The challenges around leadership succession that the nonprofit sector is currently facing are nothing new. Back in 2019, the Senate Report, “Catalyst for Change: A Roadmap to a Stronger Charitable Sector” highlighted the issue and made recommendations calling on the federal government to work with the nonprofit sector to find solutions. Fast forward five years and what was already considered a serious problem has morphed into a full-blown crisis as many nonprofit leaders opted for early retirement during the pandemic. Is the sector prepared to navigate this crisis? Listen to sector experts discuss how organizations can better manage leadership transitions in this episode of CharityVillage Connects. 

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Meet Our Guests

With special comments from:

Meet Our Guests (in order of appearance)

Dave Hutchinson

President and Leadership Talent Partner, Cause Leadership  

Born and raised in Toronto, Dave entered the executive search field in 1997 and has successfully placed senior-level candidates with a wide variety of organizations across a broad spectrum of the not-for-profit sector. Leadership driven and impact focused, Dave is often sought out as a source of information for those interested in a career in the not-for-profit sector. Well connected, Dave builds relationships with a long-term view for the advantage of clients and candidates alike. With over a decade of experience in board governance roles, he continues to serve as a volunteer Board member and Board Chair in the sector. 

 

Kathy Archer

Leadership Development Coach

Leadership Development Coach Kathy Archer helps women develop confidence, maintain their composure, and lead with integrity. She is the author of Mastering Confidence and the host of the Surviving to Thriving podcast. With a Child and Youth Care Diploma, a Bachelor of Human Services Degree and a Professional Certified Coach credential, Kathy brings over thirteen years of experience in coaching leaders. 

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She worked in the social profit sector for 25 years, leading programs and actively involved in community development. She teaches and coaches online in her membership, The Training Library and also provides practical advice in her blog for women leading in nonprofits at www.kathyarcher.com/blog. She lives in northern Alberta, Canada.

 

Nick Chambers

Partner, Social Impact Practice, Boyden

Nick is a Partner in Boyden’s Social Impact Practice. He recruits executives and Board Directors for a wide array of mission-driven and public-serving organizations including universities, hospitals, charitable organizations, and social enterprises. Nick is frequently called upon to lead or support searches with an EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) focus. 

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Nick has led searches for a wide array of not-for-profit organizations including Toronto Foundation, Black Opportunity Fund, TIFF, Gardiner Museum, Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, Canadian Film Centre, Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, Canadian Medical Association, YMCA of Greater Toronto, Mackenzie Health Foundation, and many others. 

Nick is an Executive-in-Residence at the Rotman School of Management, was previously Boyden’s representative on the Association for Executive Search Consultant (AESC) Diversity Leadership Council, and is a faculty member for McKinsey’s Black Executive Leadership Program (BELP). He previously served on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Trillium Foundation and on the Board of the Canadian Club of Toronto, including a term as President. Nick is a Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Soulpepper Theatre Company and serves on the Boards of the AESC, and Boyden Canada. 

Nick is a 2022 recipient of the AESC’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Award. 

 

Jen Vachon

Director, Programs and Advocacy, Fora: Network for Change

A lifelong passion for local and international social justice has been the driving force behind Jen’s work and schooling, which include international and community development, as well as economics. For ten years, Jen put her heart and soul into developing creative and collaborative responses to food insecurity in her hometown of Timmins, and now gives that same passion and energy to youth leadership and gender-equity as the Director of Programs and Advocacy at Fora: Network for Change.

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Jen has extensive experience with equity-focused program development and coordination in a variety of roles within the charitable sector and focuses on driving effective and sustainable organizational and programmatic growth. She has previously sat on boards and committees pertaining to food security, healthcare, and the arts. Currently, Jen is a board member with FoodShare.

Jen loves exploring – whether that’s a new neighbourhood, hiking trail, or dish, and having moved to Toronto from Northern Ontario two years ago, she has been enjoying the endless opportunities to try new things.

 

Senator Ratna Omidvar

The Honourable Ratna Omidvar

Independent Senator for Ontario, Senate of Canada 

Ratna Omidvar is an internationally recognized voice on migration, diversity and inclusion. She came to Canada from Iran in 1981 and her own experiences of displacement, integration and citizen engagement have been the foundation of her work. In April 2016, Ms. Omidvar was appointed to the Senate of Canada as an independent senator representing Ontario. Senator Omidvar is the Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology and served as Deputy Chair of the Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector. She is a Vice-President of the Canada-Germany Parliamentary Group. 

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Senator Omidvar is a Director at the Century Initiative, a Councillor on the World Refugee and Migration Council, a Founding Committee Member of Lifeline Afghanistan and and Chair Emerita for the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.

Previously at Ryerson University, Senator Omidvar was a Distinguished Visiting Professor and founded the Global Diversity Exchange, a think-and-do tank on diversity, migration and inclusion. Prior to her appointments at Ryerson, Senator Omidvar was the President of Maytree, where she played a lead role in local, national and international efforts to promote the integration of immigrants.

 

The Honourable Paulette Senior

Senator for Ontario, The Senate of Canada, CEO and President, Canadian Women’s Foundation 

Paulette Senior has devoted her life to breaking down systemic barriers and building up women and girls of diverse backgrounds. She is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and was previously the Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Canada.

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Senator Senior is a thought-leader on various women’s issues, including promoting gender equity, addressing gender-based violence, reducing women’s poverty, shrinking the wage gap, and promoting the empowerment of women, girls and gender-diverse people across Canada. She has led, managed and operated Toronto-based shelters, employment programs and housing programs, and she has sat on the Board of Directors of several equity-focused organizations, including the Women’s College Hospital and the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of Oxfam Canada, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and the Women’s Funding Network. In 2022, she was appointed to serve as a member of the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments.

In recognition of her community service, Senator Senior has received several awards, including the African Canadian Achievement Award, the AfroGlobal Leadership Award, the Black Business and Professional Association’s Harry Jerome Trailblazer Award, the Top 25 Women of Influence Award and, most recently, the Skills for Change Impact Changemaker Award.

Senator Senior holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Urban Studies from York University, an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Lethbridge and qualified for the Institute of Corporate Directors’ ICD.D designation.

About your Host

Mary Barroll

President of CharityVillage

Mary Barroll, president of CharityVillage, is an online business executive and lawyer with a background in media, technology and IP law. A former CBC journalist and independent TV producer, in 2013 she was appointed General Counsel & VP Media Affairs at CharityVillage.com, Canada’s largest job portal for charities and not for profits in Canada, and then President in 2021. Mary is also President of sister company, TalentEgg.ca, Canada’s No.1, award-winning job board and online career resource that connects top employers with top students and grads. 

CharityVillage Resources from this Episode 

Additional Resources from this Episode 

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