Skip to Main Content

Volunteer with OPPI

Our volunteers make all the difference

While OPPI works to serve its members to the best of its ability and strives to represent Ontario’s planning professionals with a strong, unified voice, our members are pivotal in taking an on-the-ground approach to further supporting the profession and communicating its value in our communities. OPPI needs you, your time, and your expertise, to better the planning profession in Ontario.

Volunteer Applications

Members contribute in many ways including working together with OPPI staff on various programs and initaitives with an overall goal to support our strategic plan and OPPI Council governance responsibilities. 

To apply:

  • Fill out the online volunteer application form
  • Include a 250 word summary of your educational background
  • Include a 250 word summary of your employment background
  • Include a  250 word summary about why you want to volunteer
  • Include a 250 word summary of what you bring to the position
  • Include a 250 word summary of your previous volunteer experience

Volunteer Opportunities

Executive Committee
Comprised of the President, Secretary/Treasurer and the President Elect, this committee is directly responsible for finance and audit committee functions, risk management, and human resources matters.

Governance & Nominating Committee
This committee is made up of Registered Professional Planners (RPPs) with a majority drawn from OPPI Council. It is responsible for the nominating process, including standing committee chairs, governance education development and evaluation processes. Responsibilities of this standing committee include reviewing and making recommendations concerning Council policies and by-law changes. The Governance and Nominating Committee assists OPPI Council in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities regarding the effectiveness of governance and in the development and succession-planning for OPPI Council and its committees.  

Professional Standards & Registration Committee (PSRC)
This committee is comprised of Registered Professional Planners (RPPs) and is responsible for professional standards development, oversight and impact assessment, Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) standards, and adjudicating on membership application issues at the request of the OPPI Registrar. It delegates a representative to the Professional Standards Committee providing Ontario-specific insight concerning existing practice standards.

Discipline Committee
Comprised of Full members, it operates at arm's length from OPPI Council and makes independent decisions regarding complaints and discipline cases within the scope of its mandate. It is delegated the authority to investigate complaints against OPPI members, determine if there is an apparent infraction as benchmarked against the Professional Code of Practice, and assess discipline options as appropriate pursuant to the Discipline Committee Rules of Practice and Procedure.

Complaints Committee
Comprising Full members, the Complaints Committee operates at arm’s length from OPPI Council and receives complaints that members have breached the Professional Code of Practice. This committee is authorized by Appendix II of the by-law to review those complaints and determine how to handle them. The Complaints Committee may also offer advice to the Professional Standards & Registration Committee (PSRC) concerning clarity of current standards and/or need for standards development.

These strategy groups work with staff to help implement OPPI strategic initiatives and address emerging issues.

Planning Issues Strategy Group (PISG)
Strengthens the voice of the planning profession and expands its reach through advocacy. Group members scan the planning environment and help to identify relevant planning issues which merit OPPI's attention.

These program committees work with staff to help deliver OPPI programs.

Outreach Committee
Working closely with staff, the Outreach Committee liaises with the university planning schools and pprograms, students, pre-candidate and Candidate members, and oversees OPPI’s scholarships. This committee supports outreach to students and potential members including university students at recognized schools and planning programs (primarily), students eligible for Candidate membership, non-member practicing planners who qualify for pre-candidate membership, and high school students considering the profession of planning.

Planning Knowledge Exchange (PKE) Committee
The committee works to connect members with information and facilitates a fluid exchange of knowledge. Members are cultivated for their insight, knowledge, best practices and opinion. Subject matter experts help to curate the incoming content, source useful knowledge elsewhere, and coordinate programming in a variety of mediums.

Student Liaison Committee (SLC)
The Student Liaison Committee (SLC) is made up of OPPI student members from each of Ontario’s accredited planning programs. This leadership network links planning students to OPPI and represents the interests of planning students across Ontario. Committee members are given exciting opportunities to become involved in OPPI initiatives.

Planners Connect Champions Committee
The members of the Planners Connect Champion Program Committee focus on enhancing the overall community engagement on Planners Connect, our members-only community forum. The program will empower Champions to foster an inviting and safe virtual space, where all Planner Connect users feel they can contribute to discussions that advance the planning profession. During their term, Champions will serve as ambassadors for Planners Connect by contributing to the discussions on the platform, sharing knowledge and connecting members with one another.

District Leadership Teams (DLTs)
District team leaders implement a program of Continuous Professional Learning (CPL), share planning knowledge and provide education in area-specific issues. Additionally DLTs encourage planners to incorporate OPPI Calls to Action into workplace practice, as well as municipal and provincial policies. They will build support for the professional regulation of the planning profession and promote the value of good planning through a coordinated communications program.

District Forum
Shares knowledge, exchanges leading practices, and undertakes training and development. The forum is comprised of District team leaders who meet at least once annually, whether in person or by teleconference.

Volunteer Wall

To those  just beginning to volunteer and to those continuing in your volunteer work, we send out a heartfelt thank you for your commitment and your effort in representing OPPI, our members, and our profession.

We recognize all volunteers on all committees on our Volunteer Wall.