Join our Team

The Abbey Retreat Centre is looking for a passionate and experienced Board Chair or Co-Chair with a commitment to supporting our vision and mission to be a safe, loving, and healing community for those living with cancer. Preference will be given to a person who is present within the local community on a regular basis.

If you love supporting people, strategic thinking and want to help lead a growing organization that is making a meaningful difference locally and provincially, we want to hear from you.

Chair of the Board of Directors General Description

Abbey Retreat Centre is a cancer support centre located in Haliburton, Ontario whose mission is to create a safe, loving and healing community for people affected by cancer. Our programs offer opportunities to build meaningful community and explore practices that help to soothe, strengthen and tend the body, mind and spirit for those living with cancer.In partnership with the Executive Director (ED), staff and other Board Members, the Board Chair provides leadership to the Abbey Retreat Centre, particularly in the areas of governance,fundraising, and strategic direction.The Chair will be supported by an established Board team who will work to ensure a successful orientation experience and leadership transition.

Responsibilities and Duties
  • Leadership: Guides the governance process, centering the work of the Board on the organization’s mission, vision and strategic direction.
  • Strategic Visioning and Implementation: Leads the Board in supporting the Abbey Retreat Centre team to implement the strategic vision, direction, and plan.
  • Agendas: Works with the ED to establish agendas for Board and Executive Committee meetings.
  • Meeting Management: Leads Board and Executive Committee meetings in a manner that encourages participation, information sharing, and excellence in decision making.
  • Community Engagement: Acts as organizational spokesperson when required.
  • ED Relationship: Serves as the Board’s central point of official communication with the ED, providing support in the areas of Human Resources and Fundraising. Responsible for performance management for the ED (goal-setting, performance evaluation and compensation review).
  • Board Learning, Development and Assessment: Leads the development of the Board’s knowledge and capabilities by playing a central role in orientation of new Board Members, and identifying continuing education for the entire Board. Supports the ongoing self-assessment and evaluation by the Board of Directors.
  • Succession planning: Participates in the recruitment of new Board Members and identifying candidates to serve as chair-elect.
Competencies and Attributes
  1. Lives locally or is present within the local community on a regular basis.
  2. Demonstrated compassionate leadership and involvement in the community.
  3. Committed to fostering an equitable, diverse and inclusive organization.
  4. Experience in the not-for-profit sector.
  5. Previous positive board experiences.
  6. Understanding of financial statements and fundraising.
  7. Willing and able to commit time to leadership of the organization.
  8. Ability to communicate, listen and seek the input of others.
  9. Has a sense of humour and uses it regularly.
Apply Here