THUNDER BAY - Thunder Bay Shelter House has begun a search to find someone to lead the organization after executive director, Gary Mack, announced his resignation.
The announcement was made on Tuesday afternoon and Mack’s resignation will be effective as of Sept. 29, 2017.
Mack has been in the role of executive director of the last 18 months, taking over after former executive director, Patty Hajdu, was elected to the House of Commons in 2015. Shelter House Board chair, Ryan McDonnell, said it was Mack’s decision to resign.
“Much of the work of the executive director is very financial and Gary is looking for something that is more programmed based,” McDonnell said.
During his time as executive director, Mack was responsible for many initiatives, McDonnell said, including revitalizing the Shelter space on George Street, the creation of a community garden, introducing cultural programing for Indigenous clients, and promoting the pride and acceptance of LGTBQ clients.
“The Shelter House is a really challenging work environment,” McDonnell said. “Gary accomplished a lot during his term. He always approached his work with optimism and enthusiasm. He remains committed to the work of Shelter House and he enjoyed working with the clients, staff and volunteers.”
The process of finding a new executive director will begin immediately and McDonnell said Shelter House services will not be affected during this process.
McDonnell added that finding the right person to fill the role of executive director will be challenging and the board is not going to rush the decision.
“We are looking for someone whose values are the same as those of Shelter House,” he said. “Someone who is looking to make an impact on their community, someone who treats people with compassion, believes in harm reduction, and envisions a just and fair society where everybody has their basic needs met.”
