August 6, 2024
As Hollyburn Community Services Society (HCSS) celebrates 20 years of dedicated service to vulnerable North Shore citizens, it is about to witness a generational passing of the torch of leadership.
Society co-founder and Executive Director Nanette Taylor is retiring after two decades. Her vision to create the Society was born out of a deep responsibility to care for youth. Nanette’s vision inspired a growing community dedicated to the HCSS mission. The Society created the North Shore Youth Safe House in response to the needs of youth leaving government care beyond 19 years of age.
Over 20 years of serving vulnerable citizens of the North Shore, the Society has grown to include transitional housing, life skills programs for youth, services for seniors, victim services, and support for those suffering intimate partner violence.
In recent years, as the North Shore’s housing crisis became more acute, Nanette was at the forefront of an expansion in the Society’s low-rental housing portfolio—soon to include eighty-six units of affordable housing now under construction.
Nanette leaves a legacy of inspiration and dedication – paving the way for her successor to build upon the organization’s reputation for innovative and caring community service.
The Board of HCSS is delighted to announce the appointment of Mark Friesen as Executive Director effective August 5th.
“Mark brings the perfect combination of skills, experience and commitment to social justice to take Hollyburn to the next level of impact in a rapidly shifting social services environment,” says Board Chair Nancy Farran.
Mark has over two decades of experience in leadership roles, developing and implementing partnerships and programs in the non-profit sector in BC.
As Executive Director at Columbia College, he launched the Institute for Equity and Advancement in Education in 2022 to advance access to education for immigrant youth and individuals with refugee backgrounds.
He led partnership-based capacity-building initiatives for the non-profit sector in regions throughout BC, including a Housing First Innovation Lab in Metro Vancouver.
Mark’s background in community engagement, working with organizations such as Vantage Point and SFU Public Square, will be instrumental as HCSS engages partners, clients and supporters throughout the North Shore in developing its next five-year strategic plan.
“We are grateful to Nanette Taylor for her lifelong devotion to serving the needs of vulnerable members of our society,” says Board Chair Farran. “Her strong conviction that Hollyburn could fill gaps in the social safety net on the North Shore has changed the lives of many.”