Building on 15 years of sharing the stories of Vancouver Island at CHEK, Dana is joining the team at Power To Be to help guide the non-profit’s advancement and communications efforts.
We hear today is Dana Hutching‘s last day at CHEK, and we at PSR wish her the best in her new career choice.
“Dana comes to Power To Be during a time of growth and we are excited to have her. She is joining a strong team, which is in the business of making a difference,” says Tim Cormode, Power To Be Executive Director. “With her leadership skills, strong community connections and wealth of business experience, Dana brings the necessary expertise to help us achieve future large-scale impact. We strive to be a leading social sector organization that continues to find ways to address the challenges our participants face. Dana is the right person to help us achieve this goal.”
The fifth generation Victorian spent the last 15 years with CHEK Television, most recently as assistant news director and anchor of CHEK Point, the interactive segment on CHEK News at 5. She is a Jack Webster Foundation Award winner and a Social Media Award for Excellence in Engagement winner for her work with CHEK Point. Hutchings is also very active in local charitable endeavours.
Power To Be provides adventure-based programs designed for youth and families in need of support. The caring staff, specialized equipment and network of community partnerships assist people living with a disability by strengthening connections with nature and finding inspiration through the discovery of limitless ability.
“Power To Be does amazing work in our community and I am honoured to join the team,” Hutchings said. “My career has always been focused on connecting people through stories and information that is relevant to their lives. Getting outside is so important and I look forward to helping Power To Be make that a possibility for even more youth and families in British Columbia.”
Hutchings’ appointment as Director of Advancement and Communications is effective Feb. 10, 2016.
Best of luck, Dana!
CHEK has some mighty big shoes to fill.
Several years ago, Jody Paterson, another Victoria media personage, similarly opted to move into the non-profit sector. A former columnist and editor at the Times-Colonist, she became executive director of a society that helped street-sex workers battle their demons. Last I heard, Jody and her partner, ex TC publisher Paul Willcocks, were doing good works in Central America.
With their communication and research skills, many frontline media folk are likely well suited to help non-profits target government and the private sector for grants and donations. Given the mass layoffs in print and broadcasting, we may well see more Danas and Jodys making that career switch.