“I applied with my fingers crossed as I was wanting to be back in the workforce. The position arose and I decided to throw my name into the mix and the rest is history” says Danielle Skeric after being hired as the Executive Director of the Bulkley Valley Community Foundation (BVCF).
Skeric brings a wealth of experience to the position as she spent over 20 years working with the City of Burnaby. She says that since moving here in 2014 she has absolutely loved getting involved with the community.
“Being executive director has a lot of things to account for and I’m still figuring things out as per any new job. The best words to describe the relationship between our foundation and the region is obviously community and leadership, we want to be a voice in the area.”
And those are the intentions of the group that was formed in 1991, as per the request of Smithers Town Council.
Essentially, the BVCF will find creative ways to spend money to benefit people within the area by taking grants or bursaries and finding ways to repay hard work here in the Bulkley Valley.
Right now, grade 12’s are encouraged to apply for scholarships with the intention of furthering their education. Submission end date is May 15th, from which point Skerik will carefully sort through and select the winners.
Residents of the Bulkley Valley are invited to meet Skerik and other members of the BVCF at “Communi-Tea” on April 28th at the Old Church in Smithers. The public will have the chance to enter the name of their favorite local nonprofit for a chance to win a prize of $1250, with two draws being made.
Additional BVCF information can be found here.