Thursday, June 15, 2023
9:00 AM to 4:30 PM (PST)
Spirit Ridge Resort
1200 Rancher Creek Road
Osoyoos, BC
Each year, The Federation’s June conferences are an opportunity to examine current and emerging issues—the things that you, our members, have told us you want to hear more about.
Our members want to ensure the sector has strong leadership now and for generations to come. You have told us that you want to learn with and from one another. You want to cultivate healthier work environments, ensure you are offering relevant programs and services to your clients, and revise policies and procedures to create systemic changes in your organization.
Join Federation members and partners from across the province to explore tools and resources to help you move in these directions. Reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. Identify and discuss new and emerging issues in social care. Stay tuned for speaker announcements, program details, and agendas.
Through conversation, presentations, and facilitated dialogue, we will explore a range of leadership tools, resources, and ideas. Drawing on our collective knowledge and experience, we will identify how to lead in ways that are informed by equity and justice and how tools like mentorship and internal assessments can help us improve our leadership practice.
Federation Members: Please note that there is separate registration for the Annual General Meeting Friday, June 16th.
Leadership Conversations: Leveraging our Collective Power to Embody Climate Justice, Social Justice, and Authentic Practices of Reconciliation
Leadership Conversations: Leveraging our Collective Power to Embody Climate Justice, Social Justice, and Authentic Practices of Reconciliation
Kathryn Thomson
Connect and reflect with fellow leaders about challenges, stressors, successes, and hopes. Together, we will explore a range of topics, including your role as leader, succession planning, mentorship, and leaving a legacy. This incredibly complex, uncertain, volatile time we are in requires a very different orientation to leadership. “Best practices” don’t exist anymore—we need emergent practice to respond to the novel challenges of this time. We require the capacity to trust, let go, try new approaches, be vulnerable, be curious and above all be willing to imagine what else is possible in our organizations.
First Nation Leadership Lessons
First Nation Leadership Lessons
Chief Clarence Louie
More details coming soon.
Assessing the Readiness of Community Social Services to Respond to the Impacts of Climate Change
Assessing the Readiness of Community Social Services to Respond to the Impacts of Climate Change
Arden Henley and Ingrid Kastens
This is a follow-up to the presentation at The Federation’s October Conference entitled Preparing Organizations for the Impacts of the Climate Crisis.
Since then, GTEC, the Federation, and the Mental Health Climate Change Alliance have developed a systematic process that will enable Federation members to assess their readiness to respond to the impacts of climate change and facilitate ways of enhancing readiness. Assessing the Readiness of Community Social Services will provide an update about the probable impacts of climate change and introduce the assessment process, including an opportunity to use a survey instrument that measures readiness.
Kathryn Thomson - Conference Facilitator
Kathryn Thomson, LeadershipMind
Kathryn Thomson, B.Ed, M.A., is relentlessly curious about human behavior in organizational and community settings and is deeply passionate about helping people think and act creatively, courageously and collaboratively wherever they are. She is a co-founder and principal at LeadershipMind Consulting and draws on research and insights from neuroscience and developmental psychology in her practice. Kathryn is currently engaged in research and teaching about the role of radical listening in creating sustainable solutions at work and in the world.
She was a senior faculty member in the Centre for Leadership at the Justice Institute of British Columbia for 25 years and is a founding member of Ethelo, an e-democracy platform designed to help organizations and societies tackle complex problems and make better decisions together. Kathryn has 25 years of experience in creating and delivering highly successful strategic planning, visioning and stakeholder engagement processes in both corporate, educational and non-profit settings.
In addition, Kathryn develops and delivers curriculum on a wide range of topics including collaborative leadership, critical thinking, building healthy teams and navigating conflict. She is passionate about helping people think, talk and act for more sustainable, healthy results—in communities and in the world. View her TEDx talk about the role of listening for healing social and political divides in our world. Kathryn lives and works on the island of ,Nexwlelxm (Bowen Island) on the unceded and ancestral territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish Nation).
Arden Henley
Arden Henley, Green Technolgy Education Centre
Arden is currently the Executive Director of the Green Technology Education Centre (GTEC). Arden’s work has included starting a street-based program for at risk youth; designing, developing and implementing two multi-million-dollar residential treatment centres for children, youth and their families; co-founding a Family Therapy Institute; and initiating a Master of Counselling degree program that is now the largest in western Canada.
Prior to GTEC, Arden was Vice President of City University in Canada. He has published numerous articles in professional journals, five book chapters, a book, several op-eds and numerous blog posts at GTEC and Huffington Post. Arden holds B.A. from McMaster University, an M.A. from Duquesne University (Pittsburgh) and a Doctorate in Education from Simon Fraser University.
Chief Clarence Louie
Chief Clarence Louie, Osoyoos Indian Band
Since December 1984 when first elected as Chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band, part of the Okanagan Nation in south central British Columbia, Clarence Joseph Louie has consistently emphasized economic development as a means to improve his people’s standard of living. Under his direction, the Band has become a multi-faceted corporation that owns and manages eleven businesses, 5 joint ventures, and employs a thousand people.
Although economic development is the means to achieving self-sufficiency, Chief and Council continues to emphasize the importance of maintaining the Okanagan language and culture in all aspects of the band’s activities including business.
