Executive Director’s Message

Surviving and thriving while recovering from the impacts of the global pandemic feels a bit like one big collective stretch goal. For more than a year now, the pandemic has forced many to stretch way beyond their perceived limits, both professionally and personally.

For the association, the first virtual annual conference last year was a huge stretch goal for this small two-person team. The monumental effort was rewarded on so many fronts. It supported our members early in the pandemic by providing the only opportunity that we had to come together at the time. We

were able to leverage what was learned to deliver virtual Boot Camp and Fall PD programs.

For this year’s conference, the stretch goal was to deliver an even more engaging conference program and events. We added micro-learning sessions and social events to an already full program and upped our social media and marketing game to increase awareness and participation. As we close out another successful virtual conference, we want to say a big thank you to all of you who stretched past your perceived limits to attend, engage, and present in yet one more virtual event to make this year’s conference even more successful than last year’s. We know that we are still in precarious times, we hoped that the conference—for a moment or two—provided a reprieve from the “new normal”.

We are incredibly grateful for the dedication of our members, sponsors, exhibitors, and speakers for their support of and engagement in the conference programming and social events.

To the speakers, we are eternally grateful for your time and expertise. This year’s donation in lieu of speaker’s gifts went to the YMCA-YWCA Vancouver Island’s Camp Thunderbird. Thank you to Board members, Lenora Lee and Rianna Lachance, for presenting this year’s donation to the Y’s CEO, Derek Gent. We are happy for the opportunity to give back to the community.

From left to right: Best Cat Co-worker, Best Dog Co-worker, Best Work from Home Staging

As a team of two, Erica and I rely on a small army of event and communications support to stretch our ability to deliver our annual conferences. A big thank you to Lya Iglesias from Every Aspect Management, Shawn Lam and Rob Hunt from SLV Audio Visual, the team at EventMobi, Gerilee McBride for graphic design, Cindy Dale for communications support and Tara Clark from Social T for helping us build some social media muscle.

Last, but not least, a big thank you to the of Board of Directors and Committee Members for their participation and support in delivering the conference program and for their leadership and support throughout the past year.

We hope to see you all in-person in Penticton for 2022 Annual Conference!

Kala Harris, Excutive Director

(Top) Team: The Dog ate my beans while camping in New York City! You had to be there! (Bottom) Team: Empress and the Royal Entourage

YMCA YWCA Vancouver Island’s Camp Thunderbird Donation in Lieu of Speaker Gifts Presentation

THANK YOU!

Thank you to our members who volunteered their time to help us deliver our programming and provide input to our various working groups. This is your Association without you our work would simply not be possible.

Wayne Anderson, City of Merritt Nyla Attiana, Village of Tofino Komal Basatia, City of Abbotsford Sharon Beaudoin, District of Saanich Kevin Bertles, City of Armstrong (retired) Parissa Bhullar, City of New Westmister Sally Bhullar-Gill, City of Surrey Tammy Boulanger, District of 100 Mile House Jeannie Bradburne, Nanaimo Regional District Angela Brain, City of Delta Nelson Chan, Capital Regional District Nelson Chan, Capital Regiional District Kathy Chen, Town of Sidney Phoebe Cheng, City of Vancouver Stephanie Clarke, City of Whiterock Lorraine Coughlin, Town of Gibsons Rick Danyluk, District of North Vancouver Genelle Davidson, City of Kelowna Cara Dawson, City of Kamloops Carolina De Moura, City of Vancouver Mikaela DeBoer, City of Delta Alberto DeFoe, CAO for Lake Country Jackie Dueck, City of Kelowna Mark Ferguson, City of Kelowna Teri Fong, Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District Myriah Foort, Comox Valley Regional District Tanya Garost, District of Lake Country Dianna Gies, District of Tumbler Ridge Carolyn Gillis, Kootenay Boundary Regional District Kerry Hall, City of Colwood Elma Hamming, City of Rossland Andrew Hoge, Capital Regional District Kathy Humphrey, City of Kamloops Eva Juca, City of Burnaby Sharleen Karamanian, District of Saanich Leigh Kreitner, City of Chiliwack Rianna Lachance, Capital Regional District James Lawson, City of Kelowna Jennifer Lockhart, City of Victoria Mayor Lori Ackerman, Fort St. John Milo MacDonald, Fort St. John Marina Marzin, City of Vancouver Michelle McElroy, Village of Gold River Charlotte Osborne, City of Cranbrook Chris Paine, District of Oak Bay Ashley Palmer, Whistler resort Municipality Carolyne Perera, City of New Westminister Erick Peterson, City of Williams Lake Aaron Price, City of Surrey Doug Rae, Thompson-Nicola Regional District Marilyn Rilkoff, Central Okanagan Regional District Shelly Ryan, City of Coquitlam Andrew Samson, Village of Cumberland Angie Schumacher, City of Kelowna Karen Sharp, Village of Radium Hot Springs Lyle Smith, District of Peachland Talitha Soldera, District of North Cowichan Talitha Soldera, District of North Cowichan Doug Spindler, City of Burnaby Curtis Staniforth, City of Langford Ron Storie, Thompson-Nicola Regional District Sheila Thiessen, City of Merritt (Retired) Trevor Thompson, City of Maple Ridge Andy Wardell, District of North Vancouver Ken Yew, City of Kelowna Farouk Zaba, City of Port Coquitlam