Lynn Weaver

My learning journey includes a strong foundation in leadership, human rights-based approaches, and environmental science.

I am currently a student at City Law School, part of the University of London. I hold a Master of Arts in Global Leadership from Royal Roads University, where I further developed my skills for effective and values-driven leadership in diverse contexts. I was honored to be the recipient of the Eve’s Global Leadership Award and the Royal Roads Founders’ Award, in recognition of my contributions to the learning journeys of my classmates, and for demonstrating positive, proactive work in equity, diversity, and inclusion.

I hold an Associate of Science Degree in environmental technology from Camosun College, equipping me with practical knowledge in environmental issues. I completed a Cultural Competencies course at Royal Roads University to enhance my fluency navigating diverse cultural contexts.

I had the privilege of participating in the United Way’s Public Policy Institute, which was supported by Vancity, developing practical skills for impacting public policy. I have undertaken extensive training in anti-racism, unconscious bias, decolonization, trauma-informed practice, and more, as part of ongoing work towards equitable futures.

While this combination of education reflects my commitment to addressing complex challenges through an interdisciplinary approach, I acknowledge the unequal privilege of accessing education, and further acknowledge that informal learning, diverse knowledge systems and importantly, unlearning, are at least as important to the journey.

I bring proven leadership and financial experience, notably as executive director of a newcomer service and support agency for nearly 10 years. Bold, strategic initiatives such as social enterprise development and social benefit real estate created financial sustainability and community impact. Notably, Vancity was a vital ally on these projects. Leading collaborative budget development, contract negotiations, financial monitoring, and effectively interpreting financial statements were key components of my role.

In collaboratively developing our governance and organizational structures, I applied a trauma-informed and human-rights-based lens. Strategic planning and cultivating partnerships were essential for success. Other key aspects included coaching and mentoring diverse staff teams, project management, and navigating a complex regulatory environment.

I developed programming that was responsive to the needs of those we served, working to remove barriers to participation, enabling access to our programs and services. I would bring this same focus on our members’ needs to my role as a Vancity director.

Through social enterprise development, I was interim CEO of an employment service agency for two years, leveraging our budget for poverty reduction initiatives and community-level economic development. Through our acquisition, profits were diverted from one individual to benefit the community. We were honored to be awarded Business of the Year during my leadership tenure.

Other related experience includes serving on the Housing Fund Allocations Committee with Cowichan Housing, making recommendations to the Regional District board on strategic use of funds for affordable housing development. As chair of Pathways to Prosperity’s national standing committee on immigration to northern, rural & remote communities, I ensured the unique needs of smaller communities were considered on the national agenda.

As senior program manager at the Canadian Refugee Sponsorship Association I led national advocacy efforts and focused on lived experience inclusion in all decision-making spaces. In this role, I served the BC Provincial Refugee Resource Network supporting community capacity building and spearheaded the development of a Truth & Reconciliation Engagement Tool for sponsors and resettled newcomers. I served as co-investigator on a large-scale anti-racism research project, in addition to other anti-racism action, including self-interrogation of privilege, position, and bias.

Recently, I facilitated collaborative policy analysis and development for the Peace & Justice Office of the Mennonite Central Committee and strengthened implementation of gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) practices for organizations working in refugee settlements in Nigeria through a human rights-based, inclusive, and participatory approach.

I reside on unceded Hul'q'umi'num Mustimuhw territory, a context that deeply informs my understanding of community and belonging.

I am committed to challenging the culture of inevitability surrounding social and financial injustice. I acknowledge my positionality as a white-presenting, cis-gender woman and the disproportionate access this grants me, and the call to advance justice inherent within that. In that spirit, I am dedicated to serving community. I am a volunteer with an Innovative Communities Foundation project, developed and led a private refugee sponsorship group, and served as a volunteer board director with Social Planning Cowichan (term ended June 2024).

Serving Social Planning Cowichan included bolstering anti-poverty initiatives, decolonization efforts, and community building while fulfilling legal and fiduciary responsibilities. I am an affiliate of the Centre for Migration Studies at UBC and actively participate as an executive committee member of the Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies and as an ally and working group member with the Canada Council for Refugees. I was humbled to receive recognition with the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Community Service.

I have over 15 years’ experience governing and collaboratively creating governance structures for good stewardship, primarily in the social benefit/nonprofit sector. As executive director, a board director, and a consultant, I have seen governance from varied angles, strengthening my abilities.

While I have not worked in the finance sector, I have a good working knowledge of financial instruments and the industry that structures them. From a fiduciary perspective, understanding and interpreting financial reports is a vital activity with which I have significant experience. Being clear on "what the numbers mean" is essential to good stewardship and decision making.

Significantly, I have witnessed Vancity demonstrating its values in practice, for example during my tenure at the Intercultural Society we partnered with Vancity for a mini "branch" in our Welcome Centre in Duncan, and we were proud to have purchased social purpose real estate with Vancity support.

My experience and skills position me well to steward “Vancity 2.0”. For example, as Executive Director of Cowichan Intercultural Society (CIS) and transitional CEO of Global Vocational Services (GVS), I led the acquisition of GVS as a social enterprise for CIS. Both organizations shared a commitment to values-driven service for stakeholders with complex needs. This process involved managing significant risks for both organizations, and serving diverse stakeholders, including staff teams, client groups, and boards of directors. I navigated challenges through clear communication, consultation, and addressing concerns proactively.

At GVS, we leveraged our budget for poverty reduction. As the community’s WorkBC location, we facilitated employment across a broad spectrum, including for those with multiple or persistent barriers to accessing employment. Financial inclusion work at CIS focused on possibilities for newcomers to Canada commensurate with their skills, experience, and education to benefit newcomers and the communities they join. Highlights of my tenure include a labour market attachment project and a focus on refugee entrepreneurship. Policy development I led at the national level advanced economic autonomy for sponsored refugees.

I engage in reconciliation by contributing to local efforts under Quw’utsun elders’ guidance, and committing to ongoing learning, unlearning, truth-telling, and self-interrogation. My board service at Social Planning Cowichan focused significantly on decolonisation and reconciliation.

At the Canadian Refugee Sponsorship Association, I led a comprehensive digital transformation, balancing technical implementation with guiding reluctant members through adaptation.

Applying a strengths-based lens, I have engaged in strategic planning and implementation, setting and achieving goals for impact.

I am eager to contribute to Vancity’s ongoing transformative work. As a "financial force for change" prioritizing social impact and financial inclusion, not only profit maximization, Vancity is redefining what banking can achieve. My skills and experience position me well to serve effectively, and I am excited about what we can achieve for the communities we serve.

With a strong background in governance, collaborative approaches, and work in social benefit / social justice sectors, it would be an honor and delight to contribute to Vancity's ongoing transformative work. I bring proven experience, for example as executive director of a newcomer service agency, I embarked on bold, strategic initiatives such as social enterprise development and social benefit real estate to create sustainability and community impact. Following that, I led a national member-based organization in advocacy and capacity building for refugee sponsorship, building Canadian communities while stepping up to humanitarian pledges. I hold an MA in global leadership and am embarking on doctoral studies in human rights law.

I am committed to challenging the culture of inevitability surrounding social and financial injustice and working to create meaningful change across the spectrum from ongoing self-interrogation of privilege and positionality to big-scale transformation.

Serving on the Board offers a unique opportunity to impact members and community. Using the power of the finance sector as a leverage point to advance change inspires me, and as a Vancity member I am dedicated to ensuring that our credit union remains a leader promoting inclusion and sustainability.

Vancity is at a critical time in its lifecycle. With proven governance experience and a solid understanding of the responsibilities of the role, I am confident I can make a valuable contribution to the Board's effectiveness. As a strategic thinker with a commitment to Vancity's values, I will focus on balancing careful stewardship with bold, strategic action, advocating for both profitability and the community impact that Vancity profits serve.

Serving on the board aligns well with the doctoral studies in human rights law I am undertaking. Legal reasoning applies well to governance, and being a doctoral student allows time and flexibility to contribute fully to the Board.

With a growth-orientation, I continuously invite learning/unlearning. Maintaining a clear focus on the needs of our members, I commit to working collaboratively, and from a place of relational accountability.

I believe that effective leadership is rooted in strong values, and I resonate with Vancity's commitment to accountability and community support. My approach prioritizes collaboration, community impact, radical responsibility, and relational accountability. I hold myself accountable to my principles, and continuously work to align my thoughts, words, and actions with my highest values. This collaborative, responsible, and strategic leadership style is consistent with Vancity's mission of creating a “transformed economy” that prioritizes equity and sustainability.

How we approach the work is as important to equity and positive change as what we accomplish. I prioritize collaboration by actively listening and carefully contributing. I acknowledge my positionality and the social and political contexts that influence our interactions and our work, fostering transparency, trust building through ethical practice, and thoughtfully navigating power dynamics. I am dedicated to participating in environments where diverse perspectives are not only respected, but where they are seen and encouraged, such that we can tackle complex challenges together, drawing on the strength of our diversity.

Strategically, I maintain a focus on clear goals and impacts. As stewards acting on behalf of Vancity members, the work of the Board must consistently connect to the well-being of our communities. I am dedicated to ensuring that our efforts lead to long-term benefits for both our organization and the communities we serve.

The Board of Directors is accountable to the members. With 54 branches from Metro Vancouver to Alert Bay, Vancity members are diverse individuals and businesses who value social responsibility amongst contemporary economic challenges like housing affordability.

Maintaining a lens of centering members and community in our decision making is vital as stewards on behalf of the membership. One concrete way to represent the diversity of the membership is by encouraging Vancity to maintain its commitment to workforce diversity and inclusion at all levels, so that the organization directly represents the people it serves.

Additionally, Vancity tracks results by diversity indicators. I commit to carefully analyzing these results through an equity lens to ensure we’re doing our best to meet the needs of all of our members.