An update on the future of Leadership Victoria - Curtis Smith (Chair)
It is with very mixed emotions that I provide an update on the future of the Leadership Victoria Society, and the programs and services we deliver.
I have served as the President of this Society for more than 3 years across two periods, a board member for 8 years, and prior to that I am an alumnus of our 2013-14 Community Leadership Development Program. When I joined our board, I was asked why I wanted to be a board director, and my answer then and now is that the Community Leadership Development Program was transformational for me, and I wanted more people to get that experience.
It will be no surprise to many of you that as a small non-profit in this region, Leadership Victoria Society has faced significant challenges over the past three years including the Covid Pandemic, financial pressures, and a lack of necessary resources to meet our vision and mission.
After more than 15 years as a society, and 22 years delivering the Community Leadership Development Program, our board has reached the determination that the programs and services that Leadership Victoria offers can no longer be delivered sustainably and resolved to dissolve the Leadership Victoria Society effective June 30, 2022.
Our staff and volunteers have worked tremendously hard, to exhaust all our options prior to this decision, and I want to use this space to recognize that effort. Our Executive Director for the past four years, Mark Crocker, has navigated unsteady waters for us by keeping his eyes focused on our mission to grow community leadership, while demonstrating his resourcefulness in making LV more active in our community than ever before. I can say with full certainty, we would not have made it this far without his leadership.
Over the past 15 years as a society we have had numerous other staff members. All of these people made significant contributions to Leadership Victoria, and I want to express my deep gratitude for them. It is hard work to lead a non-profit society and we have been fortunate to have had staff who were up to that task.
For the 22 years that the Community Leadership Development Program has been delivered, and the 18 years of Victoria Community Leadership Awards have been presented, there have been hundreds of volunteers who made these things possible. They are coaches, mentors, facilitators, producers, coordinators, salespeople, administrators, graphic designers, writers, and so many other things, but above all they are leaders, who over this time made our community a little brighter for their efforts.
I am proud of the work that Leadership Victoria has done, and I’m grateful I had the opportunity to make a small contribution to it. Thank you to everyone who made Leadership Victoria possible.
Curtis Smith
President and Board Chair
Leadership Victoria Society