OLDS - The Central Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre (CAPCC) community support organization has announced the appointment of Lisa Smith as executive director.
Smith has been with the CAPCC for the past five years in the role of director of operations. She takes over the executive director position effective this month, replacing Anne Waddell, who held the position for the past nine years.
In operation in central Alberta for 32 years, the centre is a registered charity headquartered in Red Deer, with satellite offices in Olds, Rocky Mountain House and Drumheller.
It offers education and support for women and their families facing unexpected pregnancy, Smith said in an interview, noting it currently has 23 full-time, part-time and casual employees.
The executive director position provides oversight and leadership, including regarding social media, marketing, communications, and fund development.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has created some challenges for CAPCC, things have continued to operate thanks to ongoing donor support, she said.
“Of course COVID has its challenges and we don’t know what 2021 is going to look like, but we’ve been very fortunate,” she said.
The centre runs a maternity home program in Red Deer, serving clients from throughout the region. That program has continued to run during the pandemic.
“We’ve had to put in some extra precautions as far as safety and the staff wearing protective gear and those types of things,” she said. “But otherwise, the program has continued status quo.”
Other client programs have moved to online, over the phone, through emails and on other platforms, she said.
“We’ve had to be creative with how to support our clients that way and also support their safety,” she said. “We will keep that in place until it is safe for us to go back to normal.”
The majority of funding for the centre comes from private donation, with additional funds coming from grants and donations from churches of various denominations.
Asked if the director of operations position will be immediately filled, she said, “At some point. It will depend on what our funding looks like. We will move carefully in replacing the position.”
In a news release, the CAPCC board of directors commended past executive director Waddell saying her “dedication, enthusiasm and faith has seen the Care Centre grow to the thriving, busy and successful community service that it is today. The board of directors is confident that Smith and her team will take the CAPCC to the next level of growth.”
For more information on CAPCC, see pregnancycare.ca.
