AGM 2023: We Gathered, Voted & Welcome 7 New Members!

On March 23, 2023, VOKRA held its 2023 Annual General Meeting at the Hastings Community Centre.

Brian Blamey (L) with Marni Johnson (R) as she presents the new Vaccine Protocol.

We had 64 people who registered as members and 41 of those attended the meeting. 

Amazing volunteers and Board Members connecting and while awaiting the results of the vote.

There are 3 significant items to report from the AGM: 

a) New Vaccine Protocol: Approved by the Board this past Wednesday (March 22, 2023) and it was announced at the AGM.  Marni Johnson, who is the Vaccinations Team Co-Lead, will be contacting the appropriate volunteers with details on the roll-out of the new protocol.  She expects it will take about a month for it to be fully implemented. 

b) Membership Bylaw: A motion was passed to amend VOKRA’s bylaws to clarify who can become a member of VOKRA.  The amendment is: In order to become a member, an individual must have a) volunteered within the past two years and be in good standing or b) have made a financial donation to VOKRA of at least $25 within the past two years.  

c) Voting in of New Board Members: We had 11 nominees for 6 vacant seats.  After all the nominees had introduced themselves and the members voted we had a tie for the 6th vacant seat.  The members were given a choice of a) having another vote to decide which of the two nominees would fill the 6th seat or b) increase the number of seats on the Board by one (1) and allow both of the nominees to become directors. The members voted to increase the number of vacant seats from 6 to 7 and allow both of them to become directors.

A warm welcome to the seven new members of the VOKRA Board of Directors!

New Board Members! Left to Right: Karen Duncan⁠, Luke Zukowski⁠, Valerie Rosenthal⁠, Jennifer Burton⁠, Michael Sheldrake⁠, Lea Tkatch⁠, (absent) Sally Nadison Reyes⁠

Each of the nominees was asked to answer three questions as part of the nomination process. We are sharing their answers here so that you have a better understanding of who they are and what they are bringing to the Board.

1. Briefly describe why you are interested in being a Director on the Board of VOKRA.
2. Briefly describe any experience and/or skills you can contribute to the governance of VOKRA.
3. Briefly describe if you have any experience in Human Resources, Fundraising, Marketing, and Governance and Strategic Planning. 

Karen Duncan

I am a co-founder of VOKRA. Maria and I formed VOKRA in 2000. I have seen it all and my experience and knowledge are invaluable to the Board. I hope to remain on the board as it is very important to me that we keep true to our mission as a no-kill rescue operation and do not become a shelter operation.

I have performed and have experience in every role of VOKRA over the past 23 years. This experience allows me to provide advisory services to the Board, the health team and the volunteers of VOKRA as well as carry out current roles that require this knowledge. In addition to assisting the operations manager and health team at the Operations Centre I also answer the information and e-mail lines as well as the all-night emergency line. No other rescue operation in Vancouver accepts emergency calls all night.

My experience over the past 23 years has included Human Resources, Fundraising, Marketing, Governance and Strategic Planning that the Board is looking for as well as many other areas of VOKRA. I stuck with this board and fought for VOKRA through all the very. hard times this past year. Our team is strong and all very clear on what we need to put in place so that VOKRA stays doing what we do for cats and people. I am so very grateful that we are still here.

Luke Zukowski

l have been volunteering with VOKRA for a decade and I know that it is a great organization that provides superb services for our feline friends. That is why I was both surprised and saddened by the news of the difficulties and departures at VOKRA.

I am enthusiastic about becoming a director to help ensure that VOKRA continues to excel it its core mission well into the future.

I currently chair an advisory board of a large North American nonprofit, and previously served on board of directors of a medium size BC based nonprofit as well as several small privately held companies. I both started and helped others start, manage, and grow businesses.

My education and professional designations include: Master of Business Administration (MBA), Chartered Manager (C.Mgr.), Certified Analytics and Insights Professional (CAIP)

My Competencies include: Business Dev & Ops, Strategic & Tactical Planning, Budgeting & Cost Control, Primary Research, Process & Quality Improvement, Team Leadership & Training, Project & Risk Management, lT Management, Stakeholder Relations, Marketing & Branding  

Jennifer Burton

Over the years, I've adopted 3 cats through VOKRA and have volunteered in a variety of roles - I'm passionate about the work VOKRA does and the impact we have. I feel I have the experience and skills to meaningfully contribute to the mission and help foster an organizational culture that is supportive, collaborative, and engaging for all members of the VOKRA community.

