Laskin stepping down as CEO of Caledon Community Services: “A joyful ride”

Laskin's last day on the job will be April 28

By Zachary Roman

The head of Caledon's largest non-profit will be leaving his post after more than decade-and-a-half of working to help those in need in the community.

Monty Laskin, CEO of Caledon Community Services (CCS), will be stepping down from his job on April 28. He gave a long period of notice in order to ensure a seamless transition to whoever will be the organization's next CEO.

CCS' Operating Budget more than doubled in size during Laskin's tenure as CEO, and a plethora of new services were added to CCS' catalogue.

Before coming to CCS, Laskin worked for Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney General, where he had a chance to see the province make important decisions on what they were going to prioritize. Specifically, his work was with Ontario Victim Services, so Laskin got to see the work of and be inspired by hundreds of different non-profit organizations across the province.

Prior to working in government, Laskin worked for various community organizations in Toronto, where he did, and still, lives. 

“After a while in government, I wanted to return to community where my heart is,” said Laskin. He explained that his predecessor, former CCS CEO Susan Cameron, gave him a call and let him know she was stepping down and that he should interview for the position. Laskin said Cameron was a fantastic CEO and built a strong foundation for CCS.

Prior to getting the job at CCS, Laskin actually didn't know a lot about Caledon, the place in which he'd become a key figure in the coming years. In his job interview preparations back in 2006, Laskin remembers thinking CCS was an amazing opportunity to get involved in all kinds of different sectors; and, that CCS was becoming a real go-to organization in Caledon.

Laskin said he saw opportunities to add settlement services, youth services and employment services to name a few, all of which CCS now offers.

“It's been such a joyful ride to watch the community grow and watch CCS grow alongside it, in ways that in 2006, I couldn't have imagined,” said Laskin. “Any growth of a community organization requires an exceptionally hard-working staff team and a community that wants to come together and make things happen.”

A team performance is always required, said Laskin, explaining that launching new services always requires capital and sustainable funding. He said CCS always has to put itself forward in a way that proves it has the capacity to do its charitable work and that the work will have the intended positive impacts on residents in the community.

Laskin said he's always thought it is CCS' role to bring forward the perspectives and needs of people that use CCS' services to Council and other non-profits in the community. He said working together to ensure their needs aren't forgotten amongst competing priorities in a growing community is key.

Something Laskin is really proud of working on in his time in CCS is developing an extremely strong and passionate staff. With a strong staff group, Laskin said much more can get done for the community.

“My team… are all people that I just love going into battle with, planning and brainstorming,” said Laskin. “Figuring out what we need and how we can get it… it's been the most satisfying to watch them grow and grow alongside them.”

Another item Laskin is particularly proud of is the planning and building of The Exchange in Bolton.

“It's been a real game-changer for the community because it's provided a hub, a safe, welcoming and really attractive place for all people of Caledon to come to,” said Laskin. Whether it's for food support, a yoga class, or a cooking class, different people go to the exchange for different things and that was the goal.

Before The Exchange existed, CCS delivered food support by handing out pre-packed food hampers out of a closet. It was a necessary service, but the organization knew it didn't match its vision and that a better model could be created.

Laskin said all kinds of things came together over an 18-month period to make The Exchange a reality: a generous builder, generous architect, generous people and more. Now, The Exchange receives over 12,000 visits a year. Laskin noted the need for food support in Caledon has more than doubled from this time last year, as well as the fact there's often mornings when The Exchange opens and there are people waiting outside who have lived rough the night before.

“It is unquestionable that (The Exchange) is serving a really important purpose,” said Laskin. “Hardship in life is never about one thing… when you're challenged in one way, it often creates other kinds of challenges. So, the value of someone coming for food is that a caseworker can learn really quickly: “What's going on here? How did this evolve for you? And what are you missing right now, to secure some independence and a life that you want to live?'”

Laskin said CCS can then make all kinds of referrals internally to help someone, whether it's assisting them with job support, health issues, transportation, mental health or something else.

“I think that's why (CCS has) become such a diamond in this community,” said Laskin.

For whoever will be CCS' next CEO, Laskin said his advice would be that they should rely on the skills and passion that got them the job. The other thing he said is that the new CEO will be able to rely on CCS' amazing staff while they spend time getting to know CCS and Caledon.

Laskin said one of the most important things he did in his first year on the job was really get to know the “heart of Caledon.” Former board chairs and members were key in helping Laskin do this.

Laskin is always quick to credit the “exceptional” people of Caledon who spend their time on events, committees, programs, and everything else CCS does that needs volunteers. He also credits other organizations in Caledon like service clubs, faith groups, schools, and others that he said have been a pleasure to work with over the years.

“Over 17 years, I've learned so much, and I've had so many opportunities to do things that have brought me a lot of joy in my life,” said Laskin. He said the next CEO will have a chance to set the vision for the next decade and make important choices as Caledon continues to grow — an enticing offer for someone looking to provide leadership in community development.

Laskin said Caledon is seeing significant growth in more diverse demographics and that there's opportunities for CCS to get even more involved in settlement services for newcomers. 

“It's important for Caledon to welcome (diversity) in word and in deed,” said Laskin.

Also important to note in the coming years is the number of “newly-vulnerable” people who were hit hard by the pandemic and need support for the first time to make ends meet.

Oftentimes these are families where parents have jobs and it's still not enough to be sustainable.

“On matters of poverty, CCS has to remain strong,” said Laskin. “It is the only organization in Caledon that has a specific mandate on poverty reduction.”

Finally, Laskin said a needs assessment done by CCS last year indicates that people are using the services offered by CCS and that they should all be continued. Sustaining the services' operation in an economy where costs are rising significantly will be an important task.

January 31 is when CCS' Board of Directors officially announced Laskin would be stepping down on April 28, and they did so with a media release. In the release, Board Chair Wanda Buote said Laskin provided visionary leadership during his tenure as CEO.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and our entire organization, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Monty for his leadership, commitment to excellence for CCS and for Caledon and for the diligence with which he worked on behalf of our organization,” said Buote.

The statement said Laskin is leaving CCS positioned well to meet the growing needs of Caledon and that he developed strong relationships with “all levels of government, the United Way of Greater Toronto, foundations, private donors and generous Caledon businesses and residents which will serve the agency well into the future.”

CCS' Board of Directors has established a hiring plan and engaged an executive search firm to undergo a rigorous search for CCS' next CEO.

Buote said Laskin's pursuit of excellence at CCS has made the organization strong for the years to come. 

“Please join me in extending to Monty all good wishes in the way ahead and continued successes as he embraces new opportunities in this next chapter of his career,” said Buote.