HR Council News
Winner of HR CheckUp Launch Contest a self-described ‘people manager’
July 6, 2010
With a background as diverse as the sector he works in, Rob Grant describes himself as a ‘people manager,’ a role that suits him well after working nearly three decades in a variety of human services positions.
Since 2004, Rob has been the Executive Director of Salt Spring Island Community Services; a nonprofit that seeks to strengthen the community of the Southern Gulf Islands in British Columbia. However, his experiences with leadership go back further than his current position. It all started in 1978 when Rob found himself taking on different human services roles across Manitoba and Alberta as a youth worker, social worker, educator and program manager. Before long he founded his own nonprofit called Teen Adventure Groups (now Adventure Education Manitoba). He was a trainer for the Manitoba Ministry of Education for five years on a project training staff from First Nations child welfare agencies, was chief instructor with Environs Wilderness School in Calgary, and was the first executive director of the Winnipeg Children’s Foundation. The list goes on to include manager of mental health and addiction services for youth and families on Vancouver Island from 1992-2003.
“After a few years I realized that an effective organization is all about people and relationships,” says Rob. “An organizational culture of respect, caring and teamwork brings out the best in everyone. Quality service delivery naturally follows.”
Rob’s education includes a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Manitoba and an MA in educational leadership from San Diego State University, as well as advanced training in adult education (University of Manitoba) and mediation (Justice Institute of BC).
Not one to sit idly on his days off, Rob enjoys family activities with his wife, son and daughter. He is passionate about music and has been a guitar player for the past 30 years (his son Hiatt is named after John Hiatt). He used to perform at the occasional folk festival, and is now getting back into some serious playing on Salt Spring Island. Ever the outdoorsy type, Rob kayaks regularly and has participated in many once in a lifetime activities such as being a guide for kayaking and trekking trips in the Arctic, being an instructor for Outward Bound, and he even did some movie stunt work (check out the white water scenes in Curse of the Viking Grave).
Rob Grant was randomly selected from among the first 500 people who completed the HR Council’s HR CheckUp as the winner of a brand new Apple iPad. Congratulations Rob!
For more information about the HR CheckUp, visit checkup.hrcouncil.ca.
