The personnel ccommittee for 2005/2006 was chaired by Jeanetty Jumah.

The Personnel Committee members are very proud of the service the staff of TBMA offers to our community through our various programs.  Our staff is dedicated to serving our newcomer community and their combination of talents help the TBMA Board of Directors carry out our mandate effectively.

Many of our staff members have worked with TBMA for a number of years.  The fact that we have very little staff turnover is a reflection of the commitment of the individuals we have in our employ to the programs of the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association.

With the addition of new programs, the TBMA staff has increased.  With our new LINC School, we have seen many positive changes at TBMA. Cathy Woodbeck, our Executive Director and Rosalind Maki have taken on increased responsibilities related to the school. Maria Niny Martinez has taken on the newly created role of LINC Childminding liaison. In our newly formed  partnership with the Lakehead Board of Education, the teachers are under their employ but are also our partners and part of the TBMA team. Cathy continues to take on more regional responsibilities as TBMA plays a strong leadership role in Northwestern Ontario. We welcome Tracy Laird and Tracy Moore who have joined us doing Reception and Intake work, providing our clients with familiar faces morning and afternoon at the Reception Desk.

We are proud of our continued working relationship with D.O.O.R.S. to New Life as a service delivery partner for the Newcomer Settlement Program at TBMA. Working together under one roof ensures the most effective and convenient service for newcomers coming to Thunder Bay and provides them with the ease of accessing services more effectively.

Michelle Lander Mackenzie returned as the 2005 Folklore Festival Coordinator. She brings a wealth of experience in event planning and Folklore Festival coordination to the position.

In the year ahead, under the leadership of our Executive Director, TBMA will be looking at other partnerships and more staffing to meet the needs of potential partnerships. For many years, TBMA has had a vision of sharing our resources and talents across Northern Ontario. In these dynamic and changing times, we may have opportunities to achieve this vision. We thank Sonia Prodanyk, a Past-President of TBMA, and Cathy who, many years ago, saw this possibility and worked hard to make it a reality.

We thank Cathy Woodbeck and our Financial Director Armando Narvaez, both very accomplished and committed individuals. Through their efforts TBMA is able to continue offering cost efficient service while meeting the needs of our clients and funders. We recognize the work of all of the staff members at TBMA, and extend our thanks to each individual.

On a personal note, as Chair of the Personnel Committee, I would like to thank the members of the Personnel Committee for their work this year.