A Message from our Chair
The role of the Board of Directors is to help foster the long-term success of the organization. The Directors ensure this success through providing stewardship and oversight of the affairs while fulfilling the mandate to make the best decisions for the society. The day-to-day leadership and management of the organization is delegated by the Board to the Executive Director.
This past year has certainly been a year of transition. At year-end 2023 we bid farewell to Suki Cheyne who led the organization for more than five years. We are so grateful to Suki for her work in establishing and fostering key relationships with stakeholders, initiating successful learning opportunities for the community, and navigating the COVID crisis.
At the 2023 AGM the Board identified the possible need to operate with a reduced number of Directors. The Board was also charged with beginning a search and recruitment process for a new Executive Director. The new Executive Committee undertook oversight of the search, while monitoring the organization’s financials while also managing some aspects of a Governance and HR Committee.
By the beginning of 2024, the Institute had welcomed four new Board members, and Mandy Rousseau was hired for a six month contract as Executive Director. The Board participated in a new Director on-boarding session, four Directors and Mandy signed up for governance training and we embarked on a strategy session to inform the 2024-25 Business Plan.
In July, the Board was pleased to engage Mandy for a further year as Executive Director. Now with Mandy’s steady and innovative hand on the wheel the Board has been able to focus on governance, reviewing policies, and streamlining the oversight responsibilities; always striving to become an effective Board in support of the Executive Director.
As Board Chair for this past year, I wish to thank and congratulate all Directors on the work we have accomplished. I am particularly indebted to Cathy and David, serving as Vice Chairs, undertaking extraordinary responsibilities and giving so many hours of their volunteer time to bring us to this place.
On behalf of the Society, I wish to thank Mayor Jack Crompton and Councilor Jeff Murl for their contributions and leadership as members of Whistler Institute over the past few years. We are sorry to see you move on however we know we can rely on your continued support for learning and education in our community.
As in any successful institution with an inspiring vision, we would not be able to accomplish what we do without the support of volunteers, donors and sponsors – both individual and corporate. We are grateful for this support and look forward to growing our stakeholder family. We have an exciting year ahead with a strong speaker series already underway, and the task force to establish a culinary and hospitality school in Whistler making steady progress.
All-in-all the Board of Directors, along with the Executive Director, remain firmly committed to continuing to develop programs and advocate for lifelong learning by influencing change and inspiring minds through education and thought leadership.
Sue Adams, Board Chair, 2024
2024 was filled with positive gains as the Whistler Institute continued our efforts to advance education and lifelong learning opportunities for our community. Outgoing Executive Director, Suki Cheyne, set me up for success to continue the organization’s good work striving to fulfill Whistler’s higher education requirements. Through strategic partnerships, course development and offerings, funding applications and more, all our community outreach was warmly received and supported:
- We partnered with the Whistler Chamber to pilot accredited BCIT courses as part of the Whistler Experience Program;
- We independently facilitated an Excel course in response to community request;
- We proudly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Capilano University, and collaborated on recruiting and hiring a research student to conduct a learning needs assessment;
- We signed an Industry Service Agreement (ISA) with BCIT, and to remove the financial barrier of international fees for non-resident students, we purchased courses from BCIT at a flat rate, continuing our efforts to make education more accessible to our community;
- The Fall 2023 Global Perspectives Speaker Events “Canada, the Asian Century” and “Higher Education: The Next Paradigm,” both boasted healthy engagement, attendance and sponsorship contributions. These set us up for our two spring events “The Future of Healthcare” and “Concussions: Advances in Prevention, Identification and Treatment”, engaging a broad range of Whistlerites keen to engage in inspiring conversations;
- We received a one-time $50,000 funding contribution from RMOW Council and successfully obtained a Vail Epic Promise Program grant;
- Due to our successful Canada Summer Jobs Grant Application, we hired a summer student who supported digital marketing efforts and conducted a digital audit that will inform future marketing investments; and
- Building on the Institute’s current strategic plan, staff and directors conducted a thorough business planning process that holistically reviewed our current situation analysis to set three key goals and crystallize our coming year’s priority: to increase brand awareness while establishing fiscal sustainability to explore future educational opportunities.
These accomplishments reflect the Institute’s tireless dedication to enhancing educational opportunities and lifelong learning. I am proud to have contributed to such inspirational work as we balance navigating our growth phase with meaningful community engagement.
Mandy Rousseau, Executive Director