New CFLPA executive director says there’s plenty of work to do

David Mackie was hired Feb. 24 to replace Brian Ramsay, who left in August to take on the same post with the Professional Hockey Players' Association.

There’s labour harmony through the 2029 season and a search continues for a new CFL commissioner, but David Mackie hasn’t had the luxury of time to settle into his new role as the CFL Players’ Association’s executive director.

Mackie was hired Feb. 24 to replace Brian Ramsay, who left in August to take on the same post with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association. Former CFL player Peter Dyakowski had served as interim executive director until Mackie’s appointment.

“There’s never a lull, there’s always work to be done,” Mackie told reporters during a teleconference Thursday. “If it’s not cleaning up things from the past it’s ensuring we’re starting initiatives to better benefit the members moving forward.

“Just CBA negotiations don’t dictate the work that we do.”

Mackie, 30, retired after six seasons with the B.C. Lions to take his current role. The six-foot-two, 252-pound fullback from Jackson’s Point, Ont., had served as a player rep with B.C. and in 2024 was elected as the union’s third vice-president.

“Obviously he knows the issues, obviously he’s relatable to the membership, he’s very intelligent,” CFLPA president Solomon Elimimian said of Mackie. “We went through an extensive, thorough hiring process … we interviewed up to 75 candidates and that process led us to hire David Mackie.”

Mackie said he would have continued playing with B.C. had he not been offered the job.

“I knew I had a lot of football left but this is an opportunity that allows me to stay in the game for a long time,” he said. “I get to impact the game on a greater scale than what I would as a football player.