SUSAN PAPADIONISSIOU

Biographical Statement
Susan has worked within the United Way movement for over 25 years, work that has given her an opportunity to interact with all sectors—business, labour, government and community; and a work culture that is driven by values. She began first as a community development worker involved in social planning with communities across the Lower Mainland. For several years, Susan worked in an Organizational Development consulting role seconded to the National United Way of Canada office in Ottawa to establish a member services program; then as a Multicultural Advocate for United Way involved in internal multicultural policy and operational changes. For the past 6 years, as Director, Agency and Community Services Susan is responsible for the strategic direction, management and operations of the department. Her key responsibilities include community investment of over $20 million; agency relations with over 150 member and affiliate agencies and programs; community relations with 23 municipalities; accountability and stewardship of all donor funds and demonstration of community impact; major gifts donor relations; partnership development and management.

Personal Connection
Having lived in different countries over the years, the wonderful diversity of British Columbia has to offer makes me proud to call this place home for over half my life. I, like so many British Columbians, love the diverse landscape of this province—both geographic and cultural. Also, the fact that so many voices are heard throughout the province makes it abundantly clear to all that we are not a homegenous group, making us an interesting and, at times, puzzling study for the rest of the country.

BC is a place where environmentalists, business leaders, academics, and labour organizers—to name a few groups—all feel comfortable expressing their divergent views. While this makes our province a challenging place to govern, I know that we all take a certain degree of pride in that we are different from our neighbours in other parts of the country where such diversity does not exist. The question we need to ask ourselves, however, is how do we harness this energy and build a province that builds on this diversity rather than fractures because of it. Working towards this goal has been a theme underlying all my activities over the past decade. It is a goal that I hope is shared by all British Columbians.