Chief Louie’s efforts have been widely recognized in Canada and the United States. In 2000, the Advancement of Native Development officers (CANDO) named Chief Louie the “Economic Developer of the Year.” Chief Louie has been awarded the Order of British Columbia, the Order of Canada, Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Queens University and UBC, and the award for Business and Community Development from the the Aboriginal Achievement Foundation.
Ingrid Kastens
Ingrid Kastens
Ingrid lives with gratitude on the traditional, unceded, ancestral territory of the Coast Salish peoples. Ingrid holds a BSW and MSW from UBC and has spent four decades contributing to community. She worked both in government and community social services, in addition to teaching at multiple local colleges and universities as well as in Berlin. Just before the pandemic Ingrid left her post as CEO of Pacific Community Resources Society. She is a recipient of a YWCA Women of Distinction Award, the FCSSBC Award of Excellence, a Surrey Board of Trade Women in Leadership Award, and represented BC on the Child Welfare League of Canada.
Ingrid works part-time as a consultant and Mentor in environmental and social justice sectors, loves all things outdoors, is enthusiastic about learning through travel, is an avid reader and writer, loves to learn new things (currently learning to knit, which has a proud history in activism), and among other volunteer endeavors serves on the boards of the Dogwood Initiative and Pacifica Treatment Centre. Past volunteer involvements include serving on the boards of the FCSSBC, the BC Association of Social Workers (Co-chair), Vancouver Youth Theatre, and contributing as a Legacy Leader with Leadership 2020.
Networking Reception
Sponsored by the Federation Association Benefit Plan
Thursday, June 15th
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Spirit Ridge Resort Rooftop Terrace
Kathy Borneman
Acting Director of Programs and Services
kathy@fcssbc.ca
Or contact The Federation office.
Many thanks to our friends at the Federation Association Benefit Plan for sponsoring this event and the always popular Networking Reception after the conference. This plan has been a central part of The Federation since 1984 and we are very thankful for this relationship and their ongoing support.
Our group rate is no longer available and there are limited rooms at the Spirit Ridge Resort. Consider staying at another local hotel, such as the Best Western Plus Osoyoos Hotel & Suites or the Sandy Beach Suites. Both are 5 minutes or less drive and parking is free at the venue.
At The Federation, the safety and wellness of our members are always top priorities. Disposable masks and hand sanitizer will be available at registration. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have tested positive, please stay home. Thank you for doing your part to keep us all safe!
Federation Members: $200
Affiliated Partners: $225
Non-Members/Public: $275
Includes meals and Networking Reception
View a list of our members here.
Our affiliated Partners are BCAAFC, PARCA, Métis Nation BC, EVA BC, and Realize Strategies. All other organizations and institutions are considered non-members.
The Federation’s Travel Subsidy is available to help offset the costs of participation for Federation members (especially smaller and remote organizations). The application form [PDF] is available here. For more information, contact The Federation office.
Please note: There are separate registrations for the June Conference and Federation Annual General Meeting.
Registration is now closed. See you in Osoyoos!
Friday, June 16th, 2023
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Spirit Ridge Resort
1200 Rancher Creek Road, Osoyoos BC
Federation Members & Invited Guests Only
Breakfast will be served prior to the meeting start.
Please note: there is separate registration for the conference and the AGM.
The AGM will include board elections for a number of positions. Volunteering for a spot on the Board of Directors is an excellent opportunity for members to get more involved with The Federation, engage with other members and sector partners, weigh in on key issues, and influence the direction of our organization over the years to come.
The Federation’s 2023 Annual General Meeting will take place on Friday, June 16th following the conference on Thursday. The AGM will wrap up by noon to give members time to catch flights home or time to get a head start on their sunny weekend in Osoyoos.
The Annual General Meeting Agenda will be emailed to Federation members prior to the event. Please note: There is separate registration for the conference and AGM. (The AGM is for Federation members and invited guests only.)
Registration is now closed. See you in Osoyoos!
1. If you register online and you choose the “pay by cheque” option, your registration confirmation is your invoice, and payment is due upon receipt. Please ensure that your payment reaches The Federation office PRIOR to the date of the event. If payment is not received within 30 calendar days after the start of the event (by July 17, 2023), you will be invoiced an additional $25.00 administration fee.
2. Registrants who cancel 30+ days prior to the event (by May 16, 2023) will receive a refund less $25.00 per person administration fee. Registrants who cancel 15-29 days prior to the event (between May 17-31, 2023) will receive a 50% refund less $25.00 per person administration fee. There will be no refund issued if cancellation occurs within 0-14 days of the event (after June 1, 2023). Relevant dates for each event will be posted on the event registration page.
3. If you register online and choose the “pay by cheque” option and do not cancel within the above-noted time frames (see #2), you are responsible for the registration fee and will be invoiced accordingly.
4. Registrations are transferable to a different person for the same event. Please contact The Federation office for assistance with this. Registrations are not transferable to another event.
5. Registrations made after the online closing date and non-registered at-door arrivals (space permitting) will be invoiced at the full event rate plus a $25.00 per person administration fee.
6. Credit card payment is accepted online only and is not accepted at the door.