From the Board of Directors · September 2026

A letter to our members

Dear I4PL Members,

On behalf of the Board, I want to speak directly to something many of you have noticed since June: it has been quiet. Our newsletters stopped, and some calls and emails have not been reaching us the way they should.

The short version is this. The Institute for Performance and Learning (I4PL) has been in contract negotiations with our association management company, which, until June, provided the staffing and administrative support for our National Office. Those negotiations are still underway, and they have taken longer to resolve than we had hoped.

As a result, several administrative systems and communication channels have been disrupted since June 15 by the temporary, but ongoing, closure of the National Office. Looking back, we should have told you about this disruption sooner, and we sincerely apologize for not doing so.

Because of the closure, some inboxes, systems, services and administrative functions remain unavailable, including membership@performanceandlearning.ca and info@performanceandlearning.ca. Please write to us at membership@thei4pl.ca or info@thei4pl.ca instead.

Throughout this period, Board members, chapter leaders, volunteers, certification assessors, conference committee members and partners have continued to support the Institute. Their commitment has been extraordinary, and it has kept important programs and services moving forward.

Most importantly, we want you to know that I4PL remains active, governed by a committed Board of Directors, and supported by a remarkable network of volunteers and contributors across the country. Your patience, engagement and continued belief in this community have helped carry us through this transition.

The Board's immediate focus is restoring operational stability, while also evaluating options that will position I4PL for long-term sustainability, member value and organizational strength.

What's ahead for you

• I4PL 2026 National Conference: Igniting the Capability Era Featuring keynotes by Keka DasGupta and Chris Taylor. Registration is now open.
• CTDP certification The program reopens this fall for members ready to pursue the designation.
• Webinars and professional development New sponsored webinars and professional development opportunities are in the works, with details to come.
• Your local chapter Chapters remain an important part of the I4PL community. Many continue to operate as usual, offering virtual and in-person opportunities to connect and learn. Some have recently relaunched, and others are working to reignite local activity. All of them welcome volunteers, particularly in Edmonton, Montréal, Southwest Ontario and Ottawa-Gatineau. We encourage you to stay connected through your local chapter.

Our new website

We are also pleased to announce that we have launched a new website. Developed in response to member feedback, it makes it easier to manage your membership, find certification information, register for events and explore member resources.

We are still migrating, so some content and resources from our previous site are on their way. The new site is live in English and French, and it will keep improving as we add material and act on your feedback.

Looking forward

The Board, including the returning and newly elected directors you ratified in May, is using this moment to rethink how we organize our work around the Institute's 2025-2028 Strategic Plan and its four priorities: Community and Connection, Capability and Growth, Reputation and Reach, and Strength and Sustainability. Our goal is to make sure our efforts create even greater value for members.

I know "we're working on it" isn't the update many of you have been waiting for, but it is the most honest one we can give. We wanted you to hear directly from the Board that I4PL is still here, still yours, and moving toward something stronger on the other side of this transition. We will keep you updated as things progress, even when we don't yet have every answer.

If the last few years, and especially the last few months, have shown us anything, it is that we are resilient as a profession and as an association. Time and again, I4PL has drawn its strength from its members, conference volunteers, certification assessors, committee members, chapter leaders, webinar presenters, sponsors and partners, who continue to give their time, expertise and commitment through periods of uncertainty.

I would also like to take this moment to acknowledge and to thank two of our outgoing board members Tara Lenaghan (April 2026) and Claudette Hutchinson, who stepped down earlier this month to focus on scaling OwningMy.

There is work ahead of us, and a great deal to build on. We look forward to rebuilding that momentum with you, and we will share our next update in October, in the first issue of our new newsletter, published every two weeks.

If you would like more information, please contact us.

We don't take your commitment for granted. Thank you for continuing to show up for this community, support one another and believe in what I4PL can become. Together, we are writing the next chapter of our Institute, and we look forward to sharing that journey with you.

Kerry-Ann Douglas-Powell
Interim Chair, Board of Directors
On behalf of the I4PL Board