CEO, MERIDIAN COMMUNITY FUTURES CORPORATION

The Board of Meridian Community Futures Corporation requires a new CEO following the pending retirement of a longstanding administrative leader in this position. The new CEO will execute a renewed Strategic Plan to continuously improve both small business lending; and to enhance community economic development services within central Alberta and the west-central region of Saskatchewan. Taber

This leadership position requires a combination of business experience in ownership or a management capacity; experience in finance and commercial lending; and/or experience in economic, community and rural development. Added preference will be given to individuals experienced in working with a diverse Board of Directors of a Non-Profit Corporation. Candidates should have a minimum bachelor’s degree and be very familiar with operations of modern office and digital marketing software. We are looking for an entrepreneurial and innovative mindset, with an aim to diversify the own-source revenue of CF Meridian while continuing to meet the changing needs of this dynamic rural area. We also are looking for an excellent communicator for increased outreach and connections to the communities and entrepreneurs we serve.

CF Meridian provides a competitive mix of salary and benefits commensurate with an executive position located in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, and its attractive quality of life. 

Please forward your application – by no later than Monday, November 6, 2023. Our intent is to accelerate interviews as early as the week of November 13^th and to have a new CEO in place early in the New Year. Please send your resume and covering letter to:

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Executive Director, Community Futures Big Country (Drumheller, Alberta)
You have a passion for rural economic development.
You are a confident and strategic leader.
You have experience leading a dynamic non-profit organization.
            You have been referred to as a visionary.     
You have worked with Boards of Directors and Executive Committees.
You are often described as a mentor/teacher/coach.

If these statements describe you, we should talk.  You just might be the ideal candidate to be the next Executive Director at Community Futures Big Country!  

Community Futures Big Country is a non-profit organization that supports local entrepreneurs, businesses, and communities.   We are guided by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of community representatives and members-at-large from our Region.  The mandate for the Executive Director is Leadership, Advocacy, Stewardship.  As champion of the Community Futures mission and assets, your leadership communicates and advocates for the well-being, development and sustainability of the businesses and communities you represent. 

Our next Executive Director will have the following qualifications:

• Superior leadership, relationship building and interpersonal skills.
• Refined listening, collaboration, problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Polished business acumen with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of commercial finance and lending.
• Financial planning and management.
• Rural Economic Development experience preferred.
• Governance experience.
• Effective conflict management and creative resolution skills.
• Demonstrated competence in the development, promotion, and delivery of training programs.
• 5-7 years of business management, preferably in the non-profit sector.
• Post-secondary degree in Business/Finance or combination of experience in business and Not-for-Profit management would be considered an asset
• Ability to lead a small team with close oversight and management of the administrative function when required.

If you think you’re a strong candidate for this role, please tell us why in your cover letter.  Selected candidates will be screened virtually for primary interviews and finalists will be invited to second-round in person interviews with the Selection Committee. This position offers a sound compensation package and salary will be commensurate with experience and education.  Successful candidate must live (or is planning to live) within the Drumheller region, as no relocation assistance is offered with this role.   The search will continue until the best candidate is found.   To apply:  please send your resume and cover letter (including your compensation requirements) to:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">

We thank all applicants for considering this exciting opportunity with Community Futures.  Please be advised that the Selection Committee will only be contacting those individuals chosen for interview. No phone calls or international applications will be accepted. Community Futures values diversity and is committed to attracting, engaging, and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce. As well, your privacy is important to us – please rest assured that all applications will always remain confidential.  We do not retain candidate profiles or resumes.  

Community Futures Centre West (CFCWest) is seeking a professional who can add an innovative perspective to economic growth in a rural environment.

We Make Dreams Happen in Rural Alberta.

You inspire dedication and commitment to excellence. Your organizational skills and applied knowledge of project development, implementation, promotion, and project management are second to none. As an influencer, you know how to build alliances and relationships to engage clients and community partners to meet the needs of other important stakeholders throughout the region. You are a self-starter and can work independently in a semi-virtual and flexible work environment. This position is permanent part-time (Three days a week) with the potential for full-time hours.

