko facilitated the creation of a MACD logo and website in 2014. During this time Gail Langlais was working with a committee on certification for career professionals in Manitoba. She reached out to Ahniko, and the two groups joined. Troy Mercer and Gail Langlais brought the knowledge from the certification working group.

Ahniko and Gail conducted a survey of Manitoban CDPs’ to determine interest in a professional provincial association, certification and identify what they felt the role of MACD could be going forward, 104 responses were received
 

74% a professional provincial association was an important initiative

77% said they would support / join such an organization

Based on these results, Ahniko and Gail Langlais presented the concept of MACD at the 2014 Let’s Get to Work conference.

The MACD name incorporation was established through the Companies Office; and MACD become a supporting organization of Cannexus and Career Professionals of Canada.

 Several members also contributed to get the board off the ground.  In November of 2016 MACD’s first AGM took place the night before Let’s Get to Work, electing its first Executive Board; Troy Mercer as Chair, Gail Langlais as Vice-Chair, Ahniko Handford as Treasurer, and Kate Yee as Secretary.

MACD also partnered with Career Trek on the organization of LGTW. This inaugural year included a thorough discussion and review of the strategic planning day feedback, and the ongoing creation of sub-committees, budget and membership guidelines. In November 2017, CareerTrek formally passed the baton the MACD on the administration of the LGTW conference moving forward.

 MACD also began running additional PD sessions, for members including topics such as “The Future of Work” and “Labour Market Information.” In May 2018, MACD also participated in CERIC’s National “Road Show” where we presented information about the association at this event outlining CERIC initiatives. An article about the evolution of MACD and the importance of Mental Wellness for practitioners was published as an online article on CERIC’s ContactPoint. In November 2018, MACD’s board was elected for the second time, with Troy Mercer continuing as Chair, Gail Langlais as Co-Chair, Tara Orchard as Treasurer and Rebecca Balakrishnan as Secretary.

MACD also continued to focus on developing its policies and procedures including membership growth and guidelines; and financial policies. MACD board members also led “coffee consultations” in partnership with CCDF regarding the Standards and Guidelines. The 2019 Let’s Get to Work conference was also continuing to grow, and featured CCDF Director Sareena Hopkins as its keynote speaker. The MACD board had also been working on provincial certification on an ongoing basis, and in 2019 consulted with the New Brunswick Association to potentially partner with them on theirs.

MACD was invited to participate in CCCD’s rewrite of the field’s Standards and Ethics Guidelines, with several board members taking part in this initiative. MACD was also invited to participate in CCDF’s writing of the pan-national certification exam, as well as taking test versions of the exam. The Let’s Get to Work Conference leadership moved to Gail Langlais and Caryn Birch, and was offered virtually, and was the first conference that featured international speakers and attendees. In November 2020, membership of the board shifted once again with Executive members including Gail Langlais as Chair, Troy Mercer as Past Chair, Kate Yee as Vice-Chair, Tara Orchard as (Acting) Treasurer, and Co-Secretaries Rebecca Balakrishnan and Stefanie Books.

This also led to the launch of a new MACD podcast: “Career Conversations” in May of 2021 and hosted by Board Member-at-Large David Driver. The Let’s Get to Work conference was offered virtually for the second time, and featured an international keynote: Brian Hutchison from Walden University in Minneapolis.

These free opportunities included a Work-Life Coaching certificate course offered by Career Professionals of Canada; Mental Health First Aid and several other workshops and sessions addressing relevant issues in the field during the post-pandemic recovery period. These government funds also allowed MACD to fund a research project, administered by CCDF on identifying CDPs’ need Post-COVID.  The Let’s Get to Work conference moved back, co-chaired by Gail Langlais and Kate Yee, to an in person offering at the Victoria Inn, and the fourth board turnover will take place at the November AGM. MACD will continue working on the established government contract into March 2022 offering 18 additional training sessions and featuring sessions in the North and Brandon.