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Aretha Munro
COORDINATOR, ADMIN & EVENTS
Pronouns: she/her
Areas of Focus: Administration
Email: aretham@sfu.ca
With a passion for supporting arts and culture and building communities, Aretha comes to the Centre with deep experience in administration, project management, communications, and marketing.
As a graduate of the University of Victoria in Anthropology and Environmental Studies, equipped with the values of curiosity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and adaptability, she has landed here today.
In her role at the Centre, Aretha works behind the scenes with a small but mighty admin and finance team to mobilize all the pieces of the Centre mosaic to deliver dialogue and engagement work. It is a varied portfolio of navigating processes, resources, relationships, culture, and day-to-day operations.
Before SFU she worked for five years as the Administrative Coordinator at Positive Women’s Network, an educational and support organization serving the needs of women living with HIV and AIDS. During her time there, she designed a women’s health conference, supported community-based research, and was part of a dedicated team providing front line care. Additionally, she previously held roles at Momentum Magazine and The Cultch.
What is your role at the Centre for Dialogue?
I am a member of the Admin and Finance team at the Centre, working closely with our Director of Operations. I support many parts of the ecosystem that keep the Centre running: administrative processes, human resources, financial processing, technology infrastructure, and one-off public events. It is a mix of problem solving, detective work, telepathy, and a pinch of cat herding.
What does dialogue mean to you?
Dialogue is a tool to help people understand each other. At its core it is an exchange of energy. You might expand your knowledge, come up with solutions to a pressing problem, tell a story, listen deeply, feel a feeling, hold someone’s gaze, sit in discomfort, and hopefully more than once, share a laugh.
What is a common assumption you'd like to demystify?
I’d like to de-mystify the assumption that to be a changemaker you need to be loud, the most visible, the most articulate, or the most informed. There is such a thing as being a ‘quiet changemaker’. There can be space for folks who need time to process their thoughts and feelings. Being empathetic and gently observant are critical skills for supporting organizations, communities, and movements…and yourself!