Our Wish List
• Superior relationship building, interpersonal skills, and strong written and communication skills.
• Refined listening, collaboration, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Proven knowledge of project management, community engagement and solid understanding of grant, proposal and report writing
• Experience with group presentations (In-person & virtual), public speaking and training background will be a strong asset.
• Strong understanding of entrepreneurial mindset is essential.
• 4-6 years of project management and community engagement, combined with post-secondary certification or degree in the discipline of economic development or related field(s).
• Promotion & marketing experience, including applied knowledge and experience with social media is a plus.
• A self-starter who can work with limited supervision.
• Strong working knowledge of Office 365, Outlook, and other online programs such as Zoom, Skype orTeams and project management software.
• Must have a valid Class 5 Drivers License and be willing to travel throughout the CFCWest region.

Interested applicants are asked to email a cover letter and CV (Resume) to Patti-Jay Powell, CFCWestExecutive Director by midnight October 15, 2023.

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CFCWest thanks all applicants for applying for this position but only those applicants receiving an interview will be contacted. This posting will stay active until a suitable candidate is found.

*All information sent to CFCWest is collected in compliance with section 33 (c) of the Freedom of information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act.*

As a series of workshops and sessions focused on relaunching and retaining businesses in rural Alberta wraps up, we are reflecting back on one of the most challenging periods for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic started, it quickly became apparent that SMEs would be one of the hardest hit groups from multiple lockdowns & loss of income.

Thus, the Building Business Resiliency project was born.

“Resilience is not about overcoming, but becoming.” – Sherri Mandell

One of the most profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the loss of connection with others. For a group of small business coaches working in coal transition communities in Central and Eastern Alberta, the sudden end of in-person business visits and close connection with entrepreneurs was an early sign that many new startups and seasoned business owners were beginning to struggle with some of the invisible and often unspoken costs of the global health crisis.

“Recognizing that business owners can experience grief or loss was a crucial step to moving forward,” says Louise Jones, a Community Futures Small Business Advisor in East Central Alberta.

Louise and her colleagues described how small businesses were becoming fragmented and paralyzed. Business planning came to a halt, clients withdrew and stopped wanting to manage their next steps.

What began as a plan to provide small business support to women in remote and underserved parts of Alberta has sparked an effort to rethink the experience of female entrepreneurship.

Project Gazelle, created by Community Futures Lloydminster, is one of two projects in Alberta supported by the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES), a national $2-billion investment that seeks to double the number of women-owned businesses by 2025.

Named after both the emerging business term for an agile and adaptable firm and the swift and tribal groupings of grassland animals, Gazelle took what has been an established process for small business development and deconstructed it to examine the many roadblocks women in Alberta face.

We are pleased to announce that Steve Upham, Reeve for the County of St. Paul, was the recipient of the Community Futures Alberta, Volunteer of the Year Award 2019 at our annual provincial conference in Grande Prairie.The award is presented to individuals who have shown outstanding and ongoing leadership and achievement in the Community Futures program.

Steve Upham has been involved with the Community Futures program for nine years, and his term as Chair of the Community Futures St. Paul-Smoky Lake Board of Directors is ending. During the presentation of the award, it was noted Steve has led with consideration and compassion, and that he understands the ‘beating heart’ of small communities and rural life.

As communities across central and eastern Alberta undergo an economic shift away from coal-fired power generation, the role of small business is at the forefront of building new opportunities and managing the recovery.

The transition is part of a Federal initiative to phase out coal-fired electricity by 2030. In Alberta, this means that 12 of the 18 coal-fired power plants will either shift away from coal or shut down over the next decade.  "A very ancient quote says, 'The only constant in life; is change' ", says Doray Veno, Executive Director of the Hanna Learning Centre. "But once you make internal peace with this concept, the opportunities are endless."

This is my first opportunity to share with you my thoughts, dreams, challenges, and ambitions, and I hope you will share back yours with me.

While new to the Community Futures Network of Alberta, I have been ‘in the field’ guiding local Community Futures offices and programs in Western Canada for more than 30 years.

The past decade has been remarkable. From the depths of recession, shifts in historic resource industries and natural disasters, to record population growth and the entry of new industries, one thing has remained unchanged: our approach to rural economic development.