Joanne Webber, Executive Director
Joanne Webber (she/her) has held Executive Director and leadership roles in corporate and social services in the east and west coasts of Canada.
Her career journey has led her off the beaten path, gaining insight from individuals of all walks-of-life and philosophies driven by communities and movements collectively shaping societal change and reform.
Joanne has led highly skilled teams delivering accredited program management focused on anti-oppression and poverty reduction models. She had a broad range of responsibilities addressing social determinants of health, working within the medical sector with physicians, then transitioning into social services overseeing shelters for women, children, and new settlers, as well as transitional housing for new moms working through addiction recovery, programming for incarcerated women and youth, specialized programs for kids exposed to homelessness and for children of incarcerated parents.
She has also led a unique collaborative model delivering the “Housing First Homelessness Partnering Strategy” working to eliminate chronic and episodic homelessness. Her work in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside was life-changing; witnessing the resilience of women and children exposed to intersections of violence, deep poverty, and system involvement. She designed strategy for grassroots community mobilization, engagement through harm reduction and policy development to improve the health and safety of women involved in sex work.
Joanne advocates for fundamental rights; safety, equality and protection of private information, nutritional food literacy and the right to participate in the labour market free from misogyny, othering, and abuses of power that impact economic violence and economic suppression for women. Joanne is deeply committed to interventions focused on the effects of early childhood adversity, and exposure to interconnecting barriers that impact the continuum of violence over the lifespan.
As a mother, Joanne raised her children as the sole caregiver and provider, while working and earning an Executive Master Business Administration, a Degree in Labour Relations and Human Resources, and professional certificates, some include: Therapeutic Crises Intervention, Cultural Safety, Grief and Loss and specialized training in anti-violence, anti-oppression knowledge.
Joanne embraces the privilege to learn from the extraordinary staff, board members, supporters, and the women before her who have contributed to this significant work supporting safety for women and children fleeing violence.