Appointment of Incoming Executive Director

The Board of Directors of the Multicultural and Immigrant Services Association of North Vancouver Island (MISA), operationally known as the Immigrant Welcome Centre, is very pleased to announce that Shams Alibhai has been appointed as our incoming Executive Director, effective July 1, 2023.

Shams has been chosen through an extensive provincial and national search process.  The hiring committee conducted a rigorous and thorough process of reviewing applications and conducting interviews with numerous well-qualified candidates.  With significant consideration given to the skills, experiences and expertise needed to successfully guide MISA in its next phase of growth, the Board has selected Shams. 

Shams has outstanding skills, possessing extensive experience working at a senior level in the refugee and immigrant sector, as well as achieving relevant, advanced educational qualifications and multilingual competency. Shams comes to us with over 25 years of increasingly responsible management level experience, including 19 years as an Executive Director in the non-profit sector, in British Columbia, Egypt and Central Asia. She has lived and worked amongst diverse cultures, religions and ethnicities. Her most recent assignment was as CEO of the Aga Khan and Om Habibeh Foundations in Egypt. She also worked for 7 years as the Executive Director of the British Columbia Council for International Co-operation (BCCIC), a coalition of international development organizations. 

Shams is a strong communicator and networker, with extensive experience collaborating with local and international sectors. She is a known relationship builder amongst NGOs, donors, government agencies, educational institutions and community developers. Shams is a caring, personable and collaborative leader. We are confident under her leadership, the organization’s success and impact in achieving its mission and vision will continue to flourish. 

To ensure a successful orientation, since April, Shams has been working on a limited basis in order to attend MISA board and related community meetings. She will move to full time June 12, and will overlap with the current Executive Director, Jim Brennan, MISA staff, and community members until June 30, 2023. Shams will fully assume the Executive Director role of MISA, July 1, 2023.

The Board extends our deepest gratitude to Jim Brennan, our outgoing Executive Director for his help with the process of transferring leadership. We also wish to thank Ann McLeod, Administration Manager, as well as other MISA staff members and the Board Hiring Committee, for their commitment throughout the recruitment and hiring process.

Sincerely, 

Doug Preston,