Fiver Leaders Share Their Goals For The Year Ahead
Recently, we interviewed our new board chair, Jim Roper, and Vice-Chair Michèle Brazil about Fiver and their goals for the future.
What are you most excited about in your new role on the board?
Jim: I am very excited to be taking on this leadership role during a time when we have made significant changes to our board, bringing on 7 new board members over the last 2 years. We have a board that is passionate about the Fiver mission and very capable and excited about taking on additional responsibilities through a new committee structure. Also excited that we now have now a 3 year strategic plan in place so all constituents of Fiver which includes the board, staff and donors, have all bought into and it is a plan that we will measure our progress against.
Michèle: I’m excited to work with Jim on continuing to strengthen the intentional and genuine relationships amongst the board members. The Fiver community is very much a family, so we need to ensure that that same connectivity comes from the board as well. Tom’s love and compassion is felt in all aspects of our work, and we want to make sure that that continues as we make this transition in leadership.
Why do you continue to volunteer with Fiver?
Jim: I have always seen Fiver through the eyes of a parent and understand the importance of a 10 year commitment to the kids we serve. They can count on us to be there for them and I see the amazing impact we have on their lives by offering guidance and a tool kit which includes mentoring, how to think about the importance of education, advice on career pathways and make them truly feel like a valuable member of the Fiver family.
Michèle: For me it’s the kids. They are incredible and being able to see their growth over ten years and the love they have for this organization is amazing. The staff is so dedicated and works so hard to make this organization the home away from home that it is for our youth. As a parent, seeing that love and dedication means so much to me.
Can you share some of your goals for the board and organization?
Jim: My main goal is to see greater involvement of the board in advancing the mission of Fiver. I believe that our new committee structure will significantly help to facilitate that. I want all people in the organization to know that their voices will be heard and encourage people to speak their minds and on one hand to think small about the details but also think big about what we can accomplish together.
Michèle: Strengthening our board’s capacity to support Fiver is my goal as well. We have an incredible group of leaders who are passionate about our mission, so making sure they have all the resources, training, and tools to be successful is a top priority for me.