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Greetings!
My name is Vincent (Vince) Kimura; I am the Executive Director of
the Foothills Advocacy In Motion (AIM) Society.
I have had the good fortune to be with this organization since
January 1991. The
transformation and growth of this organization has been incredible.
I have even surprised myself with everything that we have been
able to accomplish. Our
Website provides some idea of where we have come from and where we are
headed. I am honoured and
humbled to support the great group of clients that have enrolled in our
programs over the years. All
that has been accomplished could not have been done without the
unshakeable support and belief of some very committed staff and Board
members. To these
individuals I take off my hat and salute them for their dedication,
commitment, effort and vision.
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My
Role & Responsibilities
The
Executive Director is responsible for the development of the
organization’s vision and provides operational leadership in
accordance with the Board of Directors’ directives.
These directives include: developing strategic and
operating plans and budgets; developing and implementing
policies and procedures; responsibility for the financial, human
and material resources; implementing organizational objectives;
planning, directing and budgeting for the Society’s ongoing
development; representing the Society and the Board of Directors
with families, guardians, community, external agencies, Person
with Developmental Disabilities and any other relevant parties.
It sounds overwhelming and at times it has been!
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What
I do
In
cooperation with the Board of Directors and support staffs I
ensure the effective and efficient planning, implementation and
operation of all programs offered by the Foothills AIM Society.
One of my most important roles is to act as a resource
and advisory person for the Board of Directors, so that they can
continue to make informed and sound decisions.
My other major obligation is to assume complete
responsibility for the administrative and operational aspects of
our day-to-day operations.
Sounds easy enough does it not!
I can assure you, that I have been kept challenged and
motivated to achieve the best possible quality of life for those
we serve!
We must be doing things right, because I sense a high
level of satisfaction and happiness amongst our clients and
families.
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A
little about myself
I
was born and raised on a mixed farm in Southern Alberta.
This environment instilled in me the values, work ethic,
acceptance of responsibility and resourcefulness that I possess
today. For these
attributes I am eternally grateful. One thing I am not is lazy or lacking in motivation.
I enrolled in the Business Faculty at the University of
Calgary and graduated with a major in management and a minor in
marketing. My
selection of electives also left me only a few courses short of
an economics degree. I
went on to work in the highly competitive financial industry for
twelve years. This
is where I learned to become a workaholic.
This exposure provided me with a sound basis for
operating a business. I
returned to the University of Calgary to obtain a Psychology
Degree in 1988/89. Upon
completion, I made a successful career change into the
rehabilitation field. It
has now been fifteen years and I feel my present
responsibilities reflect the perfect blend between my two
degrees. I am now in the position to make a difference in the lives of
others and to do so in a fiscally accountable and efficient
manner.
I
have been blessed with the support of a life partner for 20 plus
years now that accepts and understands my perfectionist
tendencies and helps me balance these traits in my life.
I have learned to be highly productive without driving
others around me nuts at the same time.
This is a fine art indeed!
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Things
on the Go
Our website is undergoing a facelift of sorts. The traffic and interest expressed in our site has exceeded our wildest expectations. We are indebted to our Technology Coordinator (James Hill) for making our site visible to major search engines. This traffic has created worldwide interest and attention to what we are doing here at AIM. The current revisions will reflect the changes that we have made and focus our efforts towards the future.
It has been a year since we have opened our new office in Okotoks. This community is facing unprecedented growth and as a result our services will be in very high demand. I am working in conjunction with Laurie Kerber, Employment & Day Services Manager – Okotoks Office as we prepare to receive anticipated volumes. The ongoing challenge is funding, management and public education. We believe we have established competencies in these crucial areas. If demographic projections are right, this operation will eventually be larger than the one presently based in High River.
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What
I Am Most Proud Of
I continue to marvel at the overall level of quality of life attained for those we serve. In surveys conducted, clients and families continue to rate service delivery extremely high. It takes inordinate and highly coordinated efforts to sustain such levels under ever-present funding, turnover, training and accreditation demands. As such, I am most proud of the fine group of committed staff, care providers and Board members that have been assembled. I am truly blessed to be working with talented personnel who share a vision and a purpose. I can honestly say that we are a united unit that is committed to the quality of life of those we serve. It does not get any simpler or more complex than this!
I appreciate and value the reception and willingness of this community to support our cause. Our success lies in the very core of the Foothills Community. Without the exceptional relationships with the business community, persons with developmental disabilities would not be experiencing the quality of life that they do. I remain very proud of our fiscal accountability and cost per client funding when compared to other service providers within our region and the province.
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Wish
List
My wish
includes the following:
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Hearing from local businesses who are facing staffing and operational challenges who perhaps have never considered what a person with a disability might be able to offer. I am not saying that we can solve every problem, but we have surprised a number of businesses with our proposed solutions.
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Retired or semi-retired individuals residing in the High River or Okotoks communities who have a half-day (3 hours) or full day (6 hours) to supplement a number of our day program operations. I would refer interested parties to our Volunteer Resources link on our website. We have a number of individuals who have discovered enrichment in their lives and in turn have made valued connections with those we support.
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Of course financial and non-financial contributions are always welcome. Quite a number of businesses and individuals have donated their old computers to us this past year. We have refurbished these units and have made good use of them or have turned around and resold them. Either way it has benefited the Society and of course a tax donation receipt can be issued.
Before becoming involved or donating we encourage potential supporters to arrange for a visit to learn more about us. There are so many causes out there that it is onerous to discern which ones are worthy of your time and resources. We have successfully met Better Business Bureau’s 14 Standards of Charitable Solicitations and conform to the Ethical Fundraising Standards of Canada as well. You may visit the Better Business Bureau website,
www.betterbusinessbureau.ca and
www.bbb.org to view our charity report online. Potential donors can also access our report through a Voice Response System (VRS), a 24-hour phone-line at 517-4BBB (222).
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Contact
Me
If you have
questions about our operations and administrations, or anything else
about Foothills AIM Society - I invite your inquiries.
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