I'm a Chartered Professional in Human Resources and have a 15+ year career that has spanned the education, corporate and for impact sectors. I currently hold the position of Director, People and Culture with MS Canada so will be able to share insights and experience gained through working for a national, for impact organization with a large volunteer base. I'm also a certified professional coach.

My work in HR has included learning and development, employee relations, engagement, recruitment, total compensation, change management, and internal communications. I have experience leading strategic planning for the HR functions, as well as contributing to overall organizational strategy. In addition to my HR background, I hold a degree in Marketing Communications. 

 Valerie Rosenthal

I have always had a deep passion for animals and am a strong advocate for improving animal welfare, reducing pet overpopulation through more education and the spay/neuter of pets and increasing the adoption of rescued or abandoned pets into loving, forever homes.

While I love all animals, I have always had an affinity for our feline friends and have been a cat parent for most of my life. I became involved with VOKRA a few years ago when I decided to be a foster. I soon became a “foster fail” as I fell in love with the two VOKRA cats in my care and adopted them. I attend and support your annual Walk for the Kitties and regularly follow your organization on social media. I am a strong believer in your mission of reducing pet overpopulation and homelessness among Vancouver's cat population, your strategy of providing cats in your care with foster homes over a shelter environment and your commitment to providing VOKRA Alumni with a lifelong support system through your foster network and Facebook pages.

The commitment, dedication and shared love of cats that everyone who works for, volunteers for, or who adopts a VOKRA cat is evident throughout your organization and I would love to be a part of your collective efforts and contribute to your success. As I am a semi-retired now, I have much more free time and feel that I would be a valuable, conscientious, collaborative and dedicated member of your Board of Directors.

I have a BA in Communications from SFU, a certificate in Marketing from York University, a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Training in Human Relations and Public Speaking and have taken numerous courses in marketing, communications and fundraising over the years. I have more than 30 years of work experience in all facets of marketing and communications for a variety of organizations including federal and provincial governments, BC First Nations, non-profit organizations, industry associations and small business.

Previous positions include 18 years as a Senior Communications and Marketing Consultant for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC); two years as a Communications Specialist for BC’s newly formed agency, Creative BC and four years as the Manager of Communications and Community Relations for a national non-profit organization, The Neil Squire Foundation. Most recently, I was employed for two years as the Communications Manager for Kwikwetlem First Nation where I managed all internal and external communications including the redevelopment of their website and the implementation of a new email newsletter for their members. I am currently working as an independent Freelance Communications Consultant.

My education and vast work experience has given me skills in many areas that would contribute to the governance of VOKRA such as: strategic planning, budgeting, marketing, advertising, digital communications, newsletters, media relations, event and trade marketing, branding and graphic design, speech writing and presentations, website content management, Annual Report production, social media marketing, community, stakeholder and government relations and marketing research. 

I have experience in all these areas in varying capacities from previous employers. In the area of Human Resources, I have managed and supervised staff and volunteers and conducted employee performance evaluations. I also have experience in supporting diversity and inclusion, particularly among persons with disabilities and Indigenous people.

In the area of Fundraising, I am experienced in sponsorship recruitment, grant writing and event fundraising. At CMHC, I developed sponsorship models and raised more than $125,000 in funding from government and corporate sponsors to offset the costs of CMHC led conferences and events and as well as recruited media sponsors to provide in-kind advertising to support the promotion of events to targeted audiences. As the Manager of Development for Carousel Theatre and School, I wrote sponsorship proposals and recruited a variety of companies (national and local) to provide funding or in kind services towards the costs of theatre productions. I researched funding sources and wrote a wide range of proposals to foundations, government agencies and the private sector which resulted in securing funding ranging from $2,000 to over three million dollars to support the operations of the Neil Squire Foundation. I also wrote a manual on proposal writing and delivered training to staff on how to write effective grant proposals.

In the area of Marketing, I have created and executed a wide range of campaigns that led to an increase in the demand for products, programs, services and events among a wide range of audiences (e.g. consumer, industry, indigenous and government). I have also developed a variety of social marketing and public awareness campaigns including Screen in BC Day, CMHC’s Regional Spring and Fall Consumer Awareness Campaigns and more recently, Kwikwetlem First Nation’s Truth and Reconciliation Day. These campaigns integrated a variety of tactics including paid advertising, direct mail and email, media relations, marketing collateral, trade shows and special events and social media marketing to help achieve their goals and objectives.

