MEET OUR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Judy Cavanagh became Executive Director of Literacy BC in May 2009. Judy has 20 years of senior management experience working with the public sector and NGOs in a variety of areas including policy development, strategic planning and budgeting, human resource development, communication strategies, public consultations, and government relations. She held positions in the government of British Columbia including Deputy Minister of Government Priorities and Deputy Minister of Women's Equality. Judy has worked as a consultant since 2001, primarily to projects in Ghana and Malawi.
What drew you to this position?
I have seen first hand the devastating consequences of low literacy, for individuals and for countries as a whole, both at home and abroad. Developing basic literacy skills is the crucial first step in gaining any genuine access to opportunity. It's a sine qua non of inclusion. And literacy is so bound up with just about every important social and economic issue that I saw it as at the centre of a network of concerns that have always motivated me.
Literacy BC is an experienced organization with a lot of talent and ideas, and it has worked hard to build robust, creative partnerships across the province. So the opportunity to take a leadership role in this critical field, with this forward-looking organization, was impossible to miss.
What are your first impressions of the state of literacy in BC today?
The most impressive thing is the field itself - the passion, enthusiasm and commitment of the people working and volunteering for literacy. They are at the heart of their communities, and this is now increasingly reflected by another very striking aspect - the emphasis here in BC on community development. The Province's focus on building that infrastructure of support is an investment that we can build on. Government's willingness to partner with the community-based sector is most welcome.
Of course, there are serious challenges ahead. BC citizens do not enjoy the literacy levels we are going to need to sustain social and economic participation and success. Literacy BC will continue to promote and support the efforts we all must make to change this.
What do you see as the biggest priorities on the literacy agenda in the next few years?
Solid foundations have been constructed over recent years, in terms of local outreach and support capacity. We have to capitalize on those now, extend the reach of our partnership work and start to realize the promise. An important development is the growing awareness that we need to bring literacy skill-building out to people where they live and work - to where it matters to them, in the contexts where they are most motivated and can apply their many skills. So a major priority is to follow through on that momentum for embedding accessible literacy programming and awareness everywhere it will make a difference.
I can't end without thanking Cynthia Whitaker for her outstanding contribution over the last three years. Cynthia's tenure as Executive Director has clearly been inspirational to staff and partners, and her strategic leadership has had a real impact on making great things happen. I look forward to building on Cynthia's legacy.
