Hello everyone,
I am pleased to be kicking off our new strategic plan on April 1. It’s been a great experience collaborating with so many of you to put this important plan together, and I’m excited about our clarity in focusing on strengthening quality and growing our services to support more people. A key part of this effort will be building our ability and focus to advocate on your behalf for better funding and better wages.
Eugene Versteeg, as Chief Operating Officer, will lead all Canadian operations, including the Executive Directors, the Quality Research & Practice Initiatives team, the shared services Operations team, and the Digital Technology & Innovation team. In appointing Eugene as our Chief Operating Officer, we are aligning his role as the second-highest leadership position at Karis, directly to our services for people, with the expectation of strengthening how we do our work together.
Jennifer Gleva, as Chief People and Culture Officer, will integrate employee and volunteer experience with Karis culture and values. This appointment reflects our increased investment in a unified people strategy that will strengthen the employee experience by closely integrating our culture and values into all people practices.
Sayo Tola-Adenaike remains Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and will continue to provide strong leadership and strategic resource allocation of entrusted resources that support sustainable growth and timely investments in quality. Sayo will lead legal, finance, procurement and housing strategy.
Together with me, these roles provide an integrated backbone for Operations + People + Finance, improving decision-making, accountability, and cross-functional alignment.
Vice President Roles
Dwayne Milley has accepted the role of Vice President, External Engagement & Partnerships. Dwayne will lead Marketing & Communications, Fundraising, Global Ministries, and engagement with church, community, and government partners. He will also lead the continued development of our Family Camps network. Dwayne will be working closely with me on our government relations strategy and investment. Dwayne will continue to report directly to me.
Christian Otte will remain Vice President, Digital Technology & Innovation, leading digital strategy across the organization, including systems and data-driven insights that simplify work, improve outcomes, and enable scale. Christian will also lead the systems and methods that support the implementation of the strategic plan and risk mitigation, and will report to Eugene Versteeg.
These adjustments do not add new positions. They are intentional shifts to place the services and supports we offer to people with disabilities at the very centre of our work. This alignment enables us to focus all our efforts on delivering the highest quality services.
Transitions have started, and the structure will be fully in place by April 1, 2026.
Thank you for your dedication—especially during this past season—and for the care you show every day.
Warm regards,