It’s no secret, there’s some big changes taking place here at BOB! Our Board of Directors has kindly put together a detailed statement about BOB’s new directions to keep our community informed.

Highlights include:

• Office relocation of the Supported Employment Program to the same location as Tradeworks: 87 East Pender Street (effective May 2nd, 2011)
• Inner-city business development services being provided in a more flexible CED model now called the Kiosk
• Urban Farm Network is in the process of becoming an independent society; stay tuned for future UFN updates
• Fond farewell to Shirley Chan, Maureen Collier, Fred Leonard, and Linda Coady
• Welcoming Heather Tremain and Chris Gora as new Co-Chairs of the BOB Board of Directors

Read on for more details:

BOB Board Announces New Directions

The Board of the non-profit organization Building Opportunities with Business in the Inner City (BOB) announces that it is pursuing new directions for its business development services and supported employment program.

Effective May 1/11, the BOB office at 163 East Pender will relocate to 87 East Pender Street, where BOB’s successful Supportive Employment Program (SEP) will share space with Tradeworks Training Society. This will strengthen an already solid working relationship enjoyed by the two community agencies as well as provide an opportunity for future collaborations on delivery of employment services to inner city residents.

In addition to operating an employment program, since 2005 BOB has been supporting business development that is inclusive of inner city residents and businesses. Due to funding constraints BOB is re-envisioning its business development program with a view to developing a new and more flexible model for delivery of Community Economic Development (CED) services in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) and inner city. The BOB Board has been consulting with community and business partners on this restructuring for the past couple of months and will continue to do so throughout the summer to ensure community engagement in the reformulation of the organization’s business development services. The working title for the new model is “The Kiosk”. With lower overhead and operating costs, the Kiosk is looking to evolve into a sustainable, self-financing organization for CED in the DTES and inner city that will help build the capacity of local businesses and residents.

As part of this transition, Shirley Chan is stepping down as BOB’s CEO, Maureen Collier is stepping down as BOB’s Finance Manager and Linda Coady is stepping down as Chair of the BOB Board. Chris Gora and Heather Tremain are the new BOB Co-Chairs who will lead the organization with the support of new and continuing Board members Hendrik Hoekema, Carol Madsen, Heather O’Hara, Mark Shieh and Steve Williams. Liz Charyna, Manager of Partnerships and the Supportive Employment Program will assume responsibility as Managing Director of BOB.

BOB reassures all partners that outstanding contracts will be performed to the satisfaction of all parties. This includes BOB’s work on the City’s Façade Grant Program, which will be completed through the summer of 2011 as formerly vacant storefronts in Chinatown are upgraded. As well, the Urban Farm Network will become an independent society that supports local food initiatives.
Since its establishment in 2005 by the Vancouver Agreement Partnership, BOB has helped more than 450 residents and nearly 250 small and medium sized businesses in its role as a community economic development agency working for inclusive revitalization in Vancouver’s inner-city. As a connector, facilitator and resource, BOB has:

• delivered 12 programs and supported numerous projects that have created jobs and training opportunities for residents;
• generated $50 million in procurement from inner-city suppliers; helped business to help themselves through 5 industry clusters and consulting grants;
• leveraged $1.3 million from private sources through the Western Economic Diversification (WD) loans programs; and
• connected innovative ideas to the right supports to help launch new social enterprises such as EMBERS Staffing Solutions and Weatherization Project, SOLEfood Urban Farm and the new Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Association.

Incoming Co-Chairs Heather Tremain and Chris Gora thank Shirley, Maureen and departing Board members for their leadership during the formative years and for the stellar results of the past 3 years – earning BOB the respect of community, governments and business partners. “You have positioned BOB for its evolution into a low overhead, high impact organization that will continue to help transform this community through inclusive community economic development,” they said.

For more information contact:
Liz Charyna, Managing Director , 778 328-7669 Liz.charyna@bobics.org
Chris Gora, Co-Chair, 604 684-9151 cgora@farris.com
Heather Tremain, Co-Chair, (604) 551-9755 heather@urbanfabric.ca

And be sure to come say your farewells and celebrate our organizational transition at the New Directions party! Tickets are $20 and include one drink and an appetizer. May 5th, 5-7pm at the W2 Media Cafe (#205-111 West Hastings). Reserve your tickets now by emailing emily.smith@bobics.org, or come pick them up in person at the BOB office (163 East Pender, upstairs, until April 29th).

Last night at the beautiful Westin Bayshore Hotel, the YWCA held its 26th annual Women of Distinction Awards. As was noted in a previous post BOB’s very own Shirley Chan and BOB board member Linda Coady were both nominated for awards, Shirley in the non-profit leadership category and Linda in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Well, both won!

Congratulations to you both Shirley and Linda for being recognized with this distinction. I was talking with Shirley this morning and she expressed how honoured she felt:

“The YWCA is special. It’s there to support women through all stages of their life, from when we are young children to later in our lives, and it was an amazing evening. I’m honored to be recognized with such distinguished women and to receive the award and join the ranks of the many, many, women leaders in our community whom I admire.”

The team here at BOB are honored too, and thankful that we have such distinguished and capable women leaders whom we admire within our organization.

The recipients of the YWCA Women of Distinction Award for 2010 Shirley Chan flanking the group on the far left and Linda Coady on the far right

On Thursday, May 27th, Shirley Chan will be featured on a panel exploring the idea of What’s “vital” in the revitalization of a neighbourhood? The discussion will take place at the beautiful District 319 Gallery and Venue at 319 Main St (Between Hastings and Cordova) Dr. Chan will be joined by panel members:

• Liz Evans, Executive Director and Founder of the Portland Hotel Society Community Services Society
• David Ley, UBC Professor of Geography
• Shirley Chan, Chief Executive Officer for Building Opportunities with Business Inner-city Society
• Inge Roecker, UBC Assistant Professor of Architecture

The focus of the event, as described on the UBC dialogue site is as follows:

“Preservation-based community development is a viable alternative to sprawl that creates affordable housing, generates jobs, supports independent businesses, increases civic participation and bolsters a community’s sense of place. For example, the Woodward’s development in the Downtown Eastside seems to have ignited a change in a neighborhood that hasn’t yet reached its potential due to an array of extreme challenges. But what element is the most important catalyst for change? Market housing development? Sustainable housing? Small business investment? Harm reduction? Social services? Corporate support?”

The discussion will be moderated by Jim Green, MA’80, Consultant and former Vancouver City Councillor, UBC Professor and Community Organizer (and the model of a modern renaissance man if you ask me).

For more information and to register go here.
6:30 – 9:00 pm, Thursday May 27th at District 319 (319 Main Street)

You know...this place.

And your vote can help her (and the awesome YWCA programs she’s supporting) win

The YWCA Women of Distinction Awards began in 1984 to honour, encourage and recognize women whose outstanding activities and achievements contribute to the health and future of the community. Since then, YWCA Vancouver has honoured over 200 deserving women and workplaces.

Shirley is a deserving nominee. From a young age she has devoted herself to the health and futures of many communities, starting with Vancouver’s historic inner-city. As a student activist in the late 1960s she successfully challenged a freeway development that would have leveled much of Strathcona and Chinatown. This stands as a major turning point in the development of our city’s urban geography, enabling Vancouver to become the vibrant, low footprint, livable city we enjoy today; but for Shirley it was just the beginning of what continues to be a very accomplished and distinguished career in public service.

After working for Mayor Mike Harcourt as Vancouver’s first woman Chief of Staff, Shirley went on to become Manager of Non-Market Housing for the City of Vancouver, and later served as Health Canada’s Regional Director for BC & Yukon where she funded the Healthiest Babies Possible and Aboriginal Head Start programs. She also served on the UBC Board of Governors for 6 years including 2.5 years as Chair and today her commitment to education continues as a volunteer instructor at the Chinatown UBC Learning Exchange. Teaching and mentoring comes naturally to Shirley, who was recognized with a Public Service Commission Award for her commitment to mentoring upcoming professionals.

As CEO of Building Opportunities with Business Shirley was instrumental in the creation and management of Vancouver’s first Community Benefits Agreement, another landmark moment in the city’s urban development. She currently sits on the board of Learning for a Sustainable Future, and is the Trustee for the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden. By supporting Shirley’s nomination we also support the charity that she is raising awareness of through her nomination.

The YWCA’s early learning and care for children programs, providing enriched, nurturing environments for children at risk.

Vote for Shirley and for providing enriched nurturing environments for children at risk HERE

-Wes-

Spirits were lifted, jobs were created, infrastructure was improved, but the most important Olympic legacy may be the demonstrated ability of multiple levels of government, the private sector and members of the community to achieve such a monumental undertaking together.

Two leaders in the DTES with very different roles agree this is a valuable lesson that we can learn from and build on. Rev. Ric Mathews of First United Church and Shirley Chan, CEO of Building Opportunities with Business.

As Reverend Ric Mathews observed, “The Olympics tell us what we already know – if something is a priority we can deliver it. The Games showed us a new kind of collaborative approach to overcoming major obstacles and delivering results.”

Reverend Mathews, a respected leader in the Downtown Eastside, believes that these Olympic Games showed just how we can work together effectively to meet challenges in our communities. “If we can focus three levels of government and find the political will to access $6.9 billion in resources, to bring together diverse stakeholders to the table and work together on a common goal like the Olympics, we can do it for other things too.” Rev. Mathews believes one of those things should be the Downtown Eastside, and Chan is one of the many others who agree:

“An Olympics scale collaboration is particularly apropos now, as the Vancouver Agreement comes to an end with numerous initiatives still underway. By pulling together three levels of government, the private sector and citizens who share the vision of a healthy Downtown Eastside we can continue to achieve meaningful and inclusive transformation here in the Downtown Eastside.”

The Vancouver Agreement, signed between the City, provincial and federal governments in 2000, expires this month (March 2010). The agreement supported local community initiatives to tackle economic, social, health and safety issues in Vancouver’s inner-city, with much focus on the DTES. Building Opportunities with Business was one of the key non-profits focusing on community economic development in the inner-city and Chan, like Mathews, knows firsthand that co-operation and collaboration are crucial to its continued rejuvenation.

The “VANOC Model” stayed true through numerous changes at all levels of government yet the political will to see this massive undertaking through never wavered. The DTES is arguably Vancouver’s most pressing issue, and while much has been achieved here we could achieve so much more with a similar unified and integrated Olympian effort, believe Mathews and Chan. This may be the greatest legacy left by the Games.