We’re excited to welcome Joelle Baird, Max Cossette, Yarrow Koontz, and Maya Ruggles to GAC’s Jack Pine Cabin. Thanks to our success in negotiating a new one-year Job Creation Partnership Project**, these four new GAC team members will learn through hands-on experience about the development, planning, organizing, promoting, and managing of GAC events and programs. Ultimately, the group will produce operational manuals and strategy documents in the following areas:
Event and Program Production: Max Cossette is our Production Strategist, producing a manual for the overall creative, technical, and logistical elements that help an event and/or program succeed. Max has experience hosting various musical festival throughout B.C. He’s keen to learn more about the back end of musical, theatre, and other events. You will often see Max playing his banjo somewhere on Gabriola.
Communications and Marketing: Joelle Baird is our Communications Strategist, tasked with improving our communications and strengthening our connections with the Gabriola Community and beyond. A musician and graphic designer, Joelle will be developing a strategy for external communications, including in-person, printed, digital, and online platforms, including creating GAC’s bi-weekly newsletter, keeping her eye on social media, and lending her expertise to marketing initiatives.
Organizational Development: Yarrow Koontz is our Organizational Development Strategist, researching and developing a guiding document for internal communications, health and wellness in the workplace, conflict resolution, visioning, volunteer engagement, and effective collaboration. Yarrow is a textiles artist who loves bees (and other living creatures), and is knowledgeable about holistic approaches to living and working in community.
Maya Ruggles is our Team Lead. Maya will be supporting all staff in all areas while working hard to stay sane. She participates in community efforts of various sorts, and enjoys the exhilaration (and challenges) of engaging, collaborating, and learning with others.
With the completion of the Jack Pine Cabin and Gabriola Arts & Heritage Centre building projects, we are also happy to announce:
Property Manager: Wayne Mercier has been a generous and efficient volunteer, managing the process of loaning out of GAC’s audiovisual gear. In March, Wayne is moving into a new part-time paid position as property manager, with responsibility for bookings for the Gabriola Arts & Heritage Centre, general property maintenance and management, and continuing to look after the audio gear. Wayne is a father and artist who can be tracked on the roads between the GAHC and his house on his big-wheeled bicycle.
** The Job Creation Partnership Project is funded by the Government of Canada and the Province of BC under the umbrella of the Employment Program of British Columbia
