Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

Oh no he didn’t!

Today, Kiwassa Neighbourhood House Board of Directors announced that our Executive Director, Mark Gifford, will be leaving Kiwassa in mid-February, 2020, having accepted a position as the next Chief Executive Officer of the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia.  We are starting our search for his replacement immediately.

Over the past three years, Mark has worked with the Board and his staff to help Kiwassa take huge strides.  He led a comprehensive strategic planning process that helped reinvigorate our vision, mission, and values, and ground our priorities in social justice, community, and creativity.  In a context of increased need and scarce funds, he’s been able to ensure we’re on strong financial footing, investing in organizational and program capacity, and expanding our family, childcare, employment, settlement and housing services.  His warmth and sense of community helped strengthen the day-to-day life Kiwassa, and brought new levels of community and volunteer engagement through projects like ThisNeighbourhoodLife with Roundhouse Radio, Neighbourhood Love Letters, and Container Conversations.

The Board of Directors, along with the staff, volunteers, and community partners are grateful to Mark for the leadership and passion he has shared with us, and wish him well in his next chapter. We know he’ll continue to be a part of the extended Kiwassa family, and had better grow his commitment as a monthly donor.

We’re proud of the work we’ve been able to accomplish together, know that we’re well-positioned to support our community into the future, and looking forward to recruiting and hiring the next Executive Director at Kiwassa Neighbourhood House.

The position is described on our Career Opportunities page and we will be accepting applications until 5PM on January 13, 2020.

Barbara Wood
President, Board of Directors

Cc:
Alejandra Lopez Bravo, Vice President
Allison Parker, Treasurer
Kim Lu, Secretary
Lule Abbay, Director
Shanthi Besso, Director
Barb Lawson, Director
Janey Lew, Director
Linda Shuto, Director