The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT) has tapped another Toronto heavy-hitter for its board as it continues a series of organizational reforms.

Broadcast industry veteran Gary Slaight, president and CEO of Slaight Communications, has been appointed to the ACCT’s board following an annual general meeting held Monday by the organizers of Canada’s annual film and TV award galas, including the Genies, Geminis and the Gemeaux.

“Gary is very savvy in media and communications,” Helga Stephenson, ACCT interim CEO told Playback. “He has a great interest in Canadian talent and he has been instrumental in many organizations and helping to build Canadian talent. He also has an infallible reputation and an ability to help organizations like ours.”

Slaight’s appointment follows a series of changes at the ACCT to reform and revitalize the Academy, including a new, downsized Toronto-centric board of industry players.

No regional representation from outside of Toronto is planned on the main ACCT board, though as Stephenson told Playback, regional representation will come at some point through a national advisory council.

“At the board meeting, we discussed our national advisory council, which is where we want to have the regional representation, so that the regions can feed into us and tell us if we’re working well for their industry people or not,” says Stephenson. “The national advisory council will be established to advise the board.”