(Submitted Photo/Joan Bear)

By Cam Lee

New boss at NEOSS

NEOSS hires new Executive Director

Dec 14, 2023 | 5:00 PM

There’s a new boss at North East Outreach and Support Services (NEOSS).

Joan Bear was appointed as the new Executive Director on Nov. 27. She succeeds Wayne Hellquist and Hayley Kennedy who had acted as interim directors for the previous seven months.

Bear told northeastNOW she was drawn to the position because her values mirror those of the organization and she wanted an opportunity close to her home in Weldon.

“This (opportunity) just seemed to have a magnetic pull,” she explained.

Bear comes to NEOSS with prior experience as a board member of an Edmonton homeless shelter and overseeing the Emergency Homeless Transition Shelter in North Battleford. Bear is also a former CEO of the Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs and Executive Director of Muskoday First Nation.

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It’s that wealth of experience that was part of the reason she was selected for the job.

“Joan Bear’s positive energy, vision, and extensive leadership experience in nonprofit organizational development, health, education, shelters, and executive leadership in First Nations organizations will fortify NEOSS, propelling it to new heights,” NEOSS Board Co-Chairs Blair MIchaliew and Kristin Lee said in a news release.

While NEOSS is known for the domestic violence shelter in Melfort, Bear said the organization offers a variety of different programming.

“It’s not just the shelter here, there’s the Treehouse as well, the emergency receiving home, we have Nipawin First and Melfort Youth Evolution,” Bear outlined. “All kinds of programs and services; our outreach is very busy in Melfort and Nipawin as well.”

Many organizations are looking forward to 2024 and NEOSS is no different.

Bear noted the board will be doing strategic planning in the first few months of the new year to take a fresh approach to the way they do business while looking at the services the organization provides.

Like most businesses and organizations in the northeast, NEOSS has some job opportunities available. Bear said anyone interested can give them a call.

“In less than a year, we’re hoping to be one of Melfort and area’s employers of choice,” Bear explained.

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