10 March 2023
In recognition and celebration of our 60th anniversary, Silvera interviewed a variety of individuals to learn more about the remarkable people who make up and contribute to our organization – employees, residents, board members, donors, volunteers, and more. These individuals are true “Silvera Diamonds” – as strong and resilient as our organization over the past six decades. Thank you to each of you who help to make us what we are. Here’s to another 60 years!
Rob Easson has been on an extraordinary volunteer journey with Silvera for more than seven years. He joined Silvera in 2015 as a member of Silvera’s Board of Directors and recently completed a three-year term as Board Chair.
“I was introduced to Silvera by a good friend of mine who is a community leader and a long-time supporter of Silvera,” Rob says. “He encouraged me to get involved and since then, it has been my great privilege to be part of the Silvera Board.”
A lifelong marketer and communicator, Rob’s career included working for organizations such as TELUS and Imperial Oil providing “strategic execution, relationship development and brand management”. He also spent many years volunteering as Board Chair for Theatre Calgary.
Rob believes Silvera’s Board has three main roles:
- Oversight – providing oversight on governance processes and outcomes, including strategic direction, budget approvals, CEO performance and compensation.
- Value-added guidance and counsel – supporting the executive team to build a plan for the organization using their individual technical, cultural, financial perspectives and expertise.
- Advocacy – developing relationships with stakeholders including government, community, employees, residents, and families.
Through the last five years, the Board has sharpened the strategic imperatives, provided disciplined recruitment to the Board and committees through a skills matrix, refreshed the organization’s purpose and values, and bolstered the planning and execution of capital projects.
“The Board was able to support the executive team by focusing on five strategic imperatives,” he says. “This work allowed us to move through the pandemic with confidence and purposeful actions. We were able to manage COVID as a cohesive team because we had the skills, people, and tools in place to do so.”
Rob commends CEO Arlene Adamson and the Silvera team for doing a great job of implementing early safety protocols, demonstrating a commitment to keep employees and residents safe, and helping employees stay as healthy as possible during those early, tough days of the pandemic.
He also credits the executive and Board’s foundational work for being able to move the organization’s strategic imperatives forward even during the past few years. He believes Silvera is fortunate to have a talented board and the skill and support of both employees and volunteers.
“Silvera opened new buildings, modernized others, created new service delivery platforms, built strong relationships with key stakeholders, and came out as a very trusted partner at a time of existential crisis,” Rob says. “It’s incredible that we were able to build our brand during a time of such upheaval.”
Asked about the best part of getting older himself, Rob pauses.
“As you age, you’re asked more and more to do less and less, but you can still add value,” he muses. “You need to become a helpful ally, providing sound advice and relevant experience. Rarely do they want you to do the actual work – nobody asks me to paint fences anymore. I think being able to provide guidance and counsel are the real privileges of being a little bit older.”