VIDEO: Oak Bay Volunteer Services long-time executive director retires

Oak Bay Volunteer Services’ long-time executive director Joan Halvorsen offers advice on retirement shared with her.

She retired July 19 after more than 37 years with the organization.

“She certainly is dedicated to the Oak Bay Volunteer Services,” said Bronwyn Taylor, a former board member and 15-year volunteer with the organization. “She has always been welcoming to all of the volunteers.”

Taylor commends Halvorsen’s grant application capabilities, that fund the non-profit that provides direct volunteer services to Oak Bay residents on a one-to-one basis.

Halvorsen says she chose to stay on as long as she has, partly because she wanted to be there to celebrate the 40th anniversary this year.

“I wanted to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the organization so I’d have the opportunity to honour volunteers and also founders and funders,” she said, during her official retirement party in council chambers at municipal hall. She thanked everyone present for both their kindness to her, and to others.

“I did want to see the organization through the annual general meeting where we had our new constitution and bylaws we had to have adopted,” Halvorsen said. “We do have an excellent volunteer base a variety of people with so many skills. We have a board with experienced people on it and new people on it, and we’re in a good financial situation at the moment with the generosity of both past and future giving. So I feel the organization is in a good place at this time.”