Change is in the air: Message from the Chair of the Board of Directors

After more than 29 years of dedicated service with Immigrant Services Calgary (ISC), Krystyna Biel, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has announced her plan to retire in early 2019. Krystyna began her career at Immigrant Services Calgary as an ESL/Career Counselor and soon advanced to Director of the Immigrant Language and Vocational Assessment – Referral Centre (ILVARC) and Interim Chief Executive Officer before being appointed Chief Executive Officer in October of 2013. Krystyna’s leadership has been instrumental in Immigrant Services Calgary’s unprecedented growth and success over her five years as CEO, including significantly advancing the agency’s strategic priorities as well as increasing its revenue.

The Board would like to take this opportunity to thank Krystyna for her years of invaluable service. It has been a great privilege to work with such a devoted individual, and we wish Krystyna all the best with the next chapter of her life.

The Board has begun the process of recruiting a new CEO.  We aim to appoint a CEO that will build on ISC’s existing programs while supporting an organizational strategy that continues to create a positive impact on the lives of immigrants and refugees. The Board will maintain a close relationship with the newly appointed CEO to ensure that ISC continues to be a healthy, innovative and financially sustainable organization.

We look forward to sharing more recruitment details with you in December via the ISC website. In the meantime, we will be developing a transition plan to ensure that our newly appointed CEO receives the comprehensive induction needed to continue propelling ISC forward.