I am eager to contribute to Vancity’s ongoing transformative work. As a “financial force for change” prioritizing social impact and financial inclusion, not only profit maximization, Vancity is redefining what banking can achieve. My skills and experience position me well to serve effectively, and I am excited about what we can achieve for the communities we serve.
Voting runs from April 7 – 25, 2025.
https://www.vancity.com/about/leadership/board-of-directors/election/
If you’re a Vancity member, your vote for me is a vote for good stewardship of our credit union, maintaining its value-forward work in communities across BC.
With a strong background in governance, collaborative approaches, and work in social benefit / social justice sectors, it would be an honor and delight to contribute to Vancity’s ongoing transformative work. I bring proven experience, for example as executive director of a newcomer service agency, I embarked on bold, strategic initiatives such as social enterprise development and social benefit real estate to create sustainability and community impact. Following that, I led a national member-based organization in advocacy and capacity building for refugee sponsorship, building Canadian communities while stepping up to humanitarian pledges. I hold an MA in global leadership and am embarking on doctoral studies in human rights law.
I am committed to challenging the culture of inevitability surrounding social and financial injustice and working to create meaningful change across the spectrum from ongoing self-interrogation of privilege and positionality to big-scale transformation.
Serving on the Board offers a unique opportunity to impact members and community. Using the power of the finance sector as a leverage point to advance change inspires me, and as a Vancity member I am dedicated to ensuring that our credit union remains a leader promoting inclusion and sustainability.
Vancity is at a critical time in its lifecycle. With proven governance experience and a solid understanding of the responsibilities of the role, I am confident I can make a valuable contribution to the Board’s effectiveness. As a strategic thinker with a commitment to Vancity’s values, I will focus on balancing careful stewardship with bold, strategic action, advocating for both profitability and the community impact that Vancity profits serve.
Serving on the board aligns well with the doctoral studies in human rights law I am undertaking. Legal reasoning applies well to governance, and being a doctoral student allows time and flexibility to contribute fully to the Board.
With a growth-orientation, I continuously invite learning/unlearning. Maintaining a clear focus on the needs of our members, I commit to working collaboratively, and from a place of relational accountability.
I believe that effective leadership is rooted in strong values, and I resonate with Vancity’s commitment to accountability and community support. My approach prioritizes collaboration, community impact, radical responsibility, and relational accountability. I hold myself accountable to my principles, and continuously work to align my thoughts, words, and actions with my highest values. This collaborative, responsible, and strategic leadership style is consistent with Vancity’s mission of creating a “transformed economy” that prioritizes equity and sustainability.
How we approach the work is as important to equity and positive change as what we accomplish. I prioritize collaboration by actively listening and carefully contributing. I acknowledge my positionality and the social and political contexts that influence our interactions and our work, fostering transparency, trust building through ethical practice, and thoughtfully navigating power dynamics. I am dedicated to participating in environments where diverse perspectives are not only respected, but where they are seen and encouraged, such that we can tackle complex challenges together, drawing on the strength of our diversity.
Strategically, I maintain a focus on clear goals and impacts. As stewards acting on behalf of Vancity members, the work of the Board must consistently connect to the well-being of our communities. I am dedicated to ensuring that our efforts lead to long-term benefits for both our organization and the communities we serve.
The Board of Directors is accountable to the members. With 54 branches from Metro Vancouver to Alert Bay, Vancity members are diverse individuals and businesses who value social responsibility amongst contemporary economic challenges like housing affordability.
Maintaining a lens of centering members and community in our decision making is vital as stewards on behalf of the membership. One concrete way to represent the diversity of the membership is by encouraging Vancity to maintain its commitment to workforce diversity and inclusion at all levels, so that the organization directly represents the people it serves.
Additionally, Vancity tracks results by diversity indicators. I commit to carefully analyzing these results through an equity lens to ensure we’re doing our best to meet the needs of all of our members.