20 November 2024
Paul Taylor, Silvera’s new board chair, has a very personal reason for believing so strongly in the importance of oversight, stewardship and governance in the seniors’ housing sector.
“Our family’s experience with a for-profit seniors’ facility in Winnipeg was horrific,” he says. “It prompted me to promote the importance of housing for seniors, to ensure older people are treated with respect and dignity and are allowed to live safely in the communities of their choice.”
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Paul, who joined Silvera’s board and three standing committees in 2021, stepped into the role of chair in October 2024. “I am fortunate to be sitting alongside a very strong group of community volunteers on Silvera’s board. We also have a solid executive team and staff who are serving the residents in our communities very well.”
He says he has always been impressed by Silvera’s high rankings in terms of governance practices in the province. Silvera’s excellent reputation is largely attributable to CEO Arlene Adamson’s involvement in the sector, says Paul. “She has invested a great deal of time developing and nurturing important relationships with all three levels of government, alongside industry partners, to strengthen Silvera’s position in the non-profit senior housing sector. |
“Her contributions as president of ASCHA [Alberta Seniors and Community Housing Association] were significant, in addition to her role as co-chair of the recent review of Alberta’s Seniors Lodge Program.”
The entire team at Silvera works hard every day to be innovative, and accountable and striving for excellence, says Paul.
The board will be looking to maintain that good reputation and leadership when Kyle Fawcett, Silvera’s Chief External Relations Officer, takes over as CEO on Jan. 1, 2025. At that time, for health reasons, Arlene will move into the role of Strategic Advisor.
“Thankfully, the executive team reporting to Arlene is very strong, and in terms of service delivery, we are highly ranked,” says Paul. “For example, we have been voted as one of the best service providers to older persons in the city for four years in a row by Calgarians in the Calgary Herald’s Readers’ Choice awards. We have also scored well in employee surveys.”
Walking into a Silvera community as a visitor, Paul says he has always found first-rate employees who are approachable and happy to be there. “You can tell their priority is looking after residents and they embrace that enthusiastically. This is following the example set by Arlene and her team.”
One of the Board’s key objectives in the CEO recruitment process was to find an individual who will continue to leverage the current great work of Silvera’s leadership.
As such, the board has set the following priorities:
- Continue to educate and further the relationships with federal, provincial and municipal governments, partners and stakeholders and advocate for an increase in funding to ensure Silvera can continue meeting our operational and financial obligations.
- Continue to advocate for competitive wages for employees to ensure we attract and retain the best employees to care for residents.
- Work with government and public private partnerships to secure funding and streamline the requirements to build new or retrofit other buildings for seniors housing.
- Ensure there is 24/7 homecare in communities to reduce the number of resident trips to emergency, allowing people to stay in supportive living as long as possible.
- Be an industry leader, providing additional service offerings as we anticipate the changing needs of seniors.
- Create a multi-year budget/outlook alongside the province so we have a reliable, consistent revenue commitment to develop new projects long-term.
Asked about his favourite part of being on Silvera’s board of directors, Paul brings it back to his commitment to advocacy and good governance.
“Anybody who has an opportunity must amplify the voices of older persons, particularly around the provision of safe, affordable housing in our province,” he says.
“It’s great to be associated with an organization like Silvera who shares the same values, conviction and sense of urgency around the importance of supporting older persons in our communities.”