The challenge facing the new CEO of B.C.’s embattled nonprofit Atira

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Donnie Rosa removes the sleeve of his burgundy suit jacket to reveal a large tattoo of Spider-Man on his right forearm, along with the words: With great power comes great responsibility.

Rosa has adopted the superhero’s favorite phrase as her own mantra. And Rosa will report to him as the new executive director of British Columbia’s largest and most embattled non-profit housing provider, Atira Women’s Resources Society.

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“Atira has this responsibility. We have to do this right,” Rosa said.

“These are the lessons we have to carry forward. It is daunting, yes, and exciting to be able to do it.”

Rosa’s first day at Atira is April 22, almost a year after former CEO Janice Abbott left the top job embroiled in a conflict of interest scandal. Abbott had been executive director of the nonprofit since 1992, until a scathing May 2023 audit found that Atira received preferential treatment for millions in government contracts by her husband, Shayne Ramsay, who was then director of BCHousing.

Atira also had other challenges. A run-down privately owned hotel that it had a government contract to operate caught fire in 2022, killing two of its vulnerable tenants.

A coroner’s grand jury earlier this year called for major changes, including improving fire precautions in these aging buildings. And advocates continue to demand justice for the fire victims, holding a march Thursday in the Downtown Eastside.

Ensuring tenant safety and improving Atira’s tarnished reputation are top priorities for Rosa. And achieving them is crucial for many British Columbians affected by the housing and cost of living crises: in the last fiscal year, the agency received $79 million in government funding, operated more than 3,000 housing units and served more than 10,000 people. .

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Rosa believes their previous leadership positions in “complex organizations,” such as the Squamish Nation and the Vancouver parks board, prepare them to repair relationships with major funders who initially abandoned Atira when conflict-of-interest allegations became public.

They have a coffee meeting arranged with Vincent Tong, the new CEO of BC Housing, which provides most of Atira’s funding. The province criticized the agency after the damning audit, and Rosa is determined to “reestablish” that relationship.

“(It requires) good communication, understanding what they need from this relationship: what do they need to regain that trust in Atira? And I think it starts with: Do you trust me? How do I deal with this?

Under Ramsay’s leadership, Atira received significantly more government funding in 2023 to run many more subsidized units than its other nonprofit agencies. Rosa said it is too early to comment on whether Atira will try to grow further, being responsible for operating more housing at a time when there is a desperate lack of affordable options.

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“First the restart. “And then what’s next?” Rosa said, adding that they would like to work with other Downtown Eastside service providers to jointly address the housing shortage. “There is a greater need right now…How do we fill that void together?”

Abbott was temporarily replaced by Catherine Roome, a corporate CEO who serves on many boards, who restructured Atira, replaced the board and addressed some of the deficiencies identified in the audit. Roome said in October that the federal and provincial governments had renewed their funding for Atira; Shortly after, the City of Vancouver announced new grants for the tainted agency.

Rosa had been CEO of the Vancouver park board for three years, but left in May 2023 citing, diplomatically, a “misalignment of values” with the new park board elected in the October 2022 municipal election.

Rosa insisted, however, that they have a good relationship with Vancouver’s new mayor and council, which is important given the amount of municipal subsidies that Atira depends on.

Rosa began her career in Ontario managing recreation departments for cities, and since arriving in British Columbia in 2016, she has held similar jobs in Vancouver and Coquitlam. After leaving the park board, Rosa was responsible for land acquisition in the Squamish Nation.

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Atira primarily serves women, children, and gender diverse people who are often low-income, offering them safe housing and protection from violence. It also runs many programs for its tenants, including counseling, legal clinics, life skills training, and early learning centers for children.

The agency provides a personal connection for Rosa, who was raised by a single mother in Toronto’s poorest neighborhood.

Rosa also has experience working with homeless people during previous jobs in Toronto and at the Strathcona and CRAB Park homeless encampments.

“Could this be a better job for me?” they asked. “It’s a privilege. And I feel like my experiences up to this point in life… have all led me to this moment.”

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