It gives me great pleasure to announce that FSA's search for a new executive director has been successful and the board of directors has received a signed acceptance from Ms. Margaret Hancock.
A social justice advocate with 30 years' experience in community development and community-based education, Margaret brings a broad range of experience to her new role. Her demonstrated commitment to values that are critically important to FSA and her natural skills as a listener, problem solver and community builder greatly impressed our search committee and set her apart from a strong pool as the candidate to lead FSA.
Margaret is currently the Warden of the University of Toronto’s Hart House, a position she has held for close to a decade. In her early career, she advocated for the repeal of capital punishment in Canada and for new alternatives to jails within the justice system. Later, as Program Coordinator for Grindstone Island Co-operative, she developed and facilitated programming to help individuals and organizations build networks around peace, justice and social change. For six years ending in 1993, Margaret served as Ontario Regional Coordinator and then Education Program Coordinator for OXFAM Canada where she gained experience with international development issues in the Americas, South Africa and the Horn of Africa. She also carried out financial, human resource and strategic planning responsibilities there.
Margaret has been lauded for having a transformational impact on Hart House, which is the cultural, recreational and social centre of Canada’s largest university. She strengthened relationships with stakeholders, restructured the organization, and created conditions to support innovation, risk-taking and learning. Working with a budget of $12 million and a collective bargaining unit, Margaret built the organization’s capacity to be inclusive, accessible and responsive. During her tenure, Hart House also mounted a $12 million capital campaign in which Margaret played a key role gathering advisers and developing priorities.
In her volunteer life, she has served as Co-Chair of the board of directors of Sistering, Chair of the Metro Network for Social Justice and board President of the Social Planning Council of Metropolitan Toronto. A life-long resident of Toronto, Margaret is looking forward to turning her passions toward FSA’s impact on improving our city.
Margaret brings tremendous strengths to this position. She possesses exceptional interpersonal skills and her open, facilitative and empowering manner will be a strong fit within FSA’s culture of collaboration. Known for her grace under pressure, excellent judgment and integrity, she is well-equipped to lead the agency as it moves forward on its strategic directions. She has considerable experience working with diverse groups, and throughout the search process demonstrated a genuine understanding and support for FSA’s anti-oppression values. In addition, her financial, strategic and decision-making skills align strongly with the attributes we were seeking for this leadership position. Margaret is thrilled by this new opportunity and the board and search committee are very enthusiastic about her acceptance.
Margaret will begin with FSA Toronto on July 3, 2007, at which time she will have completed her second five-year term at Hart House. In the interim, she will make herself available to attend meetings and events that will aid in her transition to FSA.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the search committee for their dedication to a thorough and fruitful process, and for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend the meetings and interviews.
Anita Lapidus
President of the Board of Directors