In the area of Governance and Strategic Planning, I have participated in numerous strategic planning sessions and am familiar with how to write a strategic plan that incorporates measurable performance indicators. I have also worked with the Boards of Directors for various non-profit organizations. 

Michael Sheldrake

I would like to continue the work I've been a part of having already served 2 years on the board. I look forward to continued harmonious interactions and improving our rescue. I've enjoyed my time at VOKRA and consider myself an up-and-comer and hope to be able to learn and help for a long time if I am able.

I have high level skills in cat and kitten social media, running a small business, computer literacy, communicating, diplomacy, negotiating contracts, delivering and caring for kittens, serving on the IT committee, hiring our current staff, and 2+ years experience serving on the board of directors.

My experience in governance comes from my term serving on the board of directors with VOKRA. I also run a small business with 1 employee (other than myself). In my business I use online and print marketing, as well as scheduling, to-do lists, conserving money, and communicating in emails, text, and phone calls. My cat rescue expertise lies in fostering and raising moms and kittens.

 Lea Tkatch

I have been a VOKRA volunteer since 2016. I did a weekly cat care shift for 4 years; I have been an active foster home for the past 7 years, fostering over 110 kitties to date; I've served 2 terms on the board, & I've been our volunteer finance manager since 2017. I have a deep-seated love for all animals, and am especially passionate about cats. All my personally adopted kitties were rescue kitties & I want to help VOKRA continue to do our critically important TNR work and to rescue as many cats and kittens as possible for many years to come.

I believe my core strengths include being resourceful, detail oriented, diplomatic, and open minded. I have excellent organizational and leadership skills which are complementary to my positive attitude, tireless work ethic, and love for all things feline. I feel my professional and personal attributes, and the cross organizational knowledge of VOKRA learned over the past 7 years will enable me to be an effective working board of director team member.

Through my professional career until retirement in 2017, I gained extensive administrative and management experience with a focus on office & personnel management, recruitment & retention, senior executive support, project & events management, and fundraising. In these roles I was involved in sales & marketing, strategic planning & governance, managing multi departmental budgets, and implementing cost reduction initiatives.

Sally Nadison Reyes

VOKRA's mission is close to my heart. As a former foster and current foster fail with a happy bonded pair, I'm passionate about the work that VOKRA does.

I've been actively involved with VOKRA as a volunteer and am currently leading the fundraising team and strategy. Over the past month, I've immersed myself in learning about the organization’s inner workings and identifying what has led to its success. I've also been exploring new ways to drive growth and increase VOKRA's impact.

Drawing on my past experience in fundraising and my newfound knowledge of VOKRA, I've developed a strategic growth plan for fundraising that has already been approved by the Board.

I'm excited to contribute even more to VOKRA's positive impact on the community and the lives of thousands of cats. As such, I'm keen to take on a Director role on the Board, where I can further support the organization and its mission.

I have several years of experience running my own online brand and artist studio space in Vancouver, with a focus on sustainability and community. Through this venture, I have supported hundreds of independent artists and hosted various events. I'm incredibly proud of my ability to create a sense of community, as I believe that it takes a village and the support of those around us to succeed.

In my career, I have been responsible for strategic growth planning and process implementation for both public and private sector organizations. For instance, in my former role as the Marketing and Membership Manager at the Vancouver Art Gallery, I led the maintenance and growth of the membership base by establishing campaign strategies for acquisition, retention, and renewal.

My approach is centered around the notion of “consistency over intensity”. I believe that by putting the right practices in place, we can develop a strong foundation to support VOKRA's growth. With my combined background in the arts, business development, and tech, I am excited to bring new and fresh ideas to VOKRA that will contribute to this incredible community of cat lovers.

As the former Marketing and Membership Manager at the Vancouver Art Gallery, I was responsible for the Membership division, which served as a primary fundraising avenue for the organization. My efforts led to growth and retention by increasing member engagement through various events, marketing campaigns, and establishing solid communication touchpoints.

 A big thank you to all who came, voted, and play an active part in volunteering with VOKRA! 2023 will be an amazing new year for us.