Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/198486
New President and CEO A conversation with Kevin McCort Vancouver Foundation's new president and CEO, Kevin McCort, is ready to connect and engage with the community Kevin McCort assumed the reins as new president and CEO of Vancouver Foundation in September, following the retirement of Faye Wightman. A seasoned veteran of the not-for-profit sector, McCort joins the Foundation following an impressive 20-year career with CARE Canada, the last six years as president and CEO in Ottawa. McCort has lived, worked and travelled in more than 50 countries and brings to the job a wealth of experience. We had a brief opportunity to sit down with McCort and ask a few questions about his career and the future. You joined Vancouver Foundation after a 20-year career with CARE Canada in Ottawa. What appealed to you about working at Vancouver Foundation? The work Vancouver Foundation does at the "grassroots" level with community-based organizations is very inspiring. To be able to interact on a day-to-day basis with people working to address important social issues in their community is highly motivating. Also, the scope page 6 I Vancouver Foundation l Fall 2013 p06-08 Q&A.indd 6 of the Foundation's work covering its various funding areas, along with the commitment of staff to engage diverse partners in the community, gain meaningful insights into community concerns and address those issues in a substantive manner has always impressed me. How did you get involved in the not-for-profit sector? My earliest exposure to the sector was my community 4-H club as a teenager. The 4-H pledge to commit head, heart, hands and health to community service still resonates with me to this day. A gap-year cultural exchange with Canada World Youth (Indonesia) connected me to international development issues. I went on to study international development/resource management at the University of Toronto, which led to postings in Mali and Zimbabwe with World University Service of Canada when I was in my early 20s. By that point, my career directions were well established, as I was seeing many examples of how assistance targeted to the needs and opportunities of some of the poorest communities in the world was making a real difference in people's lives. You've been working in philanthropy for upwards of three decades. What's kept you invested in this sector after all these years? There are inspiring stories everywhere of people making a difference in their own lives, or the lives of others, by working together. I find great satisfaction in working with others to achieve meaningful goals. Our sector brings people together around causes that matter, so we work with people fuelled by passion, with deep patience and compassion. Working with committed people in that environment has always inspired me. Photos: Tiffany Cooper 13-10-11 1:30 PM