The City of Terrace is pleased to announce that Linda Stevens has accepted the position of Social Development Program Coordinator. Stevens will start in this role on September 7, 2021.
The Social Development Program Coordinator is a new position that was made possible through partial funding provided from the Northern Development Initiative Trust, LNG Canada, and the Union of BC Municipalities. It involves coordination of policy development and implementation of activities to address priorities associated with social equity, community health and safety, and wellbeing in Terrace. This role will be positioned under Tara Irwin, Director of Leisure Services, but will work collaboratively across all City departments with other levels of government, First Nations, community-based organizations, social agencies, and residents, including those who have lived experience of mental health, addictions, and poverty.
In her 30+ years of experience, Stevens has worked in a variety of areas of community development including mental health and addictions, housing, and homelessness. She has worked as a Program Coordinator for the City of Ottawa, Homelessness Services Program Coordinator for the City of Kingston, and a variety of other related roles in community health and development. Most recently, Stevens comes from the Peace River School Division in Peace River, Alberta, where she has been working with youth in the areas of school-based mental health capacity building, suicide prevention, and youth counselling, among others. Stevens has a BA in Psychology and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Queen’s University as well as training in restorative justice, trauma informed care, and suicide prevention, along with many other skillsets.
“Linda is a great fit for this position. Her incredible experience speaks for itself, but her enthusiasm for what she does is even more impressive. Since this coordinator position is new, we are looking to Linda to help shape it into an effective position for our needs, and we look forward to seeing what she can implement to assist with the social issues in Terrace. We were aiming to find someone to bring focus, understanding, compassion, and thoughtful consideration to this role, and it’s clear that Linda will be able to provide those things and more,” said Kris Boland, Chief Administrative Officer.