From updating the three-year strategic plan to doubling its staff, the BC Care Providers Association is going full steam ahead this year.
Board President Karen Baillie, who serves as CEO of Menno Place, is excited about what’s in store for the next months. As BCCPA’s annual general meeting draws closer, we check in with Baillie about what she’s looking forward to, her work at Menno Place, and her passion for paddling.
What do you think are this year’s highlights?
Well, we got our strategic plan updated this year. We just hired five exceptional people, and we’re very excited about them taking on their new roles. And we’re also excited about working with the new government.
What are you looking forward to at the AGM?
We’re looking forward to meeting with our members, and voting in new board members as some members’ terms are ending. We’re getting our board committees up and running again for the winter. We’re also very excited about the new quality improvement committee!
What’s happening at Menno Place?
We’re completing a project that was made possible through generous donors. So, we put in a 9-hole putting green and a lawn bowling pitch for the seniors. We have 700 seniors on this campus, and we have 675 staff. We’re trying to reduce the incidence of dementia through exercise. One of the ways we’re encouraging residents to exercise is by making places outside that are fun and increase socialization.
Tell us about your passion for paddling.
I’ve paddled since 1987, and I compete in a 60+ women’s team called Titanium. We’re leaving soon to compete in the nationals which are held in Welland, Ontario, and we’re hoping to qualify in the top 5 because we want to go to Hungary in 2018 to paddle in the Club Crew World Championships. Last year we were successful in the Club Crew World in Adelaide, Australia. We got two silver medals and one bronze out of three races—medals in every race, so we’re really excited to try to win a gold this time!
