Steinbach Family Resource Centre executive director resigns

Steinbach Family Resource Centre’s executive director will be stepping down in the next month after serving in the role for eight years.

Jo-Anne Dalton’s departure was announced in a May 1 news release, and her last day will be on June 4.

“Dalton has served as executive director for the past eight years, providing thoughtful and dedicated leadership while guiding the organization through a period of meaningful growth and strengthening community presence,” the news release said.

Dalton told The Carillon the decision wasn’t made lightly, and the charity’s board has known about her resignation for a year. She’s proud of the work that was accomplished.

“Our budget has tripled or more. We brought in new programming, new projects, and we have sustained the operations in this new building that was brand new when I started,” Dalton said.

“Now we need a new energy and new passion for that next stage.”

When she began working as executive director in 2018, her goal was to help develop policies and scale the charity’s work so it can grow. Through the programming offered, the centre went from helping 380 families annually to averaging nearly 700, Dalton said.

She’s pointed to how the organization weathered the COVID-19 pandemic and adapted to continue staying connected with families. The charity has developed new partnerships with groups such as South East Helping Hands and Walmart to distribute food and resources for families. It also is the only partner in the Southeast that provides menstrual products through the province’s free menstrual products program.

The charity’s next step to address the growth is to find sustainable funding to maintain the level of programming it wants to run for families, she said.

“It has been an absolute honour to work for this organization and to have the chance and the opportunity to partner with so many different people, organizations, volunteers, groups and agencies in this community that I wouldn’t have had the chance to otherwise, and I’ve met a ton of people,” she said.

“I’m a better person for everything that this organization has offered.”

Dalton didn’t view her role at the non-profit as her “final destination” in her professional career. She said she’s always worked with non-profit organizations and is hoping to bring those skills to a different area and grow.

She wouldn’t share which organization she will be joining, but said it’s located in southeastern Manitoba.

The charity has already begun work on a succession plan during the transition period, the news release said, and the programming will remain unchanged. Program manager Kirstin Gautron and administrator Michelle Wyryha will work with the board of directors to keep operations running as the recruitment efforts begin for a new executive director.