Word from the Executive Director
The 08/09 fiscal year was an excellent one for Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region. It was also a very successful one! We pride ourselves on the excellent relationships and partnerships that we have forged over the past 22+ years and owe much of our continued success to the many projects and initiatives we work on with non-profit organizations, businesses, associations and agencies. Success in the Peace Country is truly the result of innovation, engagement and partnerships!
There is no way that an organization can continue to operate at a high level without excellent leadership and staff. Thank you so much to our volunteer Board of Directors who put in over 500 hours each and every year offering encouragement, support and leadership to our organization and thank you also to the staff for their committed and dedication to the Community Futures movement.
There are so many wonderful stories to tell about the past year. It is a story of optimism, a story of commitment and a story of collaboration. From the many businesses we helped to start out, to those we helped to grow and expand we have learned that optimism during challenging times can be found. I can honestly say that our loan portfolio is a diverse one, touching every single industry that drives the regional economy in some way.
We continue to work with Alberta Employment and Immigration on tried and true programs such as Youth Connections and the Self Employment program while also partnering to deliver exciting symposiums such as Next Steps. We enjoy a strong partnership with Northern Alberta Development Council for the advancement of the Ventures 10, 20, 30 program and work with 13 other Northern Alberta Community Futures offices to make the annual Northern Alberta Youth Entrepreneurship Camp a reality. We work closely with PREDA on projects that effect and benefit the Peace region as a whole and continue to work with the Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce, trading financial assistance and input into activities like Next Steps, Small Business Week and numerous other projects that pop up during the year.
We also continue to support and assist Community Futures Peace Country in the planning and hosting of the annual Women in the North business conference and are always looking for new and exciting initiatives to be a part of. All of this was accomplished while approving more than $2.1 Million in loans and leveraging double that!
Helping clients is our business. Those clients might be new entrepreneurs seeking start up assistance, seasoned entrepreneurs seeking expansion capital, non-profit groups needing help with strategic planning, an EI client hoping to become self-employed or a whole host of other individuals, organizations or businesses who look to Community Futures for support, advice, guidance, resources and assistance.
Over the past year, we have found many ways to be an integral part of our regional community. Sometimes we stay late to ensure a proposal is just right; sometimes we facilitate a weekend session or take calls at night. This past year we even took our Board Meeting son the road so that our municipal and chamber partners could attend a meeting and find out more about what we do and how we do it. This is all part of our fundamental operational philosophy - to offer topnotch assistance and service to every client who visits, calls or emails.
Staff & Contractors
| Holly Sorgen | Executive Director |
| Margaret Baird | Controller |
| Leah Holler | Community Economic Development & Resource Coordinator |
| Jessica Vipond | Business Analyst |
| Laura Rukavina | Administrative Coordinator |
| Christa Martin | Executive Assistant |
| Tarla Hussey | Loan Portfolio Coordinator |
| Melanie Kellerman | Youth Connections Program Director |
| Kim Thomas | Career Counselor |
| Debbie Standish | Administrative Projects Coordinator |
| Jane Hunter-Uhryn | Contract Employee - Career Practitoner for High Schools |
| Vikki Thomas-Welshman | Contract Employee - Career Practitioner for High Schools |
| Kelsay Reimer | Contracted Ventures Coordinator |
| Cheryl King | Contracted Grant Specialist |