YWCA Peterborough Haliburton is preparing for a leadership change as Executive Director Kim Dolan gets set to leave the organization at the end of October.
Dolan, who returned to lead the YWCA in early 2020, is moving west to be closer to her family after more than six years in the role.
Her history with the organization dates back to 1988, when she began working at the YWCA. She held several positions, including Crossroads Shelter Manager, before leaving in 1996.
Board President Hermione Rivison says Dolan’s leadership has helped strengthen the organization and expand its reach throughout the community.
“The YWCA has expanded its programming and services offered to the women we serve; the public profile has been raised, and our community involvement is greater thanks to her leadership,” Rivison said.
The YWCA’s Board of Directors has established a Transition Team, led by Rivison, to guide the organization through the coming months.
During Dolan’s tenure, the organization expanded services, strengthened community partnerships and made changes aimed at improving its long-term financial sustainability.
Her leadership also included navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, when demand for services increased and the organization adapted its operations to maintain critical supports for women and children.
The YWCA says it has since invested in technology, staff development, updated policies and organizational restructuring.
Dolan also helped advance trauma-informed and harm reduction approaches, along with initiatives focused on equity, diversity and inclusion, Truth and Reconciliation, and governance practices.
Reflecting on her time with the organization, Dolan emphasized the importance of preparing the YWCA for future challenges.
“The work of the past six and a half years has been about preparing the organization for the world we are living in now and the challenges ahead,” she said.
She also credited generations of women who helped build the organization over its 135-year history.
YWCA Peterborough Haliburton provides programs and resources supporting women experiencing domestic violence and other challenges affecting their safety and independence.
The organization says its senior management team, staff and board will continue supporting its work during the leadership transition. A successor has not yet been announced.
