Green Calgary

New Location, New Focus, and New Faces

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New Location, New Focus, and New Faces

Green Calgary is on the move. That’s nothing new, but much of what follows is new, so read on…

New Focus

Through the summer and fall of 2010 we spoke to our stakeholders about our programs and services, about our role in the community, and about where we should concentrate our efforts. This helped inform planning aimed at prioritizing our work and putting the organization on a more sustainable trajectory. Our new strategic direction places stronger emphasis on business practices and earned income (a social enterprise model) to achieve our mission.

Going forward, we’ll focus on supporting Calgarians at home and in the workplace. The Healthy Homes program and Commercial Environmental Services will serve as our core programs and will operate in a more integrated fashion as we move toward a fuller social enterprise model. These programs will also serve as the platform from which we deliver most of our education.

New location

At the end of the month we’re bidding farewell to our current digs. Green Calgary is relocating to #100, 301, 14th Street NW effective April 1st.

Our upcoming move also represents a departure from the EcoStore as we currently know it. Many of the products we vet against environmental and social criteria are now sold by other retailers. We consider this progress. We’ll still be providing a targeted selection of program-related products and, of course, will be more than happy to answer your questions.

Thanks to all of you who have supported us by shopping at the EcoStore. We’ll be posting our revised product line to the website soon, so check back.

New faces

Finally, some comings and goings…

On behalf of the Board and Staff of Green Calgary I’d like to welcome Lynn MacCallum and Catriona Laird to the Healthy Homes program, and Tara Nychkalo, Rajen Shah, Jeff Whyte, and Russell McPherson to our Board of Directors.

Natalie Odd, Green Calgary’s Executive Director since 2003, has decided to resign her position in order to devote her time and energy to her two young children. We wish her and her family the very best in the coming years.

I have developed a deep respect for the people and work of Green Calgary while filling in for Natalie; however, I have chosen to pursue new challenges at the end of April when my contract expires. The Board is currently recruiting a replacement and hopefully this time next month we’ll have another introduction to make.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions and we’ll see you on the other side of the river in April.

Respectfully,

Geoff Braun
Interim Executive Director

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