Eden Redman

Graduate of the Non-Profit Board Internship Program (2022-2023)

Describe your board/organization, its objectives, and your responsibilities during the NPBI internship.

The Film and Video Arts Society of Alberta (FAVA) supports affordable access to the production, exhibition, distribution, and preservation of independent film, video, and screen media art in Northern Alberta. The board takes on an active and productive oversight role in day-to-day operations of staff through a wide array of committees. My main responsibilities during the NPBI internship involved attending monthly board meetings and monthly NPO-oriented workshops as well as a final project.

Can you describe your project and how you think it will benefit your board?

My project consisted of delivering a major update to the core onboarding document given to all incoming Directors. This is aimed to help orient them to the organization, policies, bylaws, as well as their roles and responsibilities.

I found my project to be quite topical, given the board’s current search for a new Executive Director. This search, along with my project, together instigated a broader update to several company policies and the organizational structure of FAVA as a whole. Although I was only with the Board for 8 months, and this border update is still in the works, it was refreshing and enlightening to see an established NPO (of 40 years) take on a concerted effort to update its practices and structure.

What stands out for you as key learning moments as a result of volunteering on a board?

The unstructured in-situ learning that goes along with attending monthly board meetings is what stands out for me. It offered me a solid repertoire that I will be able to pull from while leading board meetings at my own NPO. I was also exposed to a wide variety of new tools to maintain everything from financial accountability to organizational knowledge, that I otherwise may not have found.

Would you recommend this program to UofA students and why?

I would very strongly recommend this program for any students looking to join or lead a board of directors at a non profit organization.

Bio

Eden Redman is the Executive Director of the non-profit organization NeurAlbertaTech (NAT), the province’s leading neurotechnology innovator network. He holds a BSc from the University of Alberta and is currently enrolled in a MSc in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience at McGill University. His research interests include biosignal processing, neuromodulation, and translational neuroscience. Eden was named the Edmonton Student Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021, at the YEG Startup Community Awards, for his efforts in merging his two great passions; computational neuroscience and community building.

Handles

LinkedIn: eden-redman-neuro

Facebook: Eden Redman

Instagram: @edenredman

Twitter: @eden_redman