Caledon Community Services’ new CEO looks to enhance reach, strength of non-profit

By Zachary Roman

There's a new captain at the helm of Caledon's largest non-profit.

Geraldine Aguiar has been chosen by Caledon Community Services' (CCS) Board of Directors to be the organization's next CEO. On June 1 she'll be taking over from Monty Laskin, who held the position of CEO for 17 years.

Aguiar has been working for CCS since 2013 as the Director of Health Services — the largest division at CCS. Before that, she was the Director of Community Programs at Heart House Hospice in Mississauga. In total, she has over 30 years of experience in the community sector, including time spent working for the Canadian Red Cross and March of Dimes. 

Aguiar said everyone should spend some time working or volunteering at a hospice, as she said it really changed her perspective on the world. When she saw the Caledon community come together to help build Bethell Hospice, it was one of the things that drew her to Town.

“That was always impressive to me,” said Aguiar.

When the Director of Health Services position came up at CCS it came at the perfect time for Aguiar and she was very happy to join the organization. She saw opportunities to help CCS grow and expand and was able to do just that.

CCS is an organization with a strong and deep history, said Aguiar, and yet with Caledon changing she said it's important for CCS to change too and step up to meet the challenges of the future.

“I'm looking to enhance our strength, enhance our reach,” she said, noting part of her vision is to have CCS be very present in the community. “Let's get ourselves out there… let's create those opportunities.”

Part of that means spreading the word about CCS to all of Caledon, especially West Caledon which is furthest away from CCS' headquarters in Bolton. Aguiar wants to work with all of Caledon's villages and hamlets, and said part of this means seeing what's already happening in each community and possibly helping to expand it. 

“If you're already doing something in the community, bring it in, and let's help you scale it… or provide you with some supports and resources and outreach,” said Aguiar. 

Being the eldest daughter in her family, leadership was always something Aguiar was interested in. She said her grandparents would always ask her what she wanted to become. As her career progressed, Aguiar found herself reading books and attending seminars on leadership, trying to bring what she learned into each of her jobs. 

“If you're aspiring, I'm aspiring, let's aspire together,” said Aguiar. “That's the excitement I feel… in the community (sector) we're a group of aspirers.”

Aguiar said she's always looking to grow and bring those around her up with her. While she never specifically set out to be a CEO, she always knew she wanted to be a leader wherever she ended up.

When starting a project, Aguiar said she likes to think about what the legacy of it will be. She said that helps people plan and work towards a powerful end goal. When working to better the community, she said even the smallest of actions are important because they lead to bigger actions and movements. 

“I've got so many ideas that I'd love to bring forward,” she said. “In this role, you can champion things a bit differently.”

Aguiar said she's inheriting the lead role at CCS at a time where the organization is in a very strong position. She said there's a talented and committed staff that are ready to move forward.

“I really would like to send an invitation out to the community, to the readers, to come check us out. We've got some neat events coming up in June,” said Aguiar. “We've got exciting days ahead.”

Wanda Buote, Chair of CCS' board of directors, said Aguiar stood out in a strong field of candidates.

“With her leadership and the senior team in place, this appointment ensures CCS will continue to serve the most vulnerable in an engaged, compassionate and comprehensive way,” said Buote.  

The CCS board thanked Laskin for his leadership, commitment, and contributions to CCS and wished him all the best in his future endeavours. 

For more information on CCS and its upcoming events, those interested can visit https://ccs4u